Kids, this is why we have hardware and software to counter the activities of people who abuse drone technology to gain criminal ends.
Two men have been charged with federal crimes after allegedly flying drones illegally over professional sporting events in Cincinnati, US.
A statement from the Attorney’s office in the Southern District of Ohio said the men were charged by a federal grand jury in separate incidents involving the Cincinnati Bengals, and American Football team baseball team, the and Cincinnati Reds.
Of course, there might be issues of money and television rights involved, but – in a world where terrorist activities are getting more and more creative – flying a drone illegally over a sporting event is a dangerous undertaking on its own right
One suspect, Dailon Dabney, 24, reportedly flew his drone into the stadium and hovered over players and portions of the stadium crowd at a Bengals game in January this year.
The other one, Travis Lenhoff, 38, of Northern Kentucky, is alleged to have flown a drone into the restricted flight area of Great American Ballpark during the Reds' Opening Day.
The two men were both charged with operating an unregistered drone, which is a federal crime punishable by as many as three years in prison
On January 15, the Bengals hosted an NFL playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium, now PayCor Stadium. During the game, Dailon is said to have illegally flown his drone into the stadium and hovered over players and portions of the stadium crowd.
Dabney allegedly recorded his drone flight and posted the video to social media sites and YouTube.
“This is a growing problem that poses a direct risk to the players and the individuals in the stands,” US Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said in a news release. “Even if the operator does not have an intent to harm, the operator could easily lose control and injure someone. Moreover, the sight of a drone flying overhead could lead to a panic in the crowd. If you attend these events like Reds games and Bengals games, leave the drones at home.”
Meanwhile, Mr Lenhoff is said to have committed his alleged crime on April 12, Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds, he allegedly flew a drone into the restricted flight area of Great American Ballpark during Opening Day festivities.
“Flying a drone over a stadium full of fans is dangerous and illegal without the proper FAA training, licensing, and approved flight plan,” said FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “We will continue to work with the FAA and local police to investigate these incidents when proper FAA protocols and procedures are not followed.”
In the US, the drone law requires all drones that weigh more than 250grams (0.55 pounds) and less than 25kg (55 pounds) must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Neither of the men’s drones were registered and they do not have a remote pilot certification.
Mr Dabney was also charged with violating a temporary flight restriction (punishable by up to one year in prison).
There seems to be a growing trend of small drones disturbing sporting activities all over the world. Until these latest charges, the most famous incident of drone disturbance happened during a premier league match in England, when players had to return to the dressing rooms over fears for their safety, when a drone was spotted hovering above the Brentford Community Stadium in London – during a match between hosts Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Play was forced to stop for nineteen minutes.
The suspect pilot was not caught and neither was the drone impounded.
This has given rise to counter drone technology hardware and software entering the market, with American smart airspace security company Dedrone introducing DedroneRapidResponse, a mobile counter-drone unit that is designed to work at sports gatherings.