Finding legal places to fly a drone around Cork

“Where can I actually fly a drone around Cork?” It sounds like a simple question, but there’s no single list of approved spots. Whether a place is legal depends on the airspace, the land, the wildlife and the people around on the day. Here’s how I work it out.

Step 1: check the airspace

Cork has busy, controlled airspace. Cork Airport sits just south of the city, and there are restricted zones around other sensitive sites too. Before every flight:

• Check the IAA’s official UAS geographical zones. Zones overlap, so read every one that covers your location.
• Check for NOTAMs and temporary restricted areas. These pop up for events, emergencies and VIP visits.
• Stay under 120 m, and keep the drone in sight.

Step 2: check your drone’s subcategory

My Spark and Mavic Pro are legacy drones over 250 g, so they fly in A3. That means no uninvolved people nearby, and at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas. That rules out a lot: towns and villages, busy beaches, sports pitches and parks. (Full details in what the IAA requires.)

Step 3: check the land

Flying and taking off are two different things. You need the right to be on the land you take off from.

• Private farmland: ask the landowner. Most are fine if you ask politely and keep away from livestock.
• Forests: many are managed by Coillte. Check their current policy and get permission before flying from their land.
• National parks and nature reserves: run by the NPWS, and they generally need permission.
• Heritage sites: OPW sites, such as forts and historic buildings, generally don’t allow drones without permission.

Step 4: think about wildlife

Cork Harbour and much of the coastline are important for birds, and parts are protected as Special Protection Areas. Drones can panic nesting and feeding birds. Avoid cliffs and colonies in nesting season, and if birds react to the drone, leave.

What tends to work

Putting that together, the places that usually tick every box are:

• Open farmland and hills inland, with the landowner’s permission, well away from houses and roads.
• Quiet stretches of coastline away from towns, ideally out of season and early in the morning, when there’s nobody about.
• Model aircraft flying fields, if you join a local club.