ABOUT OUR NEW YORK WORK
New York Drone Videography and Live Broadcast
In New York, Air Views Media flew aerials for the All Things Go Music Festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, and an indoor micro-drone fly-through of Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square, through its lobbies and rooms. We travel there for festivals, broadcasts, arena shows, hotel fly-throughs and brand work. New York is one of the hardest places in the country to fly a drone legally, with three major airports, dense neighborhoods and a city permit for every takeoff and landing, so the planning matters as much as the flying. We're based in Augusta, GA, and because New York's permits take longer to line up than most cities', we plan the trip early. We fly live aerial broadcast, stadium video-board feeds, concerts and festivals, micro-drone fly-through tours and FPV cinematography. See every city we fly.
All Things Go and a Times Square hotel fly-through
We flew aerials for the All Things Go Music Festival at Forest Hills Stadium, the open-air stadium on the old tennis grounds in Queens. It's a tight site: one stage, homes on every side and LaGuardia a few miles away.
In Manhattan, we flew an indoor micro-drone fly-through of Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square, the hotel at 47th Street and Broadway. See flythrough tours.
Planning under pressure is where our work shows, from five days live to FOX inside a federal flight restriction at the FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta to Bourbon Street during Super Bowl LIX week, flown with permission.
NYPD permits and airspace in New York
Since July 2023, taking off or landing a drone anywhere in New York City needs a permit from the NYPD. Applications go in at least 30 days before the first flight in most cases. If the drone will capture video, the operator has to notify the local community board and post notices within 100 feet of the takeoff and landing site.
On top of the city permit, most of the city sits under the Class B airspace around JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, so FAA authorization is needed for the exact site and altitude.
How we staff a New York show
An arena or stadium night gets a pilot and visual observer per drone, micro FPV drones sized for indoor flight near people, and the feed cabled to the control room or truck so the board or broadcast can take it like any other camera. Festivals add over-crowd FPV drones and a cinema drone. More on stadium video-board feeds.
Waivers and broadcast setup
Our FAA Part 107 remote pilots operate under FAA waivers for flight over people (§107.39), over moving vehicles (§107.145), multiple aircraft (§107.35), beyond visual line of sight (§107.31), operation from a moving vehicle (§107.25) and operating limitations (§107.51). For live shows, our setup puts a COFDM camera transmitter on a micro FPV drone carrying a PROTON 4K FLEX camera, so the truck can shade it (iris, color, exposure) through Cyanview like any other camera, with feeds cabled into the truck. See our FPV live broadcast setup and FAA waiver consulting.
New York drone questions
Have you worked in New York before?
Yes. We flew aerials for the All Things Go Music Festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, and an indoor micro-drone fly-through of Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square, through its lobbies and rooms. Our other live credits include EDC Las Vegas every year since 2021, the FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta live to FOX, in-stadium flying at Truist Park, and the T-Mobile 5G Range Show at the 2024 PGA Championship.
Do I need a permit to fly a drone in New York City?
Yes. Since July 2023, every drone takeoff and landing in New York City needs an NYPD permit, usually applied for at least 30 days ahead, plus FAA airspace authorization. Parks and film shoots can need extra permits.
Can you fly over a New York festival crowd?
Yes, where the operation qualifies. We fly over-crowd FPV drones under our FAA §107.39 waiver. In New York, city rules also call for an NYPD permit and community board notice, on top of FAA airspace authorization.
Can you fly a drone through a New York hotel?
Yes. We flew an indoor micro-drone fly-through of Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square, through its lobbies and rooms. We plan indoor fly-throughs with the property.
Can you fly inside Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center?
Indoor flights are planned with the venue's operations and production teams. We fly micro FPV drones built for indoor work near people, and we've done indoor live work inside the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Can you fly at MetLife Stadium?
MetLife is in New Jersey, so the NYPD permit doesn't apply, but the FAA's stadium restriction does on NFL and major college game days. Flying inside it needs FAA approval and the venue's agreement.
How far ahead should we book?
For New York, at least five to six weeks if possible, because the NYPD permit usually needs 30 days and community board notice comes before the flight.
Are you based in New York?
No. We're based in Augusta, GA, with a second location in Lynchburg, VA, and we travel to New York for broadcasts, events and productions.
Related pages: Chicago · Atlanta · Miami · Augusta, GA · All locations
Call 706-284-8364, email clark@airviewsmedia.com or request a quote.