If you own a drone, you have to be responsible about where you fly it — and that means respecting the existing rules in place from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Uploading footage of your less-than-legal drone antics might see you copping a fine from the boys in blue.
Drone image via Shutterstock
EFTM reports that a Queensland man received a $850 fine after uploading footage to YouTube of him operating a DJI Phantom drone that flew within the Townsville restricted control zone, flying above the 400-foot ceiling for civil or hobby use, over populous areas, and within three miles of Townsville Airport.
The man in question then received a phone call from a CASA safety investigator. After confirming he was the owner of the drone and the one flying it, CASA then asked him to remove the videos from YouTube. Not too long afterwards, to add injury to insult, he copped a fine in the mail. The fine came about not because any one of the breaches was serious in itself, but because there were multiple breaches.
So, let this be a reminder to you. If you’re a hobbyist or amateur drone pilot, learn the rules around using your fancy flying machine and follow them. And, if you accidentally break any rules, for God’s sake, don’t post the video to YouTube — you’ll get caught.
