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August 12, 2015 - Pilot reports of unmanned
aircraft have increased dramatically over the
past year, from a total of 238 sightings in all
of 2014, to more than 650 by August 9 of this
year.
The FAA wants to send out a clear message that
operating drones around airplanes and
helicopters is dangerous and illegal.
Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff
fines and criminal charges, including possible
jail time.
Pilots of a variety of different types of
aircraft – including many large, commercial air
carriers – reported spotting 16 unmanned
aircraft in June of 2014, and 36 the following
month. This year, 138 pilots reported seeing
drones at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet during
the month of June, and another 137 in July.
Meanwhile, firefighters battling wildfire blazes
in the western part of the country have been
forced to ground their operations on several
occasions for safety reasons when they spotted
one or more unmanned aircraft in their immediate
vicinity.
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