Flying In New York City?

[antdon]

Hi Fellow Pilots,

I'm sure this has been asked but I can't seem to find anything specific to my question and location.

Today I went with my wife and son to the Brooklyn Bridge Park which had beautiful scenery. I of course had my P3 Pro in the truck and decided to bring the case out with us. As we were walking I was going back and forth with my wife as to if I should fly it or not to get some quick shots and couldn't come to a decision.

I then googled and the first article I saw was about a man being arrested for flying by the Brooklyn bridge which is monitored 24/7 and he had no business filming the bridge anyways so I feel he asked for that... I had no intention of going anywhere near the bridge but more towards the water which is in the opposite direction.

After contemplating my wife suggested I call 311 to see what they would say. The initial rep sounded as though she didn't even know what a drone was, so I requested to speak to a supervisor. He came on the phone and couldn't give me a solid answer. He then forwarded the call to the local precinct. An extremely nice guy answered the phone and conversed for about 10 minutes. I explained I just wanted shots of the water/buildings and he said that since the bridge is near, if I do end up getting close to the bridge I would suddenly see a HEAVY police presence as they monitor the bridge for terrorism etc. All in all he couldn't give me a solid answer either but suggested I just not do it to avoid any issues/summons/arrest.

I then noticed the park's building and asked an employee if he could find a supervisor for me to speak with. He ended up introducing me to what I believe was a park ranger who was really cool but said they were instructed to write a summons/fine and take the pilots information to the local police station to be logged if anyone is seen flying a drone in the park. I couldn't really hear him as trains kept passing by and it seemed as if he wasn't sure himself although he said his boss specifically briefed them on drones and what to do if they noticed anyone flying in the park.

In the end, I didn't want to cause any issues so I left the drone in the case =(

Could you guys shed some light on this? I feel like if they are going to regulate they should at least have proper rules in place so its not such a grey area...

There are quite a few places I would like to fly in NYC but now I am thinking twice, especially seeing that people are getting arrested over it now?

 

[mendezl]

Not allowed in Manhattan

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[RoyVa]

In the U.S. Most parks under the forestry service have now become no fly zones with out special permission. Every week it's getting tighter and tighter to fly in public places. Most of NY is now a no fly zone. Even in NC you are now suppose to get permission to fly over someone's property. Pretty soon we'll have to fly out in the country or in designated hobbie areas. All the hype about drones being where they aren't suspose to be is really getting bad. New FAA regulations will be out most likely in 2016 and we'll be given less place to fly.
Right now any government building in a no fly area. No airports or hospitals with helicopter evac's . Post offices, ship yards even naval piers are off limits. Just have to use your head and if in doubt check with local authorities. Better safe than sorry.

 

[shadow13]

I would love if someone could tell me what the law in NYC is .. I wish i could find somewhere in writing what's acceptable and what isn't in NYC

 

[RoyVa]

This might help. NYC downtown has gotten tough.
Gregory McNeal, a law professor at Pepperdine University School of Law and frequent contributor about drones for Forbes, says he’s dug through the New York City ordinances and hasn't found any specific language outlawing drones. But if the cops think you’re creating a public risk by flying your drone, you could be hit with a Reckless Endangerment charge, which can carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison. You may win your case if you challenge it in court, but you’d rack up lots of legal fees.

Stay in the country and be safe and not sorry.

 

[Flybyemike]

Hi Fellow Pilots,

I'm sure this has been asked but I can't seem to find anything specific to my question and location.

Today I went with my wife and son to the Brooklyn Bridge Park which had beautiful scenery. I of course had my P3 Pro in the truck and decided to bring the case out with us. As we were walking I was going back and forth with my wife as to if I should fly it or not to get some quick shots and couldn't come to a decision.

I then googled and the first article I saw was about a man being arrested for flying by the Brooklyn bridge which is monitored 24/7 and he had no business filming the bridge anyways so I feel he asked for that... I had no intention of going anywhere near the bridge but more towards the water which is in the opposite direction.

