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North Adams Airport Welcomes Drone Committee

A volunteer steering committee has been formed to help people understand the rules of flying drones.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission welcomed a steering committee to help inform residents about proper drone and unmanned aircraft use.

Resident and hobbyist Stephen Roy came before the commission Wednesday and asked to form some sort of group that would work with the commission and the airport manager to better inform people about unmanned aircraft policy.

"It will just be a point of contact ... where people can get information," Roy said. "This is a hobby that is spreading."

Legally drones cannot fly within a five-mile radius of the airport without permission. This encompasses all of North Adams and Williamstown as well as parts of surrounding communities.

Although some areas have much less impact on the airport, Roy said people need to know the places where it is imperative to get permission to fly, if at all.

"People need to know that you don't go flying up near the Chenail farm because you might be under 400 feet off of the ground, but now you are getting into that 100-foot separation window with planes," Roy said. "It could potentially be a problem for someone that gets a little overzealous and loses control of one of these things because you have to know what you are doing."

Commissioner Trevor Gilman said currently if someone wants to fly in the 5-mile radius, they must contact the airport manager for permission. If someone asks to fly on private property a safe distance from the airport they receive a blanket approval.

"If you live on the Clarksburg line and you are on the other side of town on your own property you make one phone call to the airport and he will give you a blanket approval for all of your future flying at the location," Gilman said. "As long as you are below 400 feet you are OK to go."

He said if someone wants to fly in public or much closer to the airport, they must always ask for permission before every flight.

Roy agreed and said people need to know which way the planes are coming from and going to.

"Folks should know if you are going to be near the airport you aren't going any higher than the trees, but there is always going to be that guy," Roy said.

Roy suggested setting up a website and seeking interested members.

"I think that is a wonderful idea," Chairman Jeff Naughton said. "We would appreciate any information and feedback you have on it."

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.