7th Street Surf Shop Intends to Comply With Ocean City Drone Ban: Report

Seventh Street Surf Shop owners Larry and Becky Friedel will comply with an ordinance recently passed by city council that temporarily prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft, or drones, in Ocean City, the Ocean City Gazette reports.

Becky Friedel told the newspaper that she and her husband have used the drones to capture images of surfers and use them in videos posted online and shared 700 times, including by news stations and the city. They also shoot the beach in the spring, when no one is around.

It’s a benefit for their business, utilizing a technology that needs to be used responsibly, Becky Friedel told the Gazette.

The issue of using drones to shoot video for videos posted online was raised during the Nov. 12 council meeting, when council voted to ban drones effective Dec. 1 through Sept. 8 of next year, at the latest.

Council President Keith Hartzell mentioned a drone that was shooting video of a ferris wheel at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier. Hartzell said the video was posted online and showed the positive aspects of Ocean City. Hartzell was undecided as to if drones should be permanently banned in Ocean City.

Mayor Jay Gillian, whose family has owned the amusement park for three generations, said that while it appeared as though no one was around at the time the drone was shooting footage of the ferris wheel, his wife, Michelle, was there, and she was scared by the appearance of the drone.

Gillian also said if it crashed into the ferris wheel, it would’ve caused a lot of damage. If it crashed into the ferris wheel when people were on board, it would be a particularly scary situation.

The ordinance bans drones within five miles of Ocean City Airport, and applies only to use outside. It is not illegal to own a drone and operate it indoors in Ocean City.

Anyone who violates the proposed ordinance would be subjected to a penalty of no more than $500 for the first offense and no more than $1,000 and/or 30 days in prison for each subsequent offense.

Hartzell said council members can revisit the issue at anytime over the next year. before the sunset provision of Sept. 8.

Gillian also reminded council that if the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues concrete regulations before Sept. 8, their regulations would trump Ocean City’s ordinance.