FAA Briefs Law Enforcement after Near-Misses with Drones at Montgomery Airport

Drone video lets people see things from a whole new perspective, but the equipment does come with a downside if it’s used incorrectly.  Chip Gentry with the Montgomery Regional Airport says they’ve seen many near-misses where planes almost collided with drones.

“Causing the pilots to take evasive maneuvering it’s very important from the airport’s standpoint to educate and inform,” he explained.

Two of the incidents happened three days apart…less than two miles away from the airport.  Monday, FAA officials briefed local law enforcement on the regulations and restrictions for drone pilots.

One of the main regulations is that you can’t fly a drone within five miles of an airport. Local licensed drone pilot Stephen Poff says these rules are very important.

“You can take it so far up that you lose line of sight with it,” he shared, “so you can get disoriented really quick and think that you’re flying one direction and not be flying in that direction.”

The FAA has created the app “Before You Fly” that tells you if you’re in an authorized flying area.

For more information on drone regulations click here.