Drone hits firefighting aircraft

I hope they find the owner and provide him a $250K repair bill and an administrative hard slap upside the head.
Apparently, it could be a little more than an administrative action.
“... It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands.”
 
The trick is, beat someones .... or becomes someones ....., then you'll be alright.

Love that movie,formative influence for me, vocationally.
 
Good news is, a lot of drone operators apparently understand that it’s illegal and dangerous, at least based on the comments when these guys post pictures.
 
Good news is, a lot of drone operators apparently understand that it’s illegal and dangerous, at least based on the comments when these guys post pictures.
Assuming the accusations are accurate and the offender holds a Part 107 certificate, I wonder if that will factor into the range of possible and likely penalties.
 
Assuming the accusations are accurate and the offender holds a Part 107 certificate, I wonder if that will factor into the range of possible and likely penalties.
Definitely. Suspension/revocation becomes an option, and “should have known better because he’s certificated” can increase penalties.
 
Assuming the accusations are accurate and the offender holds a Part 107 certificate, I wonder if that will factor into the range of possible and likely penalties.

I somehow doubt it was a person with a 107 certificate or any training whatsoever. They would know better and know the dangers.
 
I somehow doubt it was a person with a 107 certificate or any training whatsoever. They would know better and know the dangers.
The name discussed in the Reddit comments closely matches that of a person who was issued a Part 107 certificate in 2023. There’s no reason to assume Part 107 operators are immune from recklessly endangering others by violating the FARs they were briefly tested on.
 
The name discussed in the Reddit comments closely matches that of a person who was issued a Part 107 certificate in 2023. There’s no reason to assume Part 107 operators are immune from recklessly endangering others by violating the FARs they were briefly tested on.
Make an example out of him. Emergency revocation of all certificates, plus maximum civil penalty, plus prosecution for any criminal charges that apply. He won’t get custody time, but probation can include a term that he not possess or have control over any drone or other aerial device.
 
Make an example out of him. Emergency revocation of all certificates, plus maximum civil penalty, plus prosecution for any criminal charges that apply. He won’t get custody time, but probation can include a term that he not possess or have control over any drone or other aerial device.
And, restitution for damages to the aircraft. That’ll really get his attention.
 
Make an example out of him. Emergency revocation of all certificates, plus maximum civil penalty, plus prosecution for any criminal charges that apply. He won’t get custody time, but probation can include a term that he not possess or have control over any drone or other aerial device.

And, restitution for damages to the aircraft. That’ll really get his attention.
The rest of us have to follow the airspace rules. I'd like to see that others are made to take them seriously, too.
 
Make an example out of him. Emergency revocation of all certificates, plus maximum civil penalty, plus prosecution for any criminal charges that apply. He won’t get custody time, but probation can include a term that he not possess or have control over any drone or other aerial device.
Or just fine him and tell him not to do it again.
 
Or just fine him and tell him not to do it again.
Weak sauce. He knew he couldn’t fly his drone there, and knew it was a hazard to thr firefighters, but did it anyway because he wanted to profit from it. Even it was just for fun and not monetized videos, other drone operators need to know the consequences are real.
 
I had a roommate for one semester in college from one of the countries in the Persian Gulf, before the first gulf war. From what he described, the criminal penalties for things there were far more severe than anywhere here. Death for things that would be minor drug charges here. But did it slow anyone down? Not really. Their crime rates were higher than ours. If you have an equation f(x) = y, where x is the action and y is the consequences, increasing y doesn't help if people don't understand the equation. These people seem stupid...and to me kinda are...but more technically they're people with zero to no impulse control, and typically no ability to plan ahead more than about an hour. As if they can't actually comprehend the concept of what tomorrow is. Can't fix that and can't get rid of them...at least not faster than one at a time using current technology.

I get the desire to put them away, though. I just don't think any of it will make much difference. It's just a bunch of noise for the news shows to make money on.
 
I've seen hundreds of still and video images of the fires since Tuesday that were obviously taken from drones. They're flying all over the area.
 
I had a roommate for one semester in college from one of the countries in the Persian Gulf, before the first gulf war. From what he described, the criminal penalties for things there were far more severe than anywhere here. Death for things that would be minor drug charges here. But did it slow anyone down? Not really. Their crime rates were higher than ours. If you have an equation f(x) = y, where x is the action and y is the consequences, increasing y doesn't help if people don't understand the equation. These people seem stupid...and to me kinda are...but more technically they're people with zero to no impulse control, and typically no ability to plan ahead more than about an hour. As if they can't actually comprehend the concept of what tomorrow is. Can't fix that and can't get rid of them...at least not faster than one at a time using current technology.

I get the desire to put them away, though. I just don't think any of it will make much difference. It's just a bunch of noise for the news shows to make money on.
Yes but I bet their Recidivism Rate is way lower than ours.
 
I get the desire to put them away, though. I just don't think any of it will make much difference.
These are the same sort of people who, upon encountering a drowning celebrity, would rather take pictures and shoot video rather than throw them a rope.
 
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