After contemplating my wife suggested I call 311 to see what they would say. The initial rep sounded as though she didn't even know what a drone was, so I requested to speak to a supervisor. He came on the phone and couldn't give me a solid answer. He then forwarded the call to the local precinct. An extremely nice guy answered the phone and conversed for about 10 minutes. I explained I just wanted shots of the water/buildings and he said that since the bridge is near, if I do end up getting close to the bridge I would suddenly see a HEAVY police presence as they monitor the bridge for terrorism etc. All in all he couldn't give me a solid answer either but suggested I just not do it to avoid any issues/summons/arrest.

I then noticed the park's building and asked an employee if he could find a supervisor for me to speak with. He ended up introducing me to what I believe was a park ranger who was really cool but said they were instructed to write a summons/fine and take the pilots information to the local police station to be logged if anyone is seen flying a drone in the park. I couldn't really hear him as trains kept passing by and it seemed as if he wasn't sure himself although he said his boss specifically briefed them on drones and what to do if they noticed anyone flying in the park.

In the end, I didn't want to cause any issues so I left the drone in the case =(

Could you guys shed some light on this? I feel like if they are going to regulate they should at least have proper rules in place so its not such a grey area...

There are quite a few places I would like to fly in NYC but now I am thinking twice, especially seeing that people are getting arrested over it now?

Hi my name is Micheal and I just purchased my P4 I still have not flown it due to it being to cold to fly .First you were wise not to fly and NO ONE is allowed to fly any were near any bridge in New York City . With all of the crap going on with Terrorists and our safety we have to be very careful were we fly .I am a member of Marine Park Flying Club if you would like to get together we can do some flying at Marine Park Marsh Lands its safer then a bridge.

 

[joe21]

Like you, I have also tried to find the actual rules on NYC flights without success. I think the answer it that you don't want to get caught, because they will find something to cause you trouble.

I did want to ask about your comment:

I then googled and the first article I saw was about a man being arrested for flying by the Brooklyn bridge which is monitored 24/7 and he had no business filming the bridge anyways so I feel he asked for that...

Why do you feel he had "no business" filming the Brooklyn Bridge? That bridge is considered a work of art by many and has been the subject of many celebrated photographs. To a photographer or videographer, I would think the Brooklyn Bridge (along with many of the NY bridges) is a wonderful photographic subject.

It is a sad state of affairs that taking a photo of a famous and easily visible public structure is "asking" to be arrested.

 

[Flybyemike]

Like you, I have also tried to find the actual rules on NYC flights without success. I think the answer it that you don't want to get caught, because they will find something to cause you trouble.

I did want to ask about your comment:



Why do you feel he had "no business" filming the Brooklyn Bridge? That bridge is considered a work of art by many and has been the subject of many celebrated photographs. To a photographer or videographer, I would think the Brooklyn Bridge (along with many of the NY bridges) is a wonderful photographic subject.

It is a sad state of affairs that taking a photo of a famous and easily visible public structure is "asking" to be arrested.

Please don't get me wrong I did not want you to think you had no Business flying there .I wish I can fly there but the Police are out to get all Drone Pilots because of the few screw ups that make us all look bad .And you are right the Brooklyn Bridge is a great piece of work .

 

[Flybyemike]

Like you, I have also tried to find the actual rules on NYC flights without success. I think the answer it that you don't want to get caught, because they will find something to cause you trouble.

I did want to ask about your comment:



Why do you feel he had "no business" filming the Brooklyn Bridge? That bridge is considered a work of art by many and has been the subject of many celebrated photographs. To a photographer or videographer, I would think the Brooklyn Bridge (along with many of the NY bridges) is a wonderful photographic subject.

It is a sad state of affairs that taking a photo of a famous and easily visible public structure is "asking" to be arrested.

All because of the dummies that fly into airports and all other restricted areas we all have to suffer .

 

[Flybyemike]

Have to go now have to walk my dogs talk tomorrow .MIKE

 

[Tricky]

Not allowed in Manhattan

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Can you tell us how you know this? thanks!

