TEMPE, Ariz — A Tempe man was cited for flying a drone within feet of officers. But was he in the wrong?
Tempe Police tweeted out video of a low-flying drone passing two motor officers. According to the department, the unmanned aircraft almost collided with officers.
Officers followed the drone back to where the pilot was standing. The person was in his nearby front yard and cited for interfering with law enforcement. One expert says he may have gotten off easy.
“If they had caught him doing that that close to the airport, the FAA could theoretically come in and fine him,” Ed Coleman, the department chair of safety science at Embry-Riddle in Prescot, said. “And they’ve done that in the past. And some of the fines have been upward of $10,000 dollars.”
Coleman says when in doubt about whether you are flying a drone legally, there are some common sense steps to take to keep you out of trouble.
“Rule of thumb…if you’re in a crowded condensed area that’s probably bad. If you’re flying over or near an airport that’s probably bad. Over roadways is probably another area…So if you want to wanna look for some place, your backyard is probably okay. Maybe a park or someplace that’s kind of wide open,” Coleman said.
The FAA has guidelines for drone operators. There are a number of recreational websites that are helpful including Airmap.com and KnowBeforeYouFly.org.