Boston Resident Pays for Illegal Drone Activities

A man has been sentenced for air navigation offences, breaching legislation which is in place to keep military and commercial aircraft safe.

Thomas Ling, 34, of Main Road, Brothertoft, has been fined and his drone equipment will be destroyed after pleading guilty to four offences at Boston Magistrates Court on Wednesday 28 August.

Flying drones is an enjoyable pastime for thousands of people but when drones are flown outside of the legislation or in restricted areas it may cause a significant impact to the safety of aircraft, the crew, passengers and anyone on the ground.

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 risks Ling posed by flying his drone so high were considered so serious that flights by the Royal Air Force, the Air Ambulance and the National Police Air Service had to be diverted to avoid flying in the area for a number of days. RAF Coningsby is located just six miles from where the drone was being flown.

An urgent investigation by Lincolnshire Police led to Ling being identified and his equipment – a first-person view drone and two radio-controlled aircraft – being seized. The investigation revealed that between the 1 March 24 and 18 June 24, Ling had flown his first-person view drone at heights of up to 12178 feet on 26 occasions in and around the area of Boston.

The four charges faced by Ling included:

25 offences of flying without an operator licence ID

25 offences of exceeding the max height of 400 feet

26 offences of flying beyond visual line of sight

One offence of installing or using wireless telegraphy apparatus without a license granted by OFCOM

He was handed a fine, costs totalling £1205 , and a destruction order was imposed for of all the equipment seized by police.

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.”