Buffalo Outer Harbor Brings Down the Kites

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Questions are being raised about kite-flying rules after a man was surrounded by five Buffalo Outer Harbor State Park police officers on Sunday.

“A ranger came and told us we had to take them down. We were nice to him and said no sir, it’s a special day, it doesn’t happen often in Buffalo where you have a perfect sunny day and 10 mile per hour winds,” said Jim Emanuele, who was flying about 10 kites with a friend in the park.

After refusing to take down the kites, the situation escalated.

“I’ve been here before and they told me to take it down. That’s why I don’t come here often,” Emanuele explains.

It turns out that kite flying is not allowed in Buffalo State Park without a permit.

“It’s bad policy, why not fly kites here in the outer harbor. People are having fun, there’s no risk, there’s no power lines, there’s no airport around, so why not fly kites here?”

Channel Two has reached out to New York State Parks for a response. In a statement provided to us, they said:

“Large kites such as those in question can pose a safety risk to park users or cause property damage, which is why national park regulations require permits to fly such kites. In this case, no permit was requested or granted.”

Jim says that for him and many other kite flyers, permits are not ideal because you never know when a perfect kite day will occur – but despite the unpredictability, the rule still stands.