UAV pilot fined after Toronto Raptors victory parade flyover

[timinator]

UAV pilot $2750CDN for:
1 Flying over crowd
2. Flying within prohibited airspace
3. Flying without a license.

It's about time some of these yahoos who don't follow safety rules start to pay up. What the article doesn't say is that he actually lost control of it and crashed it near the crowd. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Drone pilot fined after steering device above crowds during Raptors celebrations

The federal government is fining a rogue drone pilot for flying the device over downtown Toronto as crowds celebrated the Raptors' historic NBA championship win -- and again during the victory parade four days later.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[AMann]

Oh, some people here are not going to agree with it... but I think it is about time, as the hobby and profession needs to be protected from rogue pilots. They have already been messing it up for us with all the negative publicity and angering the VOTING public and public servants.

 

[deleted member 877]

Oh, some people here are not going to agree with it... but I think it is about time, as the hobby and profession needs to be protected from rogue pilots. They have already been messing it up for us with all the negative publicity and angering the VOTING public and public servants.

Any ideas on how this protection could be achieved?

 

[AMann]

Any ideas on how this protection could be achieved?

Stricter enforcement and penalties it seems - its already going there. Unfortunately, it’s obviously not enough and now even tracking technologies are being considered by some...

 

[Ralph thompson]

Since June 1st in Canada we now have laws around flying drones (rather than exemptions) so police can nail anyone not abiding by the rules. You need a license and a registered drone. Flying over people is only allowed with specific drones

 

[DroningOn]

Since June 1st in Canada we now have laws around flying drones (rather than exemptions) so police can nail anyone not abiding by the rules. You need a license and a registered drone. Flying over people is only allowed with specific drones

That’s what happens in a wealthy tiny country with minimal social issues to deal with. Pass more controlling laws, people won’t complain.

 

[Ralph thompson]

That’s what happens in a wealthy tiny country with minimal social issues to deal with. Pass more controlling laws, people won’t complain.

Sadly, some folks will only grasp why we have laws in a civil society after they get hit by a speeding driver, crash their plane (pilot just killed in NB flying his plane without a license) or if a badly maintained drone falls out of sky onto a crowd of people, flown by an unqualified operator. The new regulations in Canada are excellent, they allow professionals to operate pretty much everywhere with the minimum of approval and allow hobbyist to play with only the minor restrictions.