Man fined $2,900 for drunk drone flight over car show

A man found out the hard way that flying a drone while intoxicated is a no-go, after being slapped with a $2,900 fine in Sweden’s first-ever case of its kind.

It all went down in July 2023 at a vintage car event in Rättvik, a small Swedish town known for its picturesque landscapes and love of classic automobiles. Swedish police were flying their own drone to monitor the event when they spotted another drone in restricted airspace. That’s when they traced it back to its operator — a 55-year-old man whose blood alcohol level was 0.69, more than three times Sweden’s legal limit of 0.2.

Once caught, the man admitted to flying the drone — until he realized he was in big trouble. That’s when he changed his story, blaming a mysterious friend who conveniently wasn’t there.

The real kicker? His blood alcohol level was 0.69 per 1,000 parts blood — more than three times Sweden’s legal limit of 0.2. For context, Sweden’s drunk-driving laws are among the strictest in Europe. In comparison, the limit is 0.8 in the UK and 0.5 in Spain, France, and Belgium.

Naturally, the court didn’t buy his excuse. Prosecutor Jenny Holden Nyström said she’d never seen a case like this before, but she was happy with the verdict. Meanwhile, District Court President Karin Hellmont explained why the punishment matched that of drunk driving. “It is an aircraft. Even though it is flown by itself, it is controlled by someone down on the ground and can fall from a high height and injure someone,” she said.

Swedish authorities fined the drone pilot 32,000 kronor (roughly $2,900), payable over 80 days.

Drunk droning: A global no-fly zone

This may be Sweden’s first drunk drone conviction, but it’s not the first country to take boozy drone pilots seriously. Japan already has laws against flying drones under the influence — if caught, pilots can face up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $2,740.

And what about the US? The FAA requires drone pilots to stay under a 0.04 BAC (blood alcohol concentration) limit — stricter than Sweden’s standard for driving. In fact, flying a drone in a reckless manner in the US can lead to serious fines or even jail time.

This ruling is likely to make drone enthusiasts think twice before mixing alcohol with their flying adventures. And who knows? With drones becoming more common for deliveries (including alcohol in some places), legal questions about intoxicated operators could become even trickier.

For now, the message is clear: If you’re drinking, stay away from the controls — whether it’s a car, a plane, or yes, even a drone.

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