Firstly how dare some of you. It seems OP just wanted to look out for the community and clearly stated he " believes they represent a threat towards legitimate pilots". Honestly, people who break the rules and are never corrected or made aware of the rules are going to break them again and eventually who knows they may end up doing something so stupid that it ends up taking the media by storm and putting the rule-abiding community at risk.
I would personally report them if I felt that they posed a threat to other pilots as you stated that you felt they did. Before I would report them I would make sure that they did indeed break the rules just to make sure that rule-abiding pilots aren't hassled by a report.
(Not legal advice just a random guys perspective on this topic )
For Each Situation You Stated:
Forest Fire:
I would Make sure they were not partnered with the local fire department and had the proper waivers. If they made a hassle for the Fire Department it's likely they may have already reported it.
Town From 1500 Feet:
I believe only 16 Entities have a waiver to fly above 400 Feet ( 107.51b ) ( Lockheed Martin, NASA Langley Research Center, Praxis Aerospace Concepts International, University of Nebraska
University of Florida, OpenRotix Labs, Porche Aerial Imagery LLC, Microsoft Research, Civil & Enviromental Consultants, Inc., Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., CNN, Pennsylvania State University, Marek Management LLC, & the University of Washington.
If I personally didn't believe the person flying was part of any of those 16 entities I would personally report them. What stops them from flying higher the next time if they got away with it the first time? ( I'd also make sure this flight was in the US obviously. )
Flights GPS tagged in protected wilderness areas: If they were breaking an airspace regulation I believe the FAA already has ways to track this. Now if it was them flying over a national park If they take off from within the park they're obviously breaking an ordinance. if they're taking off from outside the park and flying above it see what the NPS Says.
FROM THE NPS
If I am flying my unmanned aircraft in the national airspace and do not take off, land, or operate from NPS lands and waters, is there anything the park could do to stop me?
Unless an unmanned aircraft pilot obtains special permission through the FAA, use of unmanned aircraft must remain line of sight. In addition, although they do not directly address unmanned aircraft, the following existing 36 CFR sections may apply under certain circumstances.
- If the unmanned aircraft pursuits or harasses wildlife or creates an intentional disturbance of wildlife nesting, breeding, or other activities, the user could be cited for a violation of 36 C.F.R. § 2.2.
- If the user of the unmanned aircraft knowingly or recklessly creates a risk of public alarm or nuisance by causing noise that was unreasonable under the circumstances or by creating a hazardous or physically offensive condition, the user could be cited for disorderly conduct under 36 C.F.R. § 2.34.
- 36 C.F.R. § 2.12(a)(3) prohibits, in non-developed areas, operating a device powered by a portable motor or engine, except pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
In conclusion, If I saw someone doing something that broke the FAA Regulations I would do my due diligence to make sure they did indeed not have the authority to conduct such activities through waivers then personally I would decide if that behaviour could have put others at risk or could put others at risk in the future and if so then I'd report it. (Example: I believe it is more likely for someone that drove under the influence and got away with it to do it again over someone that got caught or warned the first time. And just because they didn't hurt anyone the first time they drove under the influence doesn't mean they can't hurt someone in the future if they decided to do the same reckless behaviour.) This is why I personally believe it's important to address such situations, hold people accountable and stop situations before they could possibly get worst.