Man faces R830,000 fine for taking photos with his drone

Mical Caterina, a 55-year old Minnesotan man is currently facing fines of over $55,000 (R830,000) for flying his aerial-photography drone, reports The Daily Signal.

Caterina is said to have broken 5 FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) laws, all of which he disputes.

The issue arose after Caterina was asked to photograph an event commemorating Cecil, the lion.

Knowing that he would have to follow strict regulations for the event he ensured that he was not within 5 miles of an airport, did not fly in a residential zone and would not be flying directly over people.

Despite constant communication with FAA leading up to the event, he received a subpoena 5 months after the event requesting “all aerial photography and videography uploaded to his personal website, as well as all photos and videos uploaded to social media, and information about his drone”.

The case has caused wide spread debate surrounding the usage of drones (commercial or otherwise) on US soil and the grey area surrounding FAA laws in the country.

Caterina has signified his intention to defend himself but as of the time of writing has heard nothing further from the FAA.

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