On July 7th the NYPD held a hearing regarding changes in the regulations towards the goal of providing "permitted" drone flights within NYC. The hearing was a chance for stake holders in the NYC drone community to voice their views in person and on line regarding suggested "rules" the NYPD published. The NYPD offered stipulations that were all over the map, many of which are untenable. Little was said regarding recreational pilots thought one spokesperson for AMA pointed out the thousands of AMA drone pilots have an enviable safety record. Full stop. The NYPD held the hearing at One Police Plaza, hosted only by members of the NYPD Legal department. The hearing provided no back and forth discussion or transparency as to the thinking and research that accompanied the NYPD program. Therefore, the hearing was seen by most as a "trial balloon," Multiple iterations of the rules and on-going deliberations are guaranteed. Some attendees questioned whether the NYPD should be the permitting agency at all? Some gave legal evidence the NYPD may not have authority to take on that responsibility or that it could be rescinded. NYC with the most complicated regulated airspace on the East Coast, integrating drone flight is complex at best with many players both in the commercial and general aviation sector, a variety of diffferent agendas in the drone ecosystem and use of drones by the Port Authority, Buildings Dept, First Responders, etc etc.. Moreover, NYC is understandably drone averse as potential terrorism is always part of the "what if" thinking of law enforcement. The not so futere drone ID system will identify most drone flight and should give a layer of monitoring yet to be in place. Yet no agency or budgets have yet to be revealed to have an active monitoring capability. Bad actors and those bent on harm will not be stopped by any permitting rules or ID transmission. It is understandable to monitor drone flight. Many drones today recognize nearby aviation, drones included. The NYPD offered potential permit fees, yet no clarity whether a fee would be leveled for each flight permit or general long term "license" and/or a one time fee for known pilots, recreational or commercial.. Many other issues were voiced: one suggestion was "known and vetted" NYC drone operators should not be saddled with constant permitting processes. Some of the most untenable rules were time frames for permit application and subsequent granting of a permit. The offered rules did not seem to understand the need to change drone flight ops due to a variety of factors in professional as well as recreational flight. Some federal, city and state agencies currently have "permitting" rules or allow drone flight within strict parameters. The elaborate FAA and admirable LAANC PROGRAM" was mentioned briefly, yet it is already a comprehensive program that needs further review to integrate in a "permitted" or allowed flight ecosystem. One of the NYPD Attorneys said to me privately, at the closing, "There are a lot of moving parts." Indeed.
Stay tuned.
