Aerial footage works. Three drone reels we shot for a Hudson Valley lawn care company reached 1.43 million views, and a single aerial of a land parcel tells buyers more than twenty photos from the ground. That is why more local businesses are asking for drone work.
What most people do not realize is how many rules sit between a drone and the sky around here. Airports, state parks, county parks, private preserves and New York City all have their own. If the person you hire does not know them, your shoot can get canceled on the day, or worse. This is the plain-English version.
1. Paid drone work needs a licensed pilot
If a drone is flown for a business, it falls under the FAA's Part 107 rules. The FAA is clear that to fly under Part 107 you need a remote pilot certificate, or have to be directly supervised by someone who holds one. A friend with a drone flying your listing for cash is not covered.
The same rules set the basics: stay at or below 400 feet above the ground (higher only within 400 feet of a structure) and keep the drone within sight. Since March 16, 2024, drones also have to broadcast Remote ID, basically a digital license plate.
2. Airports with control towers need FAA authorization
Our area has three airports with control towers: New York Stewart International in New Windsor, Hudson Valley Regional just south of Poughkeepsie, and Westchester County Airport near White Plains. The airspace around them is controlled, and the FAA requires an airspace authorization before a drone flies there.
Most of the time a licensed pilot can request that authorization quickly through the FAA's LAANC system, up to the altitude the FAA allows for that spot. Some locations close to runways need more time or cannot be approved at all. A good drone team checks this before the shoot, not in your driveway.
3. Parks have their own rules
New York State parks. Flying in a state park or historic site requires prior written approval or a permit from State Parks. That covers favorites like Walkway Over the Hudson and Minnewaska. A State Parks drone permit application we reviewed asks commercial operators for liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, with the state named as additional insured.
Westchester County parks. The county's own park rules say the use of model aviation, including drones, is prohibited.
National Park Service sites. The NPS has banned launching, landing and operating drones in its parks since 2014. In the Hudson Valley that includes the Roosevelt and Vanderbilt sites in Hyde Park.
Mohonk Preserve. The Preserve prohibits drones on or above its property unless you go through its permit process, and it lists aerial photography and videography among the uses that need approval.
DEC lands. On state forests and other DEC-managed land, commercial drone use needs a Temporary Revocable Permit, and drones are banned outright in Forest Preserve areas classified as Wilderness, Primitive or Canoe areas, which includes parts of the Catskills.
4. New York City is its own world
If your project crosses into the city, taking off or landing a drone inside city limits requires a permit, and commercial operators need insurance that covers drones. Westchester businesses near the city line should plan for this early.
What this means for your business
For most local shoots the simplest legal setup is launching from private property with the owner's permission: your home, your land, your job site, your venue. From there we can usually get the shots you want, as long as the airspace allows it.
Before you hire anyone for drone work, ask three questions. Are you Part 107 licensed? Is this location in controlled airspace, and will you get authorization? Do we need any park or property permission? If the answers are fuzzy, keep looking.
We are a licensed drone team based in Highland, flying across the Hudson Valley and Westchester. We handle the airspace check before every shoot and tell you up front if a spot will not work. See our drone photography and aerial video, or get a free quote and we will tell you exactly what is possible at your location.
Quick answers
Can I hire someone without a license to fly my property for marketing?
Not legally. Drone flights for a business fall under the FAA's Part 107 rules, which require a remote pilot certificate or direct supervision by someone who holds one.
Can you fly a drone at Walkway Over the Hudson?
Walkway Over the Hudson is a New York State historic park, and drone use in state parks requires prior written approval or a permit from State Parks.
Can you fly a drone near Stewart, Poughkeepsie or Westchester airports?
All three have control towers and controlled airspace. A licensed pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before flying there, often available through LAANC, and some spots close to runways cannot be approved.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Drone rules change, so we check the current rules for every location before we fly. Sources: FAA Part 107, FAA: flying near airports, FAA Remote ID, Westchester County Parks, Mohonk Preserve, NYS DEC drone policy.