Shouldn't there be a statute of limitations on prosecuting drone flights. 7 years is the standard for most criminal cases.

[StevenBrodsky]

Imagine if you made a video 5 years ago and you had forgotten you made it. But in this video, you had done some illegal things. Imagine if the FAA found the video and slammed you with a big fine and took your drone privileges away. Could this even happen?

 

[BigAl07]

Anytime you start with "Imagine" you've already started down the rabbit hole.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Imagine if you made a video 5 years ago and you had forgotten you made it. But in this video, you had done some illegal things. Imagine if the FAA found the video and slammed you with a big fine and took your drone privileges away. Could this even happen?

Well of course in theory it could happen. However...

If this was the first and only violation, and it wasn't something really bad (like dive-bombing and terrifying innocent bystanders at some event, to posit an example), I'm certain the answer is "no".

The FAA hasn't the resources, or the interest to chase down every obvious BVLOS flight, for example. If they bother at all, it will be a warning letter.

5 years after the fact, though, likely nothing at all.

Here's an example of what it takes to get in a lot of hot water... Read the article to how far, how much, and repeatedly how long this guy pushed it, defied warnings, etc. until serious action was taken:

Feds file $182,000 suit against drone video maker PhillyDroneLife

 

[MARK (LI)]

They aren't keeping up with current violators......I don't think they have the time or interest

 

[GFields]

Sounds like someone might be guilty. Why not just remove the videos that contain the "illegal flying"?

 

[DOC LEMIEUX]

If you can’t do the time. Don’t do the crime. Rules made for a reason. As a recreational flyer to have not so many rules to fly by. Had my numbers since 2018 I have done it all the trust the RID. Geo spaces no fly zones. How this come about. Pilots deciding to bend rules. Super Bowl flights. Attaching Roman Candles to a Phantom and firing in to a party. Ect. So we wonder why we got rules. Cause Of ignorance and lack of good judgement

 

[Vic Moss]

If someone tasked me with coming up with 1000 things I need to worry about, this wouldn't make the list.

 

[Dale D]

Imagine if you made a video 5 years ago and you had forgotten you made it. But in this video, you had done some illegal things. Imagine if the FAA found the video and slammed you with a big fine and took your drone privileges away. Could this even happen?

Call the police department and ask what the statute of limitations is

 

[StevenBrodsky]

Call the police department and ask what the statute of limitations is

for most federal violations, there is a 7 year standard.

 

[rawman001]

Look up Michael DiCiurcio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (although this may be where your question originated.) He was warned multiple times and ignored them. He is being charged for flights dating back to 2019.

As for the Statute of Limitations: According to this site: 650. Length of Limitations Period it's 5 years for most crimes.

"Section 3282 of Title 18, United States Code, is the statute of general application. It states that, "(e)xcept as otherwise expressly provided by law," a prosecution for a non-capital offense shall be instituted within five years after the offense was committed."

I'm not saying that the FAA is going to scour Youtube looking for one time offenses from 4.999 years ago. If you're a habitual offender who constantly breaks the rules, and you have a record of violations dating back to 2019 and the evidence is available, I would guess they would throw as many charges as they can to see what they can get you on.

 

[sawman]

Judging from my recent conversation with a person from the local FSDO, they don't care nor have the time. The only time it would come up is as previously stated, someone pokes the bear.

 

[Dmcvey]

The FAA first step is education on regulations.

 

[EssenYVR]

They aren't keeping up with current violators......I don't think they have the time or interest

This statement feels right to me. I strongly doubt that the FAA has a team of people who scour the Internet for violations. It's more likely that a few of their members who have a personal interest in drones may watch drone-oriented forums just like the rest of us and if something blatant enough comes up they may pursue it. Other than that any actions they initiate are much more likely to be the result of public complaints or, heaven forbid, some incident that makes the news.

I've always believed that drone regulations are there to provide a legal framework that allows prosecution of people who do dumb things, as opposed to being a kind of totalitarian cage to curtail people's activity. I'm sure that in reality there are elements of both, particularly around sensitive military or government assets, but I like to believe it's tilted more toward the former than the latter.