I have flown my fixed wings in my cul du sac (Some little "park flyers" with 18- 26 inch wing spans) at no more that 50 feet during NOTAMs when Obama has been here in Seattle. No F-16s showed up, nor any Secret Service men. I stayed below the tops of the Cedars that encircle our development.I'm not advocating what I'm about to say, it's just for discussion's sake.
Let's say you're within the "outer ring" of that TFR and fly anyway. You keep it real low and real local and real short. No higher than the tree tops, no further than a couple hundred yards, and five-ten minutes. What could happen?
Secret Service might come and confiscate your drone if they get to you fast enough but I think that would be it. My understanding is there are no laws passed yet that can be used to prosecute a hobby drone pilot.
However I know someone who wasn't aware of a NOTAM and his Cessna was escorted back to a small rural airport south of Seattle by two F-16s but no fines issued, just a stern lecture.
But there are laws that can be used to prosecute a hobby drone pilot - in fact that is about the only thing that came out of the now infamous Pirker case - a precedent to charge drone pilots with reckless endangerment.
The drone hobbyist who hit a parade attendee in the head, knocking her unconscious at this summer's Seattle Pride Parade has been charged with reckless endangerment and is facing up to a $5,000 fine for his mishap.
Oh, and there were the two drone pilots who were fined for flying too close to Orcas here in the Puget Sound. I think they were ticketed around a grand?
Two drone pilots ticketed for 'Orca Protection Violations'
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