 

[WetDog]

IIRC when the Thanksgiving Parade flyer was busted, he was nailed on a statue that prohibited any 'aircraft' from taking off or landing on anything that wasn't an approved airport or heipad in the five boroughs. Someone had actually found the statute. So if you flew over NYC in your Cessna, dropped your Phantom out the window and somehow managed to retrieve it, you were OK.

That said, I can't imagine how anyone feels that it is remotely appropriate to fly a Phantom - class UAV over one of the most densely populated sites on the planet that is just teeming with 2.4 GHz signals. Your chances of hitting someone are getting to the point where it is more likely than not - bad juju.

 

[Ramphex]

NY is a funny place, that's why I avoid it. Every time I go there I get hassled by uneducated security about carrying a firearm. NYPD gets involved and is always very helpful and tell me not to worry about security.

LE out of PA. Federal law exempts us from all local/state laws while carrying in all US states.

Personally, if a terrorist wants to learn the bridge, he'll google it and not fly a drone next to it. If you call in and advise you'll be in the area, I don't see why that should escalate any issues. Unfortunately my personal opinion doesn't matter.

 

[Fdnyfish]

Drones

 

[Tricky]

It all depends on which type of officer you encounter, and how exactly they came to know you were flying. I fly from lower Manhattan usually over the river, never over the buildings, maybe that's why I have never been stopped in my 300+ flights in and around NYC.

I say be aware of your surroundings, don't purposely fly over folks, and obviously the less populated the better.

Quite honestly, in 2016, I was literally holding my P3P either right before or right after a flight when marked patrol cars "slow rolled" and looked but kept going...on more than one occasion, day and night time flights.
You get a bored cop, or a complaining resident, you could be scrood, but my experience is otherwise, YMMV. Carry a current PBA card if you know someone.

Happy flying in the city so nice they named it twice.

 

[Jlbourne]

It all depends on which type of officer you encounter, and how exactly they came to know you were flying. I fly from lower Manhattan usually over the river, never over the buildings, maybe that's why I have never been stopped in my 300+ flights in and around NYC.

I say be aware of your surroundings, don't purposely fly over folks, and obviously the less populated the better.

Quite honestly, in 2016, I was literally holding my P3P either right before or right after a flight when marked patrol cars "slow rolled" and looked but kept going...on more than one occasion, day and night time flights.
You get a bored cop, or a complaining resident, you could be scrood, but my experience is otherwise, YMMV. Carry a current PBA card if you know someone.

Happy flying in the city so nice they named it twice.

I live in Bedstuy Brooklyn and have only been out at night so far. I have owned my P4P for about 2 weeks now and have only flown about a dozen times. I make use of a school yard near my building and sometimes my mom's rooftop of her building. I have yet to capture anything remarkable due to low light and the limitations of trying to abide by the laws in this crowded city. You sir are a braver man than I am; day time flying, over a river no less. Care to share some stories and photos with a fellow New Yorker? Maybe we can fly together one day.[emoji41]

Peace,

 

[Tricky]

I live in Bedstuy Brooklyn and have only been out at night so far. I have owned my P4P for about 2 weeks now and have only flown about a dozen times. I make use of a school yard near my building and sometimes my mom's rooftop of her building. I have yet to capture anything remarkable due to low light and the limitations of trying to abide by the laws in this crowded city. You sir are a braver man than I am; day time flying, over a river no less. Care to share some stories and photos with a fellow New Yorker? Maybe we can fly together one day.[emoji41]

Peace,

 

[nightflight]

IIRC when the Thanksgiving Parade flyer was busted, he was nailed on a statue.

Whoa! They really ARE getting tough!

 

[Jlbourne]

Haha, I know that ship. It does a 60 minute trip and they serve wine and cheese. That's a great shot.

 

[Tricky]

Haha, I know that ship. It does a 60 minute trip and they serve wine and cheese. That's a great shot.

It's actually a viking ship that has been to NYC only once, this summer, and is now resting in Mystic, CT for the winter. No wine or cheese, they wish I'll bet. [emoji6]