Drone and Aerial Filming in Alaska: Where You Can Fly, and What to Use Where You Can't

Planning guides
Written by Brendan Wells

You can fly a drone for paid work across much of Alaska with an FAA-certified pilot, but not in national parks, and only with FAA authorization near Anchorage's airports. Where drones aren't allowed, use a crewed aircraft: our Cub Cam or a helicopter, flown within FAA and park rules.

By Brendan Wells · Last checked November 2026 · Part of our Filming in Alaska guide

What does a drone pilot need to film in Alaska?

Paid drone work falls under Part 107, the FAA's rule for drones under 55 pounds. In practice:

  • The pilot holds an FAA remote pilot certificate, earned by passing a knowledge test.

  • The drone is registered with the FAA and broadcasts Remote ID, a signal that identifies it in flight. Remote ID has been required since September 16, 2023.

  • Someone keeps the drone in sight with their own eyes. FPV pilots fly through goggles, so a visual observer watches the drone for them.

  • Flights stay at or below 400 feet above the ground.

  • Night flights and flights over people are allowed without a waiver when the rule's conditions are met.

  • Flying in controlled airspace, the managed airspace around busier airports, needs FAA authorization.

Our drone pilots are Part 107 certified, and insurance certificates are available on request.

Can you fly a drone in Anchorage?

Yes, with authorization near the airports. Ted Stevens Anchorage International, Merrill Field, Lake Hood seaplane base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson are all close to town, and all four are on the FAA's list of LAANC airports. LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) is the app-based system that can approve a flight in near real time. Flights above the automated limits go to the FAA for manual review, which takes longer, so we file early.

Anchorage airspace is also under review. The FAA's Anchorage Terminal Area Airspace and Procedures Study proposes redrawing the Class C airspace around the international airport and changing the Part 93 rules, special flight rules used only around Anchorage. A draft environmental assessment was open for comment from October 7 to November 9, 2026. As of the FAA's October 26, 2026 update, no final decision had been made. We check current charts before every flight.

Can you fly a drone in Alaska's national parks?

No. A 2014 National Park Service policy (Policy Memo 14-05) directed superintendents to use 36 CFR 1.5 to ban launching, landing or operating drones, and it's still in force. A violation is a misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. That includes Denali, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, Lake Clark and Wrangell-St. Elias. The NPS doesn't say a filming permit can authorize a drone, so plan park shoots without one.

What are the drone rules in state parks and national forests?

Alaska State Parks film permits carry drone conditions (revised January 15, 2026):

  • No flights in busy areas such as campgrounds, trailheads and parking lots.

  • Part 107 rules apply, at or below 400 feet.

  • Stay at least 100 feet from obstacles, people and wildlife, and never chase or harass animals.

Some parks have their own aircraft rules. Chugach State Park's regulations allow aircraft only at the Bold airstrip at Eklutna Lake. The rule doesn't mention drones, so we confirm with the park before planning a drone shot there. In the Chugach National Forest, drones follow FAA rules and wilderness limits still apply.

How close can a drone get to whales, eagles and other wildlife?

  • Humpback whales: 100 yards

    In Alaska it's illegal to approach a humpback within 100 yards. NOAA's guideline for other marine mammals is also 100 yards.

  • Aircraft over marine mammals: 1,500 feet

    NOAA's viewing minimum for aircraft. Its guidelines don't mention drones, but harassing a marine mammal is illegal.

  • Eagle nests: 660 feet

    Beyond 660 feet, USFWS says a disturbance permit typically isn't needed. Within 330 feet in breeding season, it recommends one.

Hunting shoots add one more rule: Alaska bans using any airborne or remote-controlled device to spot or locate game. On a hunt, the drone films the story, not the search. Our wildlife filming page covers how we work around animals.

What can you use where drones aren't allowed?

The Cub Cam

The Cub Cam is a stabilized 8K cinema camera on Brendan's own Piper Super Cub. It's our aerial option where drones aren't allowed, such as national parks, flown within FAA and park rules. Over parks, refuges and wilderness, the FAA asks pilots to stay at least 2,000 feet above the surface. It's a request, not a regulation, and we plan park aerials around it.

The Cub also flies air-to-air. For Red Bull's Originate (Season 3, Episode 3), with skier Michelle Parker in the Wrangell-St. Elias, a range reached only by bush plane, Brendan filmed the air-to-air shots with the Cub Cam and also shot on the slopes. More on our aerial filming page.

Helicopters

Helicopters hover, fly slowly, carry larger stabilized camera systems and can set crew down on ridgelines and glaciers. Landings on national park, refuge and national forest land generally need the agency's authorization, so the operator and the film permit both have to cover them. We book helicopters through Alaska operators.

Which drones do we fly?

For government and contract work, we fly an NDAA-compliant drone that's fit for the project. NDAA-compliant means it meets federal limits on drone components from certain foreign countries, which many agencies require. See our NDAA-compliant drone services.

For fast, close lines, such as following a skier, boat or truck through terrain, we build custom FPV drones and fly them with a visual observer, as Part 107 requires.

We also fly for visiting crews. For Magnéto Presse's France 5 documentary Le rêve de Léonard : Les secrets du vol dans la nature (Da Vinci's Dream: The Secrets of Flight, 2024), we flew the drones and ran audio and camera for a French crew filming in Alaska.

For where these tools fit on a map, see our favorite filming locations.

Questions

Can I fly a drone in Denali National Park?

No. Drones are banned in Denali and other national parks under 36 CFR 1.5 and NPS Policy Memo 14-05. For aerials over the park, use a crewed aircraft such as the Cub Cam or a helicopter, within FAA and park rules.

Do I need FAA permission to fly a drone in Anchorage?

Near Ted Stevens Anchorage International, Merrill Field, Lake Hood and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, yes. A Part 107 pilot can request authorization through LAANC, often in near real time. Flights above the automated limits need a manual FAA review, which takes longer.

Can a filming permit cover a drone in a national park?

Don't plan on it. The NPS drone ban is still in force, and the agency doesn't say a filming permit can authorize a drone.

How far should a drone stay from whales?

NOAA's Alaska guidelines don't address drones directly. Humpbacks can't be approached within 100 yards, the guideline for other marine mammals is 100 yards, and the minimum for aircraft is 1,500 feet. Harassing a marine mammal is illegal, so we plan from those distances.

Planning a shoot in Alaska?

Send us your locations and shot list, and we'll tell you what can fly where. Start a project or call (907) 521-8133. We reply within one business day.

Sources

Brendan Wells https://mountainmind.media
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