That’s not really the strong argument you think it is. Boeing wouldn’t have gotten in trouble either if they had not violated the regulations they’re required to follow. Every regulation is written in the blood of someone who was innocent.
He violated FAA regulations. He also apparently didn't bother to get his part 107 license which is required for anyone who engages in attempting to make money from the use of their UAV. The regulations are in place in order to keep the public safe. The most egregious violation was flying in controlled airspace without getting authorization, and that's where the biggest fine is coming from; all the rest is there to bolster the case that he is not a responsible pilot and the airspace violation was not a simple mistake. Pilots like this are why such regulations were enacted in the first place. Flying is a privilege, and if enough people act recklessly that privilege might just be taken away from all non-commercial UAV pilots.
Yo I know a guy caught robbing a bank (not armed). Got arrested went to court. They let him go and no fine. Not even his first arrest or court charges 🤣 .. If he just robbed a bank with the drone they'd let him go
@@cakeman58 You are correct, he took the TRUST - The Recreational UAS Safety Test, which gives enough info to know he is using drones in a manner that is illegal, if you don't have "the other" certificate, he needs for commercial work..
Each violation is $1,500 or more! If you ignore the rules, and keep on violating the rules, each instance accumulates. That's how Mickey reached this sum! Simplified math: $200,000 divided by $1,500 equals 133 violations. If each illegal flight carries, say 5 violations (e.g. Remote Pilot in Command without a certificate, flying in restricted airspace, flying above permitted ceiling, etc.) you could reach that sum in 27 illegal flights. You can play with the numbers, but I think this gives an idea. You just can't interpret the rules how they fit your own ideas. Sooner or later big brother comes down on you!
@cakeman58 I took the same test, it's called the TRUST exam, it's a quick online quiz that focuses on the common sense rules and doesn't even get into actual laws, regulations and penalties. I'm not saying this guy is innocent, he should have researched the laws, but in my experience it's not as easy as it should be to do this research.
Disney should hire this guy as a voice actor. He was born for this. Also is aerial photography is second to none. He is truly gifted and a sweet guy to boot..
I disagree. He breaks tons of rules while flying his drones which is NOT a good thing for our hobby. Drone pilots are already having a tough enough time keeping the government off our backs and from banning drones. We don’t need a clown like this breaking rules and being as reckless as he is. Not a fan AT ALL.
Hmmm... here's a guy flying a 249g drone who's never actually injured a third party nor damaged their property but he's being hounded by the FAA for his evil deeds -- while Boeing seem to be free to endanger the lives of thousands through shoddy safety practices. To be honest, I'd rather be hit by Michael's 249g drone than the door plug falling from a Boeing 737 Max 9. I also see what appears to be a significant upswing in the number of aircraft crashes recently (onto freeways even). Might it be that the FAA is simply trying to distract the public from the *real* safety issues plaguing aviation right now by vilifying this guy in the public spotlight? Let's hope that the public (and a judge) aren't as easily fooled as the FAA might wish they were.
by giving this guy the green light to do whatever he wants and break the rules, you're giving everyone else the green light too. the laws are in place for a reason. if you don't set an example with this guy, then there's nothing stopping random joe schmo from flying his drone into power lines, or accidentally (or purposely) hitting a heli, or dropping bleach on opposing teams next season when the eagles play again.
@@jayjacobl4667 I've said many times that *I* would not fly where/how he does because my risk threshold is much lower. However, the FAA really does have much more important things to focus on right now than some guy with a plastic drone making RUclips videos. Remember that the flights which *do* involve the use of a sub250g would be totally legal in Canada but are illegal in the USA. So who's to say that the FAA is right and Canada is wrong when it comes to the restrictions they impose? The reality is that despite people/idiots doing things far more outrageous than the stuff Mikey is supposed to have done, there hasn't been a single death caused by the recreational use of multirotor drones and very few evidenced instances of property damage. The FAA's actions are way over the top -- for instance, why was it illegal to fly a sub250g drone 29 MILES from the Superbowl stadium during the event? It's hard to respect a regulator or their regulations when they demonstrate how clearly out of touch they are with reality. Would I fly over a city like Mikey does? Hell no. But then again, I wouldn't fly in an ultralight or paramotor, as I said, my risk threshold is too low. Despite my own low threshold, virtually all my flights are "illegal" from the perspective of the local regulator because, just like the FAA, they refuse to acknowledge the intrinsic safety of what we do.
