Drone Regulations

A new bill that was quietly introduced in the Senate this month could reshape how, where, and even if you can fly your drone in the U.S. Introduced as the Drone Integration and Zoning Act (S.1249), the bill seeks to allow local governments the right to regulate drone flights below 200 feet.

In a twist that sounds like a plot from a spy novel, a 71-year-old Canadian tourist’s drone hobby has landed him in serious legal trouble. Meet Xiao Guang Pan from Brampton, Ontario, who now faces charges for flying his drone over the highly sensitive Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.

It was a reckless decision with serious consequences. Peter Tripp Akemann, a 56-year-old Los Angeles resident, has pleaded guilty to crashing his drone into a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft battling the Palisades Fire last month. According to the US Attorney’s Office, the former president of Skydance Interactive entered his plea to a federal class-A misdemeanor count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. This misdemeanor carries a potential one-year federal prison sentence. Akemann’s sentencing has been set for June 2.

In the bustling cityscape of Philadelphia, one man’s aerial adventures have come crashing down to earth. Michael DiCiurcio, the face behind the popular YouTube channel “PhillyDroneLife,” has been permanently grounded following a federal court’s consent judgment against him for reckless drone operations.

As Super Bowl LIX approaches, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has designated the Caesars Superdome and surrounding areas in New Orleans as a ‘No Drone Zone’ to ensure the safety and security of attendees and participants. Unauthorized drone operations in these restricted zones can lead to severe penalties, including drone confiscation, fines up to $75,000, and potential criminal prosecution.

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.

Boston police acted swiftly this weekend to stop a dangerous drone operation perilously close to Logan International Airport. Officers arrested two men, Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, after a tense chase on Long Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands.

Can you legally shoot down a drone if it’s “bothering” you? For Dennis Winn, a 72-year-old Florida retiree, the answer has come with a $5,000 restitution order and criminal charges after he shot down a Walmart delivery drone hovering near his Lake County home.

A Chinese national has been apprehended at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), moments before boarding a flight to China, in connection with an unauthorized drone flight over the highly secure Vandenberg Space Force Base.

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.