Spark owners in nyc advice

[Growingcow]

Hi all, im new and I'm looking for some advice about buying the spark. I'm worried that I won't get to fly it or won't be able to fly it because of rules and regulations. 50% of the time i'll be filming in flushing meadow park in queens ny which is a designated area.I won't be flying it more than 30 - 50 feet high and no more than 20 - 30 foot away. Most of the time it'll be in hover mode. I'm using the spark just to grab videos of me/wife and my daughter playing when we are in the park.

The other 50% Will be be flying in local neighborhood parks when it is not crowded or just only us. In those places i won't be flying higher 10 -15 feet and not farther than 10 -15, again mostly in hover mode. I won't be doing aerials or sky line footages. Based on what I'm down what is the recommendation?

I will prob bring it with me when we go to national parks around hiking trails and stuff. Usuage will be same, hover more the actually flying. But the national park is not very often and like only 2-3 percent of the time.

 

[Owlpic]

National parks are definitely a no no.

Five miles of the airport is forbidden

Really need to do a lot of Googling because areas around NYC are off limits to drones.

Need to read the FAA site on hobby drones.
Good luck

 

[Growingcow]

Yeah I know, I was hoping that there were some drone users in the NYC/NY area that can offer some advice.

 

[muanis]

Same here. but I just got the spark this week and I'm finding that maybe I should return it given there's no places to use it. bummer.

 

[BelGer]

Due to the regulations in the Netherlands I also hesitated buying the Spark. Imo I understand the no-fly zones fully, but there should be set a hight to it. If I fly the drone about 5 to 10 mtr (aprox 15 to 30 feet) and I would hit a Plane, I dont think it is my drone that caused the plane to crash.

 

[Lancelot]

The regulations are often non-sense, true.
I think in general, the government are approaching this from "let us just cut it all out for now, and we'll see later how this goes"
Coming from not knowing what they are dealing with.

From all the rules I have come across, I think mostly still around the fact that you cannot use it around certain areas (near airports, mass crowd, etc) and some ban in cities, along with height maximum of around 100m, and that you have to maintain line of sight.
Nothing beats the belgian.. They will only allow you to fly 10m high and that is it. You can be 100 miles outside nearest airport, nope, 10m it is. You have to get all sorts of license with actual training and health check to get it to 45m. This already will cost around 750€. You want higher? Be ready to actually train and do exam like pilot haha. And this will cost around 2500€.
The rules in NL is annoying but compared to belgium, I think we got lucky.

Back to the topic re. NYC. If you only use it to hover near, I wouldnt worry too much, I mean, with the spark being so small, you probably could go away with "oh this is a toy" excuse. But dont pin me on that. After all use at your own risk. Maybe a good thing to get some sort of insurance just in case.

 

[Sportbike_Copter_Pilot]

Yeah I know, I was hoping that there were some drone users in the NYC/NY area that can offer some advice.

From another native New Yorker, here's a few places unfortunately we're limited to fly (as a direct result of other irresponsible fliers who ruined it for the rest of us). I wouldn't take a chance anywhere else and if you do, it's at your own risk.

Calvert Vaux
Location: Calvert Vaux Park
26th Avenue & Cropsey Avenue
Note: Please contact the Seaview Rotary Wings for details on the field.

Marine Park
Location: Marine Park
Gerritsen Avenue between Seba and Lois avenues behind the Seba Playground/skate park


Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Location: Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Van Wyck Expressway by Meadow Lake

Forest Park
Location: Forest Park
Jackie Robinson Parkway & Forest Parkway


Borough Office Numbers are tor further inquires:

· Bronx: (718) 430-1848/ 1849

· Brooklyn: (718) 965-8912

· Manhattan: (212) 408-0212

· Queens: (718) 393-7272

· Staten Island: (718) 390-8030

 

[Growingcow]

Yeah, seems like if I don't have my own place with a backyard of a few acres I may not be able to fly safely. Biggest worry is buying it and then it ends up being a $500 paperwieght that I dust off occasionally to fly indoors

 

[muanis]

Marine Park
Location: Marine Park
Gerritsen Avenue between Seba and Lois avenues behind the Seba Playground/skate park


Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Location: Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Van Wyck Expressway by Meadow Lake

Forest Park
Location: Forest Park
Jackie Robinson Parkway & Forest Parkway

So, to fly on Marine Park, Corona Park and Forest Park on the designed locations you don't need a club membership? I went to rotary wings yesterdat but 450 signup fee is pretty steep.

 

[WB2CBA]

Hi all, im new and I'm looking for some advice about buying the spark. I'm worried that I won't get to fly it or won't be able to fly it because of rules and regulations. 50% of the time i'll be filming in flushing meadow park in queens ny which is a designated area.I won't be flying it more than 30 - 50 feet high and no more than 20 - 30 foot away. Most of the time it'll be in hover mode. I'm using the spark just to grab videos of me/wife and my daughter playing when we are in the park.

The other 50% Will be be flying in local neighborhood parks when it is not crowded or just only us. In those places i won't be flying higher 10 -15 feet and not farther than 10 -15, again mostly in hover mode. I won't be doing aerials or sky line footages. Based on what I'm down what is the recommendation?

I will prob bring it with me when we go to national parks around hiking trails and stuff. Usuage will be same, hover more the actually flying. But the national park is not very often and like only 2-3 percent of the time.

I am living in Forest hills ,Queens, NY and I usually fly at Forest park designated area and Flushing Meadows Park. I didn't encounter any problems with Spark.You don't need a club membership on these park designated locations to fly though you are not allowed to fly outside these designated areas which are surrounded by a perimeter fence.

 

[aml9005]

Can you fly anywhere in Flushing Meadows Park? The Park abuts the US Open and CitiField, which I'm sure are no fly zones.

 

[WB2CBA]

You can fly only in that circular fenced area where it sais model aircraft field. There is a sign outside of the fence stating that it is for control line aircraft. This might cause problems depending on the law enforcement officers mind set. I fly occasionally there and had no trouble. I hooe this helps.

Barb

 

[aml9005]

I went there the other day and it's terribly small. Plus, all the planes coming out of LGA are a bit scary. Just waiting for a pilot to report a drone in the flightpath and get arrested!