Aerial Imagery in Paragould, AR

Airports & LAANC Zones

• JBR — Jonesboro Municipal Airport (Class D airspace, approximately 15 NM south in Jonesboro)
• ARG — Walnut Ridge Regional Airport (Class E airspace, approximately 20 NM southeast in Walnut Ridge)
• MEM — Memphis International Airport (Class B airspace, approximately 95 NM southeast in Memphis, TN)
• M45 — Paragould Municipal Airport (Kirk Field, Class E airspace, general aviation airport within the city)

Restricted Airspace

• Paragould Municipal Airport (Kirk Field, M45) is a public-use general aviation airport within the city limits. Drone operations within 5 nautical miles of M45 must notify the airport manager before flying under FAA Part 107. The airport has a single runway (Runway 18/36) with no control tower, so pilots self-announce on CTAF. Commercial drone operators should avoid the traffic pattern and approach corridors, particularly along the extended runway centerline to the north and south of the airport.
• Jonesboro Municipal Airport (JBR) has Class D airspace extending to approximately 4.6 nautical miles from the airport center. Paragould is approximately 15 NM north of JBR, placing the city outside the Class D surface area. However, the Jonesboro Class D shelf at higher altitudes and the instrument approach procedures for Runway 18/36 may affect high-altitude drone operations south of Paragould along the Highway 49 corridor. LAANC is available for the JBR Class D airspace.
• Memphis International Airport (MEM) has Class B airspace approximately 95 NM to the southeast. Paragould is well outside the MEM Class B surface area and shelves, but the enroute IFR corridors along the Memphis-Jonesboro airway can affect transit altitudes. No LAANC requirements from MEM apply to the Paragould area.
• The BNSF Railway intermodal yard and Union Pacific rail lines run through central Paragould. While railroad rights-of-way are not FAA-designated restricted airspace, drone operations near active rail yards require coordination with BNSF and UP dispatch. The Arkansas Department of Transportation requires permits for drone takeoff and landing on state highway right-of-way along Highway 412 and Highway 49.
• Crowley's Ridge State Park, located approximately 8 NM west of Paragould, is managed by the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Commercial drone takeoff and landing within the state park requires a special use permit from the park superintendent. The Lake Frierson State Park to the southwest also requires a commercial activity permit for drone operations on park land. The US Army Corps of Engineers manages lands around the St. Francis River and Lake Charles north of Paragould, requiring special use permits for drone takeoff and landing on federal property.

Local Ordinances

Paragould operates under Arkansas state drone law (Act 819 of 2019) with local regulations limited by Ark. Code Ann. § 14-361-120, which preempts municipalities from regulating drone flight paths and navigable airspace. The city has no specific municipal drone ordinance beyond state law, but commercial drone takeoff and landing on city-owned property requires approval from the Paragould Parks and Recreation Department for city parks and the Paragould Airport Commission for Kirk Field property. Greene County requires aerial imaging documentation for major subdivision and site plan submissions in the unincorporated portions of the county. Paragould Municipal Airport (Kirk Field) requires drone operators within 5 nautical miles to notify the airport manager per FAA Part 107 requirements. The Paragould Planning and Development Department oversees construction site documentation and accepts drone-generated orthomosaic maps and topographic data collection for site plan submissions. BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad require operational coordination for any drone flights within 500 feet of active rail lines or yards.