@@xjet We have rules in society to handle the stupidest/worst of humanity, and we expect everyone, not just the stupid/worst to abide by those rules for the sake of society. I have no problem w/ what this guy does. But again, there's just too much potential for harm with an idiot behind the controls, either purposely in some sort of terroristic act, or because they're too stupid to be trusted with basic common sense. Perhaps the FAA rules are a bit too strict. But this guy broke them, and allowing people to freely break rules like that is not a good precedent. If you have a problem with the rules, then protest/contest them, don't open the floodgates for any idiot to challenge them and put people in potential danger by not enforcing the rules.
There's this guy in New Zealand I saw who keeps flying drones and getting hounded by his local authorities too. It's an epidemic I tell you, an epidemic...
@@AlienDrones I heard that too. However, he's even more of a worry than this guy in Phily because apparently he built his own cruise missile (aka kamakazi drone) over 20 years ago! OMG... where is the world headed?
Not exactly impartial and didn’t even mention the fact that a local newspaper has written an article which exaggerates the FAA opinion. Unfortunately many people at the FAA do not understand their own Drone regulations either. and you should get your facts straight it is not a license. It is the part 1 07 certification There is no such thing as a drone license. it feels that yet again, we are subject to the news doing what they do best and sensationalising something.
The “news”/journalism these days don’t look into the stories they report or do really any kind of accurate investigating so this is par for the course unfortunately. I personally don’t trust a single word they “report”.
Part 107 Cert or hobbyist, doesn't make a difference. Was he flying line of sight in every video? Was he flying above 400' in some videos? If you don't know what that means, even for a hobbyist (non 107), read up.
@@DigitalConfusion1 Well to answer your questions... we don't know! He could have been in line of sight with just good editing. Was he flying over 400 feet? Well that would depend on what he is filming. If the building is 500 feet tall he can still fly 400 feet above it as long as he is not in restricted airspace. 107 is only needed for a drone over 249 grams or for commercial use. Some of us have studied the rules we just don't agree with them. We have been flying since before their were rules.
Almost all these charges are from when he used to livestream his flights, which he quit doing years ago. And if he wasn't posting his flights to RUclips, would anybody even know he was flying?
Yeah, like he's done ANY harm to ANYONE OR THING at all. Nope! Just got to harass and fine a poor guy with a hobby, having fun and being entertaining! Sheesh! What an utter waste of time!
That’s the point McFly, the FAA is trying to make sure no one ever gets hurt. Just cause you live in mom basement doesn’t give you the right to flaunt rules and regulations which exist to keep us all safe. Pilots who refuse to abide by those requirements are a danger and they deserve to have the FAA make examples of them.
@@dronedude9523 If he would have done it legally and listened to the warning, he wouldn't have been in this situation. Simple. Like the guy who purposely crashed his plane for RUclips views and then got busted. Can't recall his name.
Hes done some wild stuff but breaking rules is really border line arguments. Ive watched him for 3 years and never noticed rules being broke. Hey how about the next time somebody gets ran over by a drunk driver or someone texting send them a 182000 dollar bill... maybe it will start to save lives. Fireworks r more dangerous then drones. As a community we need to support the guy bc hes hurting NOBODY!!!!
Sad because the guy has legit flying skills. Haven't seen all his videos but I'm sure he broke "some" rules. That said it feels like his defiance was met with a bit of piling on. It'd be nice to see a guy like this turn it around by getting licensed and get a job filming legally in the film industry or television. Make some money to pay off whatever proven violations he committed. It is an expensive hobby that he wanted to earn a living from and went to extremes to get attention. I have no idea what other skills the man has but he has the precision flying skills needed to create cinematic videography. Hoping the judge doesn't bury him and more importantly, that he learns something from this and something good comes to turn his life around.
I'm currently a recreational drone pilot, but I'm taking my Part 107 sUAS license test next week. It is very clear that the FAA requires anyone using their drone to make money to get trained and certified. We have to learn about airspaces, weather, effects of loading on performance, etc, etc. There's no way the FAA slapped this dude with $180K in fines without going through several layers of warnings. All of Philadelphia is in Class B airspace, and he would have to get LAANC approval from air traffic control to fly there. He's flying DJI drones. DJI drones warn you of this when you fly them, so he ignored multiple layers of warnings from several sources. The people in these comments would be singing a very different tune if this dude had crashed his 5lb drone into a windshield and caused a fatal accident, or lacerated the shit out of a little girl's face, or a hundred other things. Even commercial drone pilots aren't allowed to fly over groups of people.
He acts surprised about this. This man was warned by the FAA several time over the YEARS and he made the decision to keep doing it over and over. He brought this on himself. All he had to do is stop when he was warned and he would not have been find.
Why should he have to stop? Also shouldn't the punishment meet the crime? 200k for not even breaking a law. He broke a federal agency made rule. No lawmakers wrote or voted on that law it was literally just made up to attack the little guy.
This is "de jure" vs. "de facto," because in fact reality, commercial real estate jobs require flying out of sight and over people and traffic all the time.
Why does he have thousands of dollars to spend on drones if he’s on welfare? I don’t want my hard earned money going to buy someone else’s drones. I only have one and I work and make my own money.
I was hired by a town to film a video for their boardwalk back in 2016. Out of nowhere, Trump's presidential helicopter and other military aircraft flew by very low, as they were visiting our Navy base, and my drone was at the same height, literally 100ft away from them. It was super close. Anyhow, hardly anyone flying these drones are following the laws. They can fly as high as airplanes and miles away. You think people aren't going to use their capabilities? The most popular drone videos on RUclips are people breaking the law with them, capturing amazing shots, like this guy next to the train on the bridge.
It all just a show he is a great guy...and flys safe....shoots amazing video and he dont put people in danger...if anything Philly should give him his own talk show...
@@TheJoeyboots Curb your drone enthusiasm would be a great title for his own sit com. He could battle Karens, FAA, city council and others based on his weekly flights. JB Smoove could play the role of Stew
They’re trying to stop people like this, who actually have skills in operating a drone, just to give way to the big companies like Amazon fedex and UPS. They claim everything he’s doing is unsafe, at the same time trying deploy hundreds of delivery drones in the skies carrying packages over the same routes. Meanwhile, Boing is losing parts off their planes and they’re landing in peoples yards. Crazy times we live in.
I can't see how risk versus reward would ever make package delivery via drone worth it. What is the furthest distance away a deliver could be made from the center? What happens if there is bad weather along the route? Trees all around a house when trying to land..... etc etc. Just sounds like a cool idea that would have so many individual nuances like flying time to and from to consider instead of just driving it over with a vehicle and making multiple stops.
@@dronedude9523 I totally agree, but it’s steadily being talked about and configured for the future, but the bottom line is that the FAA/gvmt is trying to put an end to hobbyist drone activity, regardless of their reasoning. They are strategically attempting to take our rights away. I can care less why they are doing it.
While i think the price tag is crazy and i do feel sorry for him..... However flying up to 3 miles away from you breaks the vlos rule and flying at 2700ft above the clouds breaks the 400ft rule, editted or not its sadly the 2 biggest rules that are being clamped down on and doing it/posting on RUclips is a sure bet to get the lads knocking on your door..... The inforcement is a newish thing and i fear they are going to make him the example
And not to mention it, but that sort of behavior ruins it for the rest of us. Eventually enough bone heads doing this sort of thing, and drone flying will be banned all together.
