In advance of the Pope’s visit and the United Nations General Assembly, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) has declared New York to be a “No Drone Zone” until October 5th. This mandate extends to the entire metropolitan area. Drones are aircrafts that don’t require pilots aboard. Instead, the aircrafts are controlled by remote-controls or software.
While drones sold in retail stores meet the FAA requirements – they weigh less than 55 pounds, fly below 400 feet and are not more than 600 feet away from the operator – incidents involving drones have increased. There have been over sixty reported incidents in the city this year compared to last year’s twelve according to the FAA media reports. Most recently, a drone crashed in the seats during a US Open match. No one was injured but play stopped briefly. The pilot was arraigned on grounds of reckless flying.
The concerns around drones – a word with military connotations – are not new. There are no age restrictions and no licenses required to purchase them. Drones are readily available in toy shops, hobbyist stores and electronics stores. Some small remote-controlled quadcopters, each the size of a matchbox, are sold for as little as forty dollars. The bigger drones cost more and can have cameras mounted to them.
The regulations around recreationally flying drones are evolving. For reckless flying, operators may be apprehended under the Reckless Endangerment charge, even if they cause no harm. Offenders can be fined up to $25,000 by the FAA. Drones aren’t allowed to fly within five miles of airports, and additionally, the FAA can issue Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) to increase restrictions under special circumstances like the Pope’s visit and UNGA.
There are no exceptions to this NOTAM. Jim Peters, an FAA spokesperson, confirmed that businesses will not be allowed to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) during this time, even if they are FAA-333 exempt.
“I’m not going to lift a drone anywhere in New York until the Pope and UNGA activities are over,” says Edward Kostakis, Head of Arial Operations at Xizmo Media, a company specializing in aerial drone cinematography, which is FAA-333 exempt. He has rescheduled two jobs in Brooklyn following the NOTAM.
Under ordinary circumstances, the FAA-333 exemption authorizes businesses to use unmanned vehicles commercially provided they fulfill various criteria: the aircraft is registered with the FAA and the operator is a pilot with an FAA-airman certificate. So far, just under 1,700 FAA-333 petitions have been granted across the country.
Flying clubs in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New Jersey are closed during this period. The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), the official body for model aviation in the US, has issued advisories in line with FAA’s to its clubs.
“[T]he best way to ensure the safety of the airspace is through education. Equally as important, is the need for stricter enforcement of existing federal regulations.” says Rich Hanson, the Government and Regulatory Affairs Director at the AMA.
“Average consumers are causing trouble and they need to be better educated,” says Dionis Hernandez, technician at Pilotage Fun and Hobby, a store in midtown that sells remote-controlled vehicles.
