You can be Fined Thousands of Dollars for flying a Drone?!
Drones are amazing tools but when used incorrectly can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and or jail time for the operator.
Another incident involving a drone took place at the Cincinnati Bengals game on January 15th, where an individual purportedly flew a drone over and inside the Bengals stadium during Saturday's game. At some points the drone was less than 20ft from the players on the field. Both the FAA and FBI have now launched an investigation into the flight and the pilot.
A few of the infractions the FAA and FBI will be taking a close look at is:
Flying near a major sporting event before, during, or after the event.
Flying at night without a Part 107 License
Flying directly over people.
Flying out of line of sight.
While this incident will most likely result in some hefty fines for the pilot, it wouldn't be the first time an unlicensed drone operator found themselves the subject of a federal investigation.
In 2020, a Philadelphia man was fined $182,000 for flying his drone recklessly; while a Los Angeles man is facing up to 2 years in Federal Prison for crashing his drone into an LAPD helicopter, forcing the helicopter to perform an emergency landing.
Most drone owners don't understand the number of laws and regulations that are involved with their drones, and the potential hazard they can cause. For those using their drones for commercial purposes, it is imperative that they either become a Part 107 licensed drone pilot or hire someone who is. Flying your own drone for commercial purposes or hiring an unlicensed drone operator could lead to thousands of dollars worth of fines from the FAA.