@@larrybenedict4984get your point, but at the same time your mentality is just as much to blame for incremental loss of rights . VLOS is easily 10years out of date and something big corporations don't comply with in any of their projects(delivery,inspection, etc) and increasingly not even piloted. It's the Elmer/Fudd mindset that will kill drones just like it almost did guns, and is still doing to HAM.
"Romero maintains that the FAA repeatedly warned DiCiurcio and that the agency “counseled and educated” him, but to no avail. She’s seeking an injunction to put a stop to DiCiurcio’s illegal drone maneuvers. And she’s also asking the judge to enforce a $1,501-per-violation fine which, as she tallies it, comes to $182,004."
Can we all agree there is a weaponized judicial system going on here. This is how they get compliance. Might as well fine him 83 million. Or 355 million!
And Russia wants nukes in space , door plugs and other parts falling of from planes , pilots landing on highways and they are worried about this guy ? WTF
Claims to live on welfare but buys new DJI drones that cost thousands, I know because I own some myself plus he has a new Cadillac so the whole “welfare “ act is total BS
He's way out of line here. He has shown a blatant disregard for FAA regulations. People like him are the reason that city and state governments keep trying to restrict drone use for those who have certifications. People like him are the reason that people who are doing the right thing are harassed by local cops when they try to fly. If he had bothered to spend a fraction of what one of those drones cost to get a commercial license, then he would have been allowed to do a lot of the things he was doing. But he apparently couldn't be bothered to actually take the time to learn how to fly safely.
its not hurting him, he's not actually hurt, just because you are weak dose not mean everyone else is like you! keep your fears and insecurities to yourself, you are being annoying and bothering him
@@plowe6751 exactly this. off-the-shelf drones have the potential to cause a ton of harm very easily. letting people have free reign over the skies is not a good idea.
@@RenaissanceBeautyStudio he doesn't make much money at all from his channel. That's his motivation to push the boundaries to get more views and thereby earn more money. Mikey chose this as his profession but won't get licensed. He wants to get the views that Kyle, Heron, Dono and others get but cannot because his style doesn't appeal to a broader base. EG cursing, shouting, angry rants, silliness. All the aforementioned hosts have things that may turn off viewers, Mikey just has more which limits him. Mikey is envious of all those who have made money off RUclips with drones but doesn't have a good blueprint for his own success, Mikey thinking the FAA thing was going to just go away and he was free to return to flying the way he got in trouble doing was naive at best.
He took the FAA safety course and it is very clear that the flying he was doing is not legal. Like not even close to legal. He could’ve done most of it legally but opted not to & got called out for it. Not really fair to others that opt to follow the laws either.
Me being a judge in the department of justice, I don’t see any legal obligation to sue this man everything that I’ve seen has not broken any laws he has not flown high enough to restrict air traffic
I cannot come to terms with what’s going on in that state and I’m sorry to him. For legal advice, I can give him I would sue the government at this point.
If he was near an airport he couldn’t even take off with his DJI drone. Never heard of flying too close to a building either. You can fly over people as far as I know, as the law has been changed. I feel sorry for city dwellers as there doesn’t seem to be many places to fly. I wonder who is behind this lawsuit. If he doesn’t have his pilots license, he can’t put his videos on sponsored RUclips videos. Good luck to this gentleman.
You cannot fly over pedestrians unless there is a structure covering them or they are affiliated with you. As the regulations currently stand you cannot fly over unprotected strangers under any circumstance.
@@RMX7777 Category 1 small unmanned aircraft are permitted to operate over people, provided the small unmanned aircraft: Weigh 0.55 pounds or less, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft at the time of takeoff and throughout the duration of each operation. Contain no exposed rotating parts that would cause lacerations. In addition, for Category 1 operations, no remote pilot in command may operate a small unmanned aircraft in sustained flight over open-air assemblies unless the operation is compliant with Remote ID.
@@fearlessleader1436I'll admit I wasn't thinking of category 1 drones when I wrote that response, however the guy has tons of videos flying category 2 drones over public spaces.
@@RMX7777 I never saw any of his stuff until the FAA fine video. He comes across as a bit naive about flying. I think if you get warnings from the agency you’d better heed them. If you read the rules they are a bit ambiguous. I have my FAA license and fly heavier drones than the small mavics, and I guess I can fly over people, but not hover. I still try to avoid it. Try to understand this. Incredibly huge aircraft fly over millions of populated areas every day. The only reason recreational drones are regulated is because they are low hanging fruit. No lightweight drone ever killed or seriously injured anyone on the ground. You can’t say the same about other aircraft.
@@fearlessleader1436 Can't argue with that, I was just stating the regulations. All that being said, I realize a majority of people do not follow them. The difference is that those people don't post the evidence online.
Stay anonymous and no one would know who you are......but welcome to the other side fam......my people ain't got nothing either but they take from us every day 🤷🏾♂️
Well being sued for almost $200,000...and if he is actually living in his mother's home/ is on welfare and doesn't own anything of great value.....**As the old saying goes: "YOU CAN'T GET BLOOD OUT OF A STONE!!"😉
Surprised how many folks are coming down on the side of this guy. The FAA has a policy of education first, and he was directed to educational resources where he could get licensed, get his flights approved, and be taught how to fly more safely like 7 times. He also outright ignored a cease and desist order. People *really* bent over backwards to help him continue to do his schtick, and he just ignored them at every turn. Flying unidentified craft in controlled airspace absolutely endangers people, and he just didn't care until he saw the fine.
He will get famous from this report and RUclips will earn the revenue to pay whatever bill he will have at the end. I think that the judges should just give him a warning and make him get the part 107. That should be enough.
Lol "we" dont have a license at the news station. Single persons do. And congratulations its not serious its just a way to track yall and get money. Its revenue. Also theres no such thing as a commercial drones license it aint a 18 wheeler needing a cdl. Its a drone u get a certificate just like a cookie 🍪 you want a cookie 🍪?
There is no need for them to sue the guy if he has never been warned before. If he had been warned and fined repeatedly in the past, then it would be understandable.
"Romero maintains that the FAA repeatedly warned DiCiurcio and that the agency “counseled and educated” him, but to no avail. She’s seeking an injunction to put a stop to DiCiurcio’s illegal drone maneuvers. And she’s also asking the judge to enforce a $1,501-per-violation fine which, as she tallies it, comes to $182,004." "nearly six years of FAA warnings to DiCiurcio to limit his aerial videos to the realm of regulatory compliance. Those having allegedly gone unheeded, prosecutors say they’re going to take more convincing dissuasive action."
Obviously you have never flown a real drone. When people violate FAA rules as did this guy and ignore all warnings, it just involves more guidelines and restrictions being made for the flyer who does obey the rules. His abuse is what ruins it for the rest of us.
@@DigitalConfusion1 doesn’t change my point. I agree that violating rules are wrong. My issue is the rule. I live in Florida, and for the longest it was illegal to capture rainwater. It was illegal to have solar panels. So while I understand what you’re saying about rules, the rule is the issue. I understand not flying a drone around airports. That makes sense but why can’t I fly 5 miles away from an airport? It’s actually legal in this country to blow cigarette smoke someone’s face… But I can’t fly a drone that I purchased? I can operate a remote control car. No one regulate that. My issue is we are so regulated in this country and people are just OK with it while chanting, USA, and freedom. You’re free to do whatever you want to as long as it doesn’t make someone else feel uncomfortable then there’s a law against it.
@@DatDude923I understand your point that we all are over regulated. The rainwater and solar panel issue is such an example. However, if you don’t understand why you can fly a drone 5 miles away from and airport, but not inside of that range, you don’t understand why that rule is in place. And it’s not about feelings, I sure as hell don’t want the airplane I am coming in on a landing on being struck by someone’s drone just so they can have some fun. Fun which they could also have 5 miles away and not put me or my loved ones in danger. Sorry, that’s where your freedom ends in my opinion.
For those that don't know the number one rule he is breaking is it is FAA law that you keep your drone within Visual Line of Site (VLOS) at all times. Although the videos are beautiful, he is clearly not within VLOS in these videos. Now do the rules make sense, that's a whole other subject.
Wow, amazing. Totally leaves out the fact the FAA asked him 4 years ago to stop. He initially appeared to comply, and the FAA went away. However he kept flying those flights in Class B airspace, above allowed 400' limits applied to drones, and farther than visual line of sight allows, years later... and THAT is why he has the $200k fine. People shouldn't HAVE to die for you to comply with air safety rules. It's sad that's what it takes for this to register. So fine, your drone doesn't kill anyone. How about the airliner with 300 passengers who suddenly sees your drone about to be injected into its engine and decides to maneuver but something ELSE goes wrong? Your drone didn't cause the final disaster, but it started the cause-effect chain. Just stop flying above 400'. Just stop flying beyond line of YOUR sight (not the drone camera sight). You can't see a Mini 2 at 1/2 mile. You just can't. No "editing" changes that.
I support you because your a brethren philly cuzin however the F.A.A. put all the rules & reg’s in place because of hazards and safety precautions that are inherent with drone flight. (SAFETY MOST NOTABLY) Civilian drone use had gone on for 2-3 years before the FAA HAD to put these guidelines into law. I had to sign off that I knew all the the rules on flying a drone before they would give me a registration number. I filed my registration 6 months prior to registration even being available under a FAA pilot program they ran just to see how the program would actually grow and attract pilots. Not sure how much the registration is now however it was $5 when I first filed .
You are correct, and it's still $5. As a recreational pilot, one registration is good for every drone you own, for commercial, you have to register each drone individually, for $5 each.
One thing I can say if he's living with his mother and he's 60. His mother is close to 90 when she passes away. The house is his f. A a a a will take that house in one heartbeat for all those Fines😮 lol it's not funny no more mikey 😅😂😂
Theres no legal precedent for this DOJ referral. While people are unaliving themselves a bunch of idiots in the drone community complained about him. To the point it got somewhere. Well now some airhead prosecutor thinks they can tell him he cant fly the drones or face jailtime. Thats hilarious.
He states his drone can do no harm... That doesn't quite tie up with the $60k damage a drone did to the helicopter in Long Beach just recently. He regularly flies over the freeway too & if his drone came down there & went through someone's windshield at 70mph that could have serious consequences. There are things you can safely do in open space but over a congested city, close to airport operation areas & in the dark you are asking for trouble.
For Long Beach the FAA report seems to say drone pilot NOT the helo pilot at fault ERA24LA079 & I won't find one more case of a drone pilots at fault... true not one... hows about trying Buttonville or Laguna Beach or El Segundo or the LA news helicopter for starters.
@@Whydidyouusemyname helo was on "approach to land at an off-airport landing zone" so WAS where it should be. Drone WAS operating in a controlled zone where it was meant to be clearing its operations with ATC but hadn't.
My friend in the drone community knows this guy personally and he deserves this fine because he was warn by the FAA numerous times and ignored the warnings. You can agree or disagree but he was on the radar and should have complied. He thought he was above the law/rules and didn’t care. This guy is the biggest POS you could possibly meet and has a nasty mouth. Hope he goes to jail soon!
This is why I took all my videos of youtube and the others that is how the FAA is finding you and yes the fines can be that much. Did anyone see the guy that was flying over the F1 race in Las Vegas they said just the city fined him 12 thousand dollars and he had not even seen the FAA yet and he was taken to jail. This is serious playing around when you don't know the rules one guy last year was fined 90 thousand dollars and all his films is what hung him.
Wow. That reporter didnt sound bias at all. Good thing she pointed out how media groups have a professional lisence. Because thats going to definitely make one ounce of difference in anyone's safety. Yeah sure. Notice how the camera man made sure to get an unflattering look way inside this guys's ear.
As a drone pilot myself here in Canada, I know the stupidity that is applied to drone operations here. Thankfully not as bad as in the US yet. But this level of fine though is raw stupidity and an example of bureaucracy gone wild. Here in Toronto, a police officer flew a drone into a small plane and very little was done about it compared to what would have happened had I done it as a private citizen.
I have a DJI drone. The only way this guy came across in this interview is ignorant, blameless and pathetic. And if that drone, without propeller guards flew into the neck of a person, especially a child, it certainly could kill. At a minimum, he should be banned from every operating a drone again.
The same people sueing you are the same people that allow helicopters to blast across the city all day and night. When you go to court take a crash reel of helicopters with you. That's what they're putting over our heads every day and don't give two flying fcks. So there's no way they care about your drone, they're just playing power games and should be fired and in prison for intentional misuse.
Who has the highest body count? This guy in Philadelphia? Or Boeing?
That stupid high speed train running in Florida now. The Media is hiding how many have died by it.
Truth^ the hipocrasy is embarrassing for the FAA
That’s not really the strong argument you think it is. Boeing wouldn’t have gotten in trouble either if they had not violated the regulations they’re required to follow. Every regulation is written in the blood of someone who was innocent.
@babybirdhome lol. No every regulation is not. You have no idea what you're talking about.
Your comment evidences your tender age
There's so much they could focus on cracking down on and they choose this
Agree
Agree. He’s borderline but he shouldn’t be a target.
Flying around the Penns Landing heliport from 3 miles away isn't borderline
@@kentao4
Yep ! Amazing!!!!
He violated FAA regulations. He also apparently didn't bother to get his part 107 license which is required for anyone who engages in attempting to make money from the use of their UAV. The regulations are in place in order to keep the public safe. The most egregious violation was flying in controlled airspace without getting authorization, and that's where the biggest fine is coming from; all the rest is there to bolster the case that he is not a responsible pilot and the airspace violation was not a simple mistake. Pilots like this are why such regulations were enacted in the first place. Flying is a privilege, and if enough people act recklessly that privilege might just be taken away from all non-commercial UAV pilots.
While true criminals ruling whole blocks. Sickening.
Yup go figure
Yo I know a guy caught robbing a bank (not armed). Got arrested went to court. They let him go and no fine. Not even his first arrest or court charges 🤣 ..
If he just robbed a bank with the drone they'd let him go
I'm sure it works like that. Right...@@divingfalconfpv4602
The FAA is not concerned about what goes on in city blocks relative to crime. Let's stay relevant here.
Facts.
Breaking some rules, ok fine. But 200,000 DOLLARS ?? absolutely unhinged
He said he took the certification and so he knew the risks of breaking the rules.
@@cakeman58 You are correct, he took the TRUST - The Recreational UAS Safety Test, which gives enough info to know he is using drones in a manner that is illegal, if you don't have "the other" certificate, he needs for commercial work..
Each violation is $1,500 or more! If you ignore the rules, and keep on violating the rules, each instance accumulates. That's how Mickey reached this sum! Simplified math: $200,000 divided by $1,500 equals 133 violations. If each illegal flight carries, say 5 violations (e.g. Remote Pilot in Command without a certificate, flying in restricted airspace, flying above permitted ceiling, etc.) you could reach that sum in 27 illegal flights. You can play with the numbers, but I think this gives an idea.
You just can't interpret the rules how they fit your own ideas. Sooner or later big brother comes down on you!
@@udornyc Truth
@cakeman58 I took the same test, it's called the TRUST exam, it's a quick online quiz that focuses on the common sense rules and doesn't even get into actual laws, regulations and penalties.
I'm not saying this guy is innocent, he should have researched the laws, but in my experience it's not as easy as it should be to do this research.
Disney should hire this guy as a voice actor. He was born for this. Also is aerial photography is second to none. He is truly gifted and a sweet guy to boot..
His aerial photography is SECOND to NONE? You need to get on RUclips more.
It might not be up to your standards, but his videos are pretty well done.@@DigitalConfusion1
I disagree. He breaks tons of rules while flying his drones which is NOT a good thing for our hobby. Drone pilots are already having a tough enough time keeping the government off our backs and from banning drones. We don’t need a clown like this breaking rules and being as reckless as he is. Not a fan AT ALL.
Hmmm... here's a guy flying a 249g drone who's never actually injured a third party nor damaged their property but he's being hounded by the FAA for his evil deeds -- while Boeing seem to be free to endanger the lives of thousands through shoddy safety practices. To be honest, I'd rather be hit by Michael's 249g drone than the door plug falling from a Boeing 737 Max 9. I also see what appears to be a significant upswing in the number of aircraft crashes recently (onto freeways even). Might it be that the FAA is simply trying to distract the public from the *real* safety issues plaguing aviation right now by vilifying this guy in the public spotlight?
Let's hope that the public (and a judge) aren't as easily fooled as the FAA might wish they were.
by giving this guy the green light to do whatever he wants and break the rules, you're giving everyone else the green light too. the laws are in place for a reason. if you don't set an example with this guy, then there's nothing stopping random joe schmo from flying his drone into power lines, or accidentally (or purposely) hitting a heli, or dropping bleach on opposing teams next season when the eagles play again.
@@jayjacobl4667 I've said many times that *I* would not fly where/how he does because my risk threshold is much lower. However, the FAA really does have much more important things to focus on right now than some guy with a plastic drone making RUclips videos. Remember that the flights which *do* involve the use of a sub250g would be totally legal in Canada but are illegal in the USA. So who's to say that the FAA is right and Canada is wrong when it comes to the restrictions they impose? The reality is that despite people/idiots doing things far more outrageous than the stuff Mikey is supposed to have done, there hasn't been a single death caused by the recreational use of multirotor drones and very few evidenced instances of property damage. The FAA's actions are way over the top -- for instance, why was it illegal to fly a sub250g drone 29 MILES from the Superbowl stadium during the event? It's hard to respect a regulator or their regulations when they demonstrate how clearly out of touch they are with reality.
Would I fly over a city like Mikey does? Hell no. But then again, I wouldn't fly in an ultralight or paramotor, as I said, my risk threshold is too low. Despite my own low threshold, virtually all my flights are "illegal" from the perspective of the local regulator because, just like the FAA, they refuse to acknowledge the intrinsic safety of what we do.
@@xjet We have rules in society to handle the stupidest/worst of humanity, and we expect everyone, not just the stupid/worst to abide by those rules for the sake of society. I have no problem w/ what this guy does. But again, there's just too much potential for harm with an idiot behind the controls, either purposely in some sort of terroristic act, or because they're too stupid to be trusted with basic common sense. Perhaps the FAA rules are a bit too strict. But this guy broke them, and allowing people to freely break rules like that is not a good precedent. If you have a problem with the rules, then protest/contest them, don't open the floodgates for any idiot to challenge them and put people in potential danger by not enforcing the rules.
There's this guy in New Zealand I saw who keeps flying drones and getting hounded by his local authorities too. It's an epidemic I tell you, an epidemic...
@@AlienDrones I heard that too. However, he's even more of a worry than this guy in Phily because apparently he built his own cruise missile (aka kamakazi drone) over 20 years ago! OMG... where is the world headed?
Action news should hire that guy.
Not exactly impartial and didn’t even mention the fact that a local newspaper has written an article which exaggerates the FAA opinion. Unfortunately many people at the FAA do not understand their own Drone regulations either. and you should get your facts straight it is not a license. It is the part 1 07 certification There is no such thing as a drone license. it feels that yet again, we are subject to the news doing what they do best and sensationalising something.
Give em time! If these current restrictions are not enough to clear the skies of hobbies, then a license may be