Boston man fined for flying his drone so high - flights by the Royal Air Force had to be diverted
The risks were considered so serious that flights had to be diverted to avoid flying in the area for a number of days
A Boston man's been ordered to pay a fine of over £1,000 - after flying his drone so high, flights by the Police, Air Ambulance and Royal Air Force had to be diverted.
It happened in March and June of 2024.
The court heard that RAF Coningsby was just six miles from where Thomas Ling of Main road in Brothertoft flew his drone.
He pleaded guilty to four offences.
A drone must be kept within visual line of sight to ensure it does not crash into a structure or cause a danger to aircraft, such as search and rescue aircraft or air ambulances, which may take off or land unexpectedly.
A height restriction of 400 feet is the maximum limit a drone is usually allowed to fly. Any drone flown higher risks flying into the airspace of crewed aircraft who generally fly above 500 feet, except for take off and landing.
The 34-year-old flew the drone on 26 occasions.
The risks were considered so serious that flights had to be diverted to avoid flying in the area for a number of days.
At Boston Magistrates Court Ling has been fined and his drone equipment will be destroyed.
The four charges faced by Ling included:
25 occasions of flying without an operator licence ID
25 occasions of exceeding the max height of 400 feet
26 offences of flying beyond visual line of sight
1 offence of installing or using wireless telegraphy apparatus without a license granted by OFCOM
Kev Taylor, Chief Drone Pilot and Safety Manager, Lincolnshire Police, said:
" Drones have so many great uses, but they need to be flown responsibly and legally. The regulations are there to ensure drones are operated safely without causing a risk to the public and airspace users.
"Ling's drone was adapted so that it could be flown at such high altitudes often flying between 7000 and 12000 feet. Lincolnshire airspace is congested; we have multiple RAF bases and civilian airfields in our county, including the Red Arrows, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Air Ambulance, private and commercial aircraft operating daily.
"Ling has shown a repeated and blatant disregard for the legislation and the safety of both the public and airspace users in Lincolnshire."