Aerial Imaging Services in Warwick, RI

FAA Part 107 Requirements

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

State Drone Laws

Rhode Island regulates drone operations through privacy statutes and state park rules rather than a standalone commercial drone licensing framework. Rhode Island General Laws § 1-18-3 restricts the use of unmanned aircraft for surveillance of private property without consent, prohibiting drone-based image capture of enclosed private spaces where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC), which operates T.F. Green International Airport (PVD), requires notification for drone operations within airport traffic areas and follows FAA Part 107 airspace rules. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) prohibits drone takeoff and landing in all state parks, state beaches, and state management areas without a special use permit issued by the DEM Division of Parks and Recreation. Rhode Island 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. The state follows FAA Part 107 preemption on airspace regulation, meaning municipalities cannot enact their own airspace rules but may regulate takeoff and landing on public property. LAANC authorization is available for the T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) Class C airspace and surrounding controlled airspace. The FAA controls all airspace above 400 feet AGL. Operators near military installations or critical infrastructure should check NOTAMs for TFRs.

Local Ordinances

Warwick does not have a comprehensive city-specific drone ordinance, relying on FAA Part 107 regulations and Rhode Island state law. Commercial drone operators must hold a valid FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Rhode Island General Laws § 1-18-3 restricts drone surveillance of private property without consent — particularly relevant for the residential neighborhoods of West Warwick, North Warwick, and the Fox Point industrial area. Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) requires notification for drone operations within the PVD airport traffic area and publishes NOTAMs for Class B operations in the PVD area. DEM (Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management) requires a special use permit for drone operations in state parks, state beaches, and state management areas — relevant for the Pawtuxet River, Quonset Bay, and the Warwick River greenway. The Fox Point industrial area and the downtown waterfront have restricted-access zones for the Warwick Redevelopment Authority. FAA Part 107 requires visual line-of-sight and prohibits flying over non-participants, which covers park, parklet, and parkway users.

Restricted Airspace

• Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) has Class B airspace that extends from the surface to 10,000 feet MSL over a vast area covering Warwick, North Kingstown, West Warwick, North Providence, and much of the Providence metro. The Class B core area is a 41-mile radius with a 3400-foot surface layer. LAANC is required for any commercial drone operation inside the Class B surface area, and downtown Warwick falls squarely inside it. The airport is the busiest commercial airport in New England south of Boston and is also home of the 128th Fighter Wing, which flies F-35 Lightning II jets for peacetime air defense. The 128 FW F-35 training sorties create a persistent heavy-traffic environment over downtown Warwick and Fox Point.
• The New England Air National Guard 128th Fighter Wing at PVD operates F-35A Lightning II jets with regular training and alert patrols. There is no permanent TFR over PVD, but temporary flight restrictions are commonly issued around the airport during F-35 training, major exercises, and VIP movements. The wing also conducts regular low-level flight training over the Warwick and South County coastlines, including the Quonset Bay and Warwick River shoreline. Commercial drone operators planning flights in the downtown Warwick or Fox Point area should check active NOTAMs and the FAA B4UFLY app, and should additionally monitor the PVD tower (118.95 MHz) and F-35 low-level activity, which creates a persistent low-altitude conflict zone that is not visible on a static LAANC map.
• The Quonset Air National Guard base — one of the largest ANG bases in the US and home to the historic Quonset huts — is adjacent to PVD and adds to the heavy military/air defense activity over the Warwick shoreline. Quonset hosts the historic 102nd Air Refueling Wing (now transitioning to F-35) and the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (RQ-4 Global Hawk). The Global Hawk HALE-UAS and F-35 training patterns create additional conflict zones along the Quonset Bay / Narra- ginset Bay coastline, with regular long-endurance fixed-wing and jet traffic at 1,000-10,000 ft AGL. Commercial drone work in the Warwick and Fox Point shoreline area should coordinate with PVD tower and Quonset Ops before flight.
• Quonset Bay, the Pawtuxet River, and the Warwick River shoreline carry significant commercial and recreational boat traffic. The Port of Warwick (Warwick Harbor) handles commercial vessels, and the Narragansett Bay approaches have regular barge traffic between the Port of Providence and the open ocean. The downtown Warwick waterfront and the Fox Point industrial district have a mix of boat ramps, commercial docks, and residential marinas. Drone operators working over the bay or the Fox Point shoreline should maintain altitude awareness, monitor active vessel traffic, and avoid flights over working docks where crew and cargo are handling.
• The City of Warwick has a downtown master plan and the Fox Point industrial area is undergoing redevelopment. Multiple active construction zones along I-95 (the Rhode Turnpike corridor) and the PVD airport access roads create temporary flight constraints. The Rhode Island T.F. Green runway 5-23 reconstruction and modernization project (2026) is the single largest construction project in the metro, with active construction in the Fox Point area just south of PVD. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) I-95 corridor project also has temporary flight restrictions within its work zone. Commercial drone operators planning flights over these areas should coordinate with the project site manager and monitor active work-zone signage and NOTAMs.