After an illegal drone flight over Disney World in Florida, the ‘experienced drone pilot only received a trespass warning. A truly experienced drone operator would have known that there is a permanent Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the theme park.
Illegal drone flight over Disney World results in warning for experienced drone pilot
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the 40-year-old drone pilot received only a trespassing warning after he was caught by a security guard from Disney World, Orlando.
The security guard saw the drone flying about 100 feet from Cinderella’s Castle in the Disney theme park. Shortly thereafter, an off-duty Orange County deputy caught the unidentified Floridian drone pilot.
The illegal drone flight over the theme park in Orlando took place on May 20th of this year,
Several police officers rushed to the scene together with the security guard where they found the experienced drone pilot hiding behind some trees.
“I asked him why he was in a parking lot of an apartment complex he did not live in and standing behind trees out of view from Reams Road. He did not have a clear answer to the question,” the deputy said in the incident report, the Orlando Sentinel shared.
Disney World made the pilot promise he would delete the aerial footage from his drone. Luckily for the experienced drone pilot, he was not arrested for illegally flying over the theme park. He merely received a warning for trespassing.
The pilot said: “I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.”
“Obviously I can’t post them [drone photos]. I had to tell Disney I would delete them as a favor,” he said. “I don’t want to get into more trouble with Disney.”
On the website of the Federal Aviation Administration, there is a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) that informs you about the permanent Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) that is in place over Disney World. The restriction prohibits any manned or unmanned aircraft from flying over the park from the surface up to and including 3000 feet AGL.
Check out these courses from The Drone U if you are interested in becoming a truly experienced drone pilot!
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