Drone Regulations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a $270,000 fine against Henry “Hank” Borunda, a Colorado-based real estate developer whose viral “BumsNDrones” social media accounts depict his drones harassing the local homeless population.

A Boston man is facing serious legal consequences after flying a DJI Mavic drone dangerously close to the Boston Marathon finish line in April, prompting a dramatic mid-air interception by law enforcement.

In a sweeping move to enforce safety in US airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a whopping $341,413 in civil penalties against 27 drone operators who violated federal regulations. The FAA has issued these fines for incidents occurring between October 2022 and June 2024.

In an unexpected twist during their headlining performance at a concert in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadian rock band Arkells found themselves intrigued by an unauthorized drone that filmed their set. The Juno-winning group, performing at the Burt Block Party last weekend, spotted the drone hovering dangerously close to the stage, capturing what lead singer Max Kerman believes could be “kind of cool” footage.

In a landmark case, a Canadian film company and its drone pilot have been slapped with a $22,500 fine for operating a drone too close to a pod of Northern Resident Killer Whales (NRKWs) off Vancouver Island. This is the first time a fine was issued in Canada for the unlawful use of a drone to capture killer whale footage.

US lawmakers are calling upon the Commerce Department to include Chinese drones in the evolving regulations for connected vehicles. Members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, in particular, have outlined concerns regarding the espionage capabilities of Chinese-made drones including DJI.

New data from the airspace security specialist Dedrone has revealed a concerning trend: one-third of all drone flights on the busiest drone flying day of the year, July 4th, violate FAA rules.

A 60-year-old has been arrested by New York State Police for menacing in the second degree and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The arrest followed an incident on June 18, when Ogdensburg resident Joseph H. Dishaw allegedly shot down a neighbor’s drone using a shotgun.

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, has signed into law a new bill that aims to restrict the use of drones near correctional facilities. Unauthorized drone operations in the vicinity of state prisons and jails will soon attract imprisonment of up to three years and/or a $1,000 fine.

Anyone flying a drone in the United Kingdom is responsible for flying within the guidelines and regulations established by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). That means it’s your responsibility as a drone pilot to understand the rules and identify safe flying areas. This is where the Drone Scene platform steps in to assist you.

The UK’s  Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulatory body has taken an important step toward enabling UAV activities to scale, with its proposals to loosen rules for beyond visual line of sight drone operation (BVLOS).

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with illegally flying a DJI Mini 2 drone over Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium during the recent National Football League (NFL) AFC Championship game. The incursion of an unidentified and unapproved drone during the Jan. 28 playoff was deemed a serious enough threat that security temporarily suspended the game.

It’s no secret that UK police have been energetic and innovative adopters of drone technology in public service, law enforcement, and first responder activity, but a recent survey suggests those forces need to do a better job in assuring security of their UAVs and the data they collect.

If drones are being deployed to keep people safe from sharks at the city’s beaches, the New York Police Department (NYPD) figures they may prove just as useful in broadcasting audio messages to residents of areas facing emergency situations.

China has presented a list of new rules applying to drone flight by civilian users, whose objectives for protecting public safety and national security – particularly, it would appear, the latter – don’t exactly strengthen individual liberties in the skies.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published its final guidelines explaining how UAS manufacturers and government agencies can measure the noise level of their drones, ensuring they are not a nuisance to people and wildlife.

I’m trying something new. Each week I’m going to recap my favorite stories from the past week as well as our discussion during the weekly live stream. I’ll fill in some of my opinions on the topics, throw an interview in here or there, and see where it goes from here. Hope you enjoy it.

Officials in New York are proposing changes to rules that strictly regulate drone activity within NYC, but UAV businesses and other operators hoping to see the end of the city’s quasi-blanket ban on flights aren’t likely to be singing the praises of liberalization just yet.

Telecom company BT Group has released new research indicating the UK needs to take steps to catch up with other nations currently leaving it behind in terms of drone operation and service readiness – a somewhat counterintuitive finding given the nation’s innovative aerial efforts over the past couple of years.

A group of next-generation UK aviation tech companies and associated organizations have released a white paper urging the government and national regulators to move quickly to create rules enabling effective integration of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights by drones and other craft into the airspace, and unleashing their full potential economic contributions that risk being undermined if such activity is held back.

Drone navigation and awareness tech specialist Airspace Link is taking another step in its efforts to permit operators of all kinds to remain as fully informed on activity around their craft as possible with the launch of its AirHub Portal solution.