When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to establish the state’s first drone-testing corridor, this is probably not what he had in mind. New York City has seen an increase in illegal drone use of 68 percent from the first three quarters of 2016 compared with the same period in 2017.

While this may not be apparent to citizens on the ground, there are certainly aviators in the region who’ve encountered this problematic advent of increased, dangerous piloting of unmanned aerial vehicles. We’re a long ways away from futurist Thomas Frey’s predicted one billion drones, but are also seeing a major, significant increase already.

According to NBC New York, pilots spotted a total of at least 192 illegal drones in restricted airspace over New York City in the first three quarters of 2017. This steep, 62 percent climb has caused quite the tumult and consideration of solutions from amongst those most affected by these statistics.

"I just don’t want to see the skies littered with drones," said Anthony Ianni, a helicopter pilot in White Plains. Ianni claimed he got as close as 300 feet to a drone while maneuvering his chopper above Park Avenue last year. He also reported seeing a UAV whir near the One World Trade tower.

With an increase in affordability and a decrease in price, drones are definitely becoming more popular, with a growing customer base that may not fully adhere to FAA regulations. With the administration not thoroughly enforcing these strictures anyway, however, it’s becoming clear that there’s an imperfect, loosened agreement between users and the actual law. Some local authorities, however, are adamant they’ll protect the rules at all costs.