Gastonia, NC Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

Section 5-27 defines an "unmanned aircraft" broadly enough to reach hobbyist equipment, expressly including devices commonly referred to as drones, remote controlled aircraft, and model aircraft, and defines a "small unmanned aircraft" as one weighing less than 55 pounds. Subsection (b)(1) is the anchor for recreational flying: it requires that unmanned aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems operated within the city comply with all statutes, rules, and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration, meaning Gastonia is layering local operating conditions on top of, not instead of, federal recreational-drone rules.

On top of that federal baseline, the city adds its own local conditions: operators must comply with city park rules, may not launch or recover on city property without the city manager's written approval except in two named parks, cannot interfere with a public safety incident, cannot pose a risk to persons or property, cannot fly aircraft carrying pyrotechnics or objects capable of being dropped as a safety hazard, and cannot use a drone for racing or acrobatics outside a city-permitted event. Emergency responders are exempt, and the city itself may use drones for municipal purposes under its own policy. The section, adopted effective February 3, 2026 by Ordinance No. 26-848, makes any violation a misdemeanor.