Staten Island NY - Drone Regulations

tca · Dec 2, 2018

Going to Staten Island for the holidays and wanted to take my Mavic Air for some night filming and photos.....anyone know what the regulations are there.

JRT · Dec 4, 2018

You are all good to go. Just check the geo map first... not sure what section of the island you will be in... but for the most part you can fly anywhere. However if the president is in bedminster NJ then the whole island will be under temporary flight restriction. Not sure if he is staying in the capital for the holidays, going to his golf club in NJ or staying in the city.
Clove lakes park and silver lake park are by my house and I fly there all the time.
Have fun

TottenvilleGirl · Jun 28, 2019

Hi! I'm from Tottenville and I'm looking for a place on the island for my son and I to fly my drones. Can you still fly at
Clove lakes park and silver lake park? Any other parts of the island have you flown your drone?

Thanks in advance.

JRT · Jun 28, 2019

TottenvilleGirl said:
Hi! I'm from Tottenville and I'm looking for a place on the island for my son and I to fly my drones. Can you still fly at
Clove lakes park and silver lake park? Any other parts of the island have you flown your drone?

Thanks in advance.

I fly in both spots all the time... no one has bothered me.... however I found a cool new spot if you are up for it... there is a road that runs down by the water between the Verrazano bridge and the ferry, Edgewater is the name of the road... check it out! As long as you are ok with flying over water, the view is great!

TottenvilleGirl · Jun 28, 2019

JRT said:
I fly in both spots all the time... no one has bothered me.... however I found a cool new spot if you are up for it... there is a road that runs down by the water between the Verrazano bridge and the ferry, Edgewater is the name of the road... check it out! As long as you are ok with flying over water, the view is great!

Cool thanks is that Front Street looking at Manhattan off Edgewater Street?

JRT · Jun 28, 2019

TottenvilleGirl said:
Cool thanks is that Front Street looking at Manhattan off Edgewater Street?

I believe so... the spot you can pull over is away from the ferry heading towards the bridge. Check it out one of these days. Quick question for you now... well actually two... where is this ship graveyard? And have you ever flown at the conference house on the south end of the island?

TottenvilleGirl · Jun 28, 2019

JRT said:
I believe so... the spot you can pull over is away from the ferry heading towards the bridge. Check it out one of these days. Quick question for you now... well actually two... where is this ship graveyard? And have you ever flown at the conference house on the south end of the island?

The ship graveyard is on or should I say off Arthur Kill Road. You need to park across the street on a side road and walk across the street to the water side through an old graveyard. You need to be careful crossing and you need to be careful when your at the water. I haven't been there in 5 years or more but never with my drone but I would like to give that a go. Grave yard I believe is called Sleight Family Grave yard. Now there is part of an old sidewalk by the grave yard you might be able to park there. Also the grave yard is across from PowerHouse Gym & the Arthur Kill Car Wash.

I am from the Conference House area but I have walked down to that part of the beach to fly. I have parked my car on at the intersection of Billop Avenue and Swinnerton Street and then walk into the woods towards the beach and fly from there. Also at the beach all at the end of Page Avenue.

JRT · Jun 28, 2019

TottenvilleGirl said:
The ship graveyard is on or should I say off Arthur Kill Road. You need to park across the street on a side road and walk across the street to the water side through an old graveyard. You need to be careful crossing and you need to be careful when your at the water. I haven't been there in 5 years or more but never with my drone but I would like to give that a go. Grave yard I believe is called Sleight Family Grave yard. Now there is part of an old sidewalk by the grave yard you might be able to park there. Also the grave yard is across from PowerHouse Gym & the Arthur Kill Car Wash.

I am from the Conference House area but I have walked down to that part of the beach to fly. I have parked my car on at the intersection of Billop Avenue and Swinnerton Street and then walk into the woods towards the beach and fly from there. Also at the beach all at the end of Page Avenue.

Sounds cool... I may give it a go this weekend! Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it!

TottenvilleGirl · Jun 28, 2019

JRT said:
Sounds cool... I may give it a go this weekend! Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it!

You're welcome. I want to try and find someplace to go this weekend also. Maybe I'll see you flying lol

JAW · Jun 28, 2019

I was unaware of this until a few weeks ago.

kensteele · Jun 28, 2019

JAW said:
View attachment 76543
I was unaware of this until a few weeks ago.

the faa yesterday said only the faa controls the airspace. not nyc.

JAW · Jun 29, 2019

kensteele said:
the faa yesterday said only the faa controls the airspace. not nyc.

That is correct, but notice the language states "take off" or "land" which they do control. I also found a release from the NYC Council advising anyone who sees a drone in the air to call 911!

"New York City—City Restriction // 2017

This city restriction declares that drones are illegal to fly in New York City, and advises anyone who sees a drone being flown to call 911."

The reality is, if you fly in the 5 boroughs outside of the approved areas and get caught, you very well may have your drone confiscated and be issued a misdemeanor Desk Appearance Ticket regardless of who controls the airspace. I'm not saying it's right, just the reality of it is different.

kensteele · Jun 29, 2019

JAW said:
That is correct, but notice the language states "take off" or "land" which they do control. I also found a release from the NYC Council advising anyone who sees a drone in the air to call 911!

New York City—City Restriction // 2017

This city restriction declares that drones are illegal to fly in New York City, and advises anyone who sees a drone being flown to call 911.

^i see that but they have made the statute just confusing enough by providing a definition of "avigating" that including flying. we all know what the intent of the restriction really means.

dawgpilot · Jul 1, 2019

JAW said:
View attachment 76543
I was unaware of this until a few weeks ago.

I haven't seen anyone charged with that specific code section (which doesn't actually mention drones by name). For the most part NYPD seems to use criminal reckless endangerment charges when people do stupid things like fly drones over Times Square crowds.

It's debatable if the city really can prohibit the landing and takeoff of drones throughout the entire city (as opposed to just in city owned land like parks) as it would basically nullify the FAA's entire regulatory framework. That said, it would take someone to file an expensive and lengthy legal challenge to find out. There was another anti-drone law in Massachusetts that was successfully thrown out on federal preemption grounds a few years ago.

JAW · Jul 1, 2019

An NYPD cop could give two sh*tz about the constitutionality of a law. If it's in the NYC code and he or she is of a mind to do it, you're gonna lose your drone and get a hefty fine to boot. What happens afterwards is between you and the court(s). I've been away for a while so I don't know how hot drone enforcement is. If it's not a hot ticket item---one they keep stats on, I'd like to think you'd get off with a warning.