Back in June, this chap flew his drone in the East Midlands Airport FRZ without permission, got video of an airliner landing and flew over the Download music festival BVLOS - twice.
Presumably Police traced him with Aeroscope, etc and arrested him.
When it went to court he was ordered to pay £1500 and his drone and mobile were ordered to be destroyed.
What do you think about this?
This article includes some of his video: MSN
FWIW my view is that whilst it’s pretty silly to fly in an FRZ without permission, and above 400ft, the released video clips don’t actually show any person being put in direct danger.
In the clips posted, the festival seems to be a long way off in the distance. Likewise the runway at EMA is a long way away.
Perhaps there is more footage where the drone was flown directly over the assemblies of people at the festival. Or closer to the runway. We don’t know.
Quite silly flying in an FRZ, and over 400ft, but not actually super-super-dangerous.
I suppose that is reflected in the penalty he was given. Had he flown his drone close to the final approach path of the airport, they may have handed him a custodial sentence.
Not sure really, he broke the rules so deserves to be punished appropriately.
I don’t see what destroying the phone achieves - the drone I can half-understand as they remove the thing that actually causes (what they perceive as) the danger, but the phone? Feels like a bit of an overreach unless they classify it as “the viewing component” of the setup which I still feel is a bit harsh. It is a phone at the end of the day, they could have made him remove the DJI app heh.
Probably sat back with his mates with a few cans, smoking the herb, enjoying the moment, that’s what happens in most festivals. All wrong what he done all the same, but like I said before, there are many chancers out there, with large drones, unregistered, not licenced, no Op or flyer ID also. Sift that lot out first, before new rules and regulations added.