Aerial Imaging Services in Riverhead, NY

FAA Part 107 Requirements

All commercial drone operations in New York require the pilot to hold an active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Our network operators are verified Part 107 holders.

State Drone Laws

New York regulates drone operations through a combination of criminal surveillance statutes, state park rules, and local ordinances. New York Penal Law 250.55 (amended 2023) classifies unlawful surveillance conducted via unmanned aerial vehicle as a Class E felony, prohibiting the use of drones to capture images of individuals in private settings without consent. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation requires a commercial use permit under 9 NYCRR 375.1 for drone operations in all state parks and historic sites. New York does not require a separate state-level commercial drone license or registration, but all commercial operators must hold a valid FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and register their aircraft with the FAA. New York City has additional local restrictions — Local Law 152 of 2024 requires permits for commercial drone filming on city property and within certain NYC parks. Westchester County parks require a permit from the Westchester County Parks Department. The state does not broadly preempt local municipalities, meaning individual cities and towns may enact their own drone ordinances governing takeoff, landing, and operation on public property. Commercial operators near military installations (West Point Military Reservation, Watervliet Arsenal, Stewart Air National Guard Base) must coordinate with base operations and check NOTAMs. The FAA controls all airspace above 400 feet AGL and LAANC authorization is available for Class B and C airspace across the NYC metro region.

Local Ordinances

Riverhead is governed by New York state drone law (NY Penal Law 250.55) and FAA Part 107 regulations. The Town of Riverhead requires a permit for commercial drone takeoff and landing on town property, including the downtown riverfront, the Robert Moses State Park (the North Fork), and the town parks. The North Fork Pipeline construction corridor (near Main Road and County Route 105) is a state-managed corridor and requires clearance from the Suffolk County Water Authority before a commercial flight over the construction site. The North Fork wine country and the golf course parcels (the Robert Moses Golf Club and the North Fork vineyards) are private property and require a permission from the parcel owner. FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification is required for all commercial operations, and LAANC applies when a mission enters the KISP Class D shelf.

Restricted Airspace

• Riverhead sits in uncontrolled airspace over most of the town. The nearest Class D surface is Long Island MacArthur (KISP) in the town of Islip on the South Fork, about 35 miles south, and a LAANC request is only required if a mission crosses that shelf on a longer southbound route. Most of the North Fork corridor (Riverhead, Sag Harbor, Southold, and Montauk) can be flown clean if you stay clear of the KISP shelf.
• The Peconic River valley and the North Fork bays (Robert Moses State Park, the Robert Moses Golf Club, and the Peconic River access points) carry barge, ferry, and seasonal medevac traffic, and the North Fork is a high-wind corridor because of the Long Island Sound and the open water on the north exposure. Part 107 rules on overflight protection, privacy, and property owner consent apply across the North Fork, and a commercial shot inside a parcel, a golf course, or a state park requires prior written permission from the parcel owner or the state (for the state park).
• The North Fork Pipeline (a new Suffolk County Water Authority plan to run a pipeline through the North Fork, with the construction corridor near Main Road and County Route 105) is a long-term construction corridor, and the construction work adds a base of inspection, topographic, and environmental work on the North Fork over the coming years. The North Fork has a heavy base of agricultural, vineyard, and small-bore waterwork demand as well.
• The town has a heavy tourism base (the North Fork wine country, the Hamptons corridor to the south, and the seasonal visitor run from late April through early October), and the peak tourist window is a high-traffic window for medevac and news aviation across the North Fork. FAA TFR and NOTAM checks are the right move before a commercial mission on the North Fork, and the seasonal peak is the window to schedule around for the North Fork corridor.