I don't care how novice or contrite that drone pilot was, he should face significant financial penalties for his stupidity. Even if a pilot is too lazy to educate himself about the rules and laws, all it takes is the smallest bit of common sense to realize that flying a drone near hot air balloons is a STUPID thing to do. People that are stupid and/or lack common sense shouldn't be allowed to own or fly a drone.
When I got my Mavic I spent multiple hours flying it just 4-6 feet off the ground on my own property to familiarize myself with the controls and responsiveness/speed of the drone. In other words, I applied common sense to my approach of learning to fly a drone.
After reading in this forum the number of people that have done stupid things while controlling a drone, I think it is a mistake that anyone can walk into a Best Buy and buy a drone (that has the capability to be flown hundreds of feet into the air) without having to provide proof that they've passed some sort of safety certification process.
Nobody wants an untrained & inexperienced novice pilot at the controls of the Boeing 727 they are riding in. The same should be true for flying a drone. The more I read about stories like this one the more I wish that Congress had gone further and passed legislation to require testing BEFORE you can buy a drone. It is only a matter of time before an idiot that is flying his new drone in an unsafe manner causes someone's death (or, multiple deaths).
Mark