Drone-friendly flying fields in Maryland

Radio-control club fields are some of the few places in Maryland where you can fly a drone with the landowner’s blessing, especially in counties like Baltimore County that don’t allow drones in their parks. These clubs have told us, or posted in their rules, that drone pilots are welcome under their conditions.

How club fields work

• AMA membership (Academy of Model Aeronautics) is required at every club field, mainly for insurance.
• Visit as a guest. Most clubs let non-members fly a few times with a member present before asking you to join. Contact the club first.
• Call ahead. Many fields have locked gates that are only open when members are there.
• FPV needs a spotter under AMA rules, and some fields don’t allow FPV at all.
• Commercial flying (paid photo or video work) is usually not allowed at club fields.
• Check airspace in B4UFLY before every flight. Several fields sit near airports or the D.C. restricted area.

Fields on DroneCompass

• CLUB FIELDVERIFIED IN WRITING

  South Carroll Aeromodelers field (Sykesville)

  Sykesville (Carroll County)

  Multirotors and FPV (with a spotter) allowed. Guests must be AMA members flying with a club member. No recording or filming, per the hospital grounds it sits on.

  Watch for: A field of about 3,000 young trees on posts beside the runway.

  Verified October 16, 2026 · Full rules, directions & map

• CLUB FIELDVERIFIED IN WRITING

  Harford County RC Modelers field (Street)

  Street (Harford County)

  Drone pilots with AMA membership are welcome, including multirotor and FPV flying. The gate is locked, so call the club ahead.

  Watch for: Trees and rising ground off the north end; control-line circle at that end.

  Verified October 16, 2026 · Full rules, directions & map

• CLUB FIELDVERIFIED IN WRITING

  Konterra Model Airpark (Free State Aeromodelers)

  Laurel (Prince George’s County)

  Drones fly in the same airspace as planes. AMA membership required; visitors fly with a member. The club says it’s just outside the D.C. no-drone zone and is a FRIA.

  Watch for: High-voltage power lines on the far side of the field.

  Verified October 16, 2026 · Full rules, directions & map

• CLUB FIELD

  Helwig Field, Patuxent Aeromodelers (Hollywood)

  Hollywood (St. Mary’s County), in Greenwell State Park

  Multirotors under 10 lb in the helicopter and multirotor area. Guests fly under a member’s sponsorship, up to five visits a year. Check Pax River airspace.

  Watch for: Narrow 4-acre area with a road along one side.

  Verified October 16, 2026 · Full rules, directions & map

• CLUB FIELD

  Southwest Area Park flying field (Baltimore Co.)

  Baltimore County (Southwest Area Park)

  Only AMA members fly; non-members of the club can fly as a guest up to three times a year with a sponsor. No FPV (inside the D.C. Special Flight Rules Area); within 7 miles of BWI. Ask whether multirotors are welcome.

  Watch for: Small 5-acre area with 80-foot trees past both runway ends.

  Verified October 16, 2026 · Full rules, directions & map

Being added

We’ve contacted these clubs and will add each one once it confirms its drone rules. Until then, contact the club directly before visiting.

• Chesapeake Bay RC (Crownsville)
• Chesapeake Bay Miniature Aircraft Association (Essex)
• Prince George’s RC Club (Upper Marlboro)
• RC Modelers of Baltimore, Kirk Field (Parkton)
• DC Radio Control Club, Walt Good Field (Boyds)
• Frederick Model Aircraft Club (Frederick)
• Mavericks R/C Flying Club (Monrovia)
• Westminster Aero Modelers (Westminster)
• Wright Flyers (Marriottsville)
• Swan Harbor RC (Havre de Grace)
• Charles County RC Club (Brandywine)
• Pegasus R/C Modelers (Hagerstown)
• Mexico Farms RC Flyers Park (Cumberland)
• MARKS RC, Waybright Field (Salisbury)
• Eastern Shore Aeromodelers (Hurlock)
• Balsa Busters RC (Elkton)
• Baltimore Area Soaring Society

Field details and hazards from Maryland Model Aviation, used with permission. Know a field we’re missing, or a rule that changed? Email [email protected].