#Buffalo Airspace: The Five Things That Matter
One: the TRUST certificate. Recreational pilots must pass this free online FAA test once, and it takes half an hour. Two: registration. Any drone at 250 grams or heavier gets registered for 5 dollars covering three years, and the number goes on the airframe.
Three: controlled airspace. Buffalo Niagara International sits inside Class C, which blankets much of Cheektowaga, Depew, and parts of Amherst with altitude limits. The fix is easy: request LAANC authorization through a free app and approval usually lands in seconds. Four: stadium rules. On Bills game days a temporary flight restriction covers three nautical miles around Highmark Stadium from an hour before kickoff to an hour after, and the FAA fines people who test it every season.
Five: parks. New York State Parks prohibit drone operations without a permit, which takes Niagara Falls State Park and the gorge off the table completely. City and county rules vary by property, so the habit that keeps you out of trouble is checking the B4UFLY map before every new launch spot. Silo City and the grain elevators photograph spectacularly, but they are private property: email for permission and you will often get it.
