New York City runs some of the most tightly controlled airspace in the country, and it sits on top of one of the most logistically demanding cities to shoot in. Between JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Teterboro, most of the five boroughs fall inside Class B or Class D controlled airspace. Add in street closures, NYPD coordination, and building rooftop access, and an aerial unit that hasn’t done this before can turn a one-day shoot into a three-day headache.
Here’s what actually matters when you’re bringing an aerial unit to a New York production.
Airspace authorization is non-negotiable here. Nearly all of Manhattan and large parts of the outer boroughs require FAA airspace authorization before a drone can legally fly. CineDrones is FAA Part 107 certified and handles LAANC and manual airspace authorizations as part of pre-production, so the shoot isn’t waiting on paperwork that should have been filed weeks earlier.
City permitting has its own timeline. Productions filming in New York typically coordinate through the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and drone operations layer additional NYPD and site-specific approvals on top of a standard film permit. We build that timeline into pre-production from the first call, not after the location is locked.
Union and non-union crews, matched to the job. CineDrones operates with Local 600 union and non-union drone crews, so whether you’re on a signatory studio production or an independent shoot, we staff the aerial unit to match your production’s requirements without you having to explain the difference twice.
Insurance that satisfies studio and building risk departments. We carry a $5M aviation liability policy, which is the baseline most New York productions and building management companies require before they’ll clear a drone unit to fly near a set, cast, crew, or rooftop.
Founded in 2013, CineDrones has shot for Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Apple, and Sony productions, and we bring that same level of FAA compliance and permitting discipline to every New York shoot. We handle FPV filming, heavy-lift camera systems, and standard aerial cinematography, backed by full permitting on every job.
If you’re scoping a New York shoot and need an aerial unit that already knows the airspace and the permitting process, get in touch with CineDrones before you lock your schedule.
