Want a burrito delivered? A drone could do that. Need emergency medical assistance? A drone could do that. Need to surveil a crowd, or capture live video of a fire? Drones are already doing that.
The small unmanned aerial vehicles popularly known as drones seem to be suggested as the answer to every problem these days. But despite their active use by the NYPD and FDNY, and their frequent flying by hobbyist photographers and gadget nerds, drones exist in a legal limbo within the five boroughs. The Federal Aviation Administration will approve flights in the city by registered drone pilots within relatively strict limits. But anyone going to the city’s 311 online portal to find out about drones is met with a bright red message: “Call 911 to report a drone in use in New York City,” it reads. “It is illegal to fly them in New York City” …
https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/policy/technology/nyc-drones-fly-in-legal-limbo.html
City and State NY | Nov. 6, 2019
