As a 107 pilot you are not to call the ATC at an airport you are to use the online portal.
I don't know where you live but I am in L.A. and this (from part 107):
"5.8.1.1 Remote PICs are prohibited from operating their small UA in a manner that interferes with operations and traffic patterns at airports, heliports, and seaplane bases."
is the FAA's nice way to let you know that if you don't call the heliports and seaplane bases within 5 miles:
KENMORE AIR HARBOR (seaplane base)
SEATTLE SEAPLANES (seaplane base)
NOT ATC
They will be fining you when you hit the space needle, as since you did not notify them you are in the area, you have violated: right-of-way provision of § 107.37(a)
Whenever I fly commercially,I always fill out a UAS Operating Area (UOA) at
https://www.1800wxbrief.com/
As then I can prove my due diligence if anything goes wrong (like hitting the space needle)
Almost everywhere I fly around Los Angeles I will need to call 3 or 4 possibly more heliports to notify, you can do as you please but if I were you I would call, if you are a commercial operator.
The waiver would be for, as I said above 107.39 Operation over people
The airspace has nothing to do with the fact that he was flying over a densely populated area, and G airspace or not if you don't have a waiver you better not fly over anybody's head whether or not you are commercial or hobby.
Your mixing hobby and commercial.
If your flying commercial, you never have to contact any airport, seaport, heliport, anything. It's just not required. I know all about airspace waivers, ect. but that discussion is irrelevant. I fly commercially every day weather permitting, all around Portland Oregon.
And for me contacting the seaport next to me, that's impossible because there is no phone number for the Willamette River. The one person who uses it once every two years doesn't have his number listed on the beforeUfly app lol. In all seriousness though, my point is they (FAA) have to draw a line somewhere. The control tower is the line.
As a hobbiest, the only thing you guys have on this pilot that is "illegal " ,as you say, is the flying over people. That guideline clearly states group of people (on the back of your hobby registration card). Are there or was he flying over a group? Or where there a few people present on the ground walking to and from their cars? Or was he flying over the park section where nobody happened to be? We can go on and on with assumptions, but that does nothing. Hell we still don't know if he's hobby or commercial or what the details are. All we know is someone hit the needle.
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