Up here (Canada) you need a Special Flight Operations Certificate to fly a drone in Controlled Airspace. One of the places I REALLY wanted to fly is in Class D Airspace (from surface to 4500 feet) so last spring I took the UAV ground school, went through the 32 page SFOC application, got $1M insurance, and got my SFOC for that location. I flew at that location ONCE but last weekend was the big event I wanted to record.
In the early afternoon during the event I saw someone with a Phantom 2 getting ready to fly there so I went over and told him that it was controlled airspace and he told me it was okay because he wasn't going above 500 feet. I told him the controlled airspace started at the surface and he said I was wrong and proceeded to fly. He took off, flew FPV (which is not allowed in Canada), and flew higher than I ever would have that close to an airport!
I was SO F'ING STEAMED that I was tempted to "drop a dime" on him but didn't. I didn't even take my Phantom out of the case. If there was some a@@hole violating the airspace, I didn't want anything to do with it.
I found out later he was a commercial photographer and when I mentioned the Class D airspace again, he said "It doesn't matter now." which gave me the impression he didn't give a **** about regulations or safety.
I am still STEAMED! Some of us jump through hoops to be safe and legal while others just ignore it all and do what they want.
Would you have reported him?
In the early afternoon during the event I saw someone with a Phantom 2 getting ready to fly there so I went over and told him that it was controlled airspace and he told me it was okay because he wasn't going above 500 feet. I told him the controlled airspace started at the surface and he said I was wrong and proceeded to fly. He took off, flew FPV (which is not allowed in Canada), and flew higher than I ever would have that close to an airport!
I was SO F'ING STEAMED that I was tempted to "drop a dime" on him but didn't. I didn't even take my Phantom out of the case. If there was some a@@hole violating the airspace, I didn't want anything to do with it.
I found out later he was a commercial photographer and when I mentioned the Class D airspace again, he said "It doesn't matter now." which gave me the impression he didn't give a **** about regulations or safety.
I am still STEAMED! Some of us jump through hoops to be safe and legal while others just ignore it all and do what they want.
Would you have reported him?