Mayor Eric Adams issued new rules Friday for the permitting of aerial drones in the city as the unmanned flying devices have become increasingly common across the five boroughs.
The rules will apply to anyone seeking to pilot a drone in the Big Apple, from city agencies to commercial entities like film crews looking to get an aerial shot. The permitting process will be run by the New York City Police Department through a new website: www.nyc.gov/dronepermits.
While unveiling the rules at a Lower Manhattan press conference on July 21, Adams pitched drones as a way to help city agencies work more efficiently — something he often speaks about.
“We’re flying into the future … using drones to make city service faster, and safer. And likely saving taxpayers dollars in the process,” the mayor said.
“These rules that we are announcing today will allow city agencies and other entities to harness the potential of drone technology, while assuring that drone use doesn’t spin out of control,” he added.
Newly minted NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said that prior to the implementation of the rules, the NYPD didn’t allow any drone flight in the city.
“Prior to the creation of this process, if someone launched a drone within the city limits, they were … [in] violation of the law,” Caban said.
Those granted permits, Caban said, will only be able to launch and land their drones from specific locations. They also must obtain permits prior to the date when they wish to fly them.
The application includes a bevy of documents drone pilots must complete, according to NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Bob Barrows. Each application allows the drone user to select up to five locations on as many as five separate days.
Applications are then either approved or denied by the NYPD, Barrows said, with an appeals process available to anyone who gets rejected.
The rules also stipulate that drone pilots must report to the NYPD any crash or accident involving the device during flight. They must also notify New York City Cyber Command of any cybersecurity threats involving the devices.
Pilots are also mandated to be authorized to fly their devices by the Federal Aviation Administration and abide by any already established federal, state and local rules.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi detailed the ways that various city agencies can utilize drones to improve their operations. That includes the Department of Transportation (DOT) employing the devices to improve inspections of the city’s historic bridges; the Parks Department using them to monitor tree canopies; and the Department of Buildings utilizing drones for inspecting building facades.
Joshi said drones, including the controversial “Digidog,” were used during the partial collapse of a Financial District parking garage in April to survey the damage when the structure was deemed too compromised to send in human rescuers.
“A human could not inspect the roof of that garage, but a drone needed to,” she said. “And there are sadly many conditions in this city where a drone inspection is the only way we’re going to be able to see the critical dangerous fault lines that need rapid repair.”
Additionally, the NYPD recently tested drones for making public service announcements during emergency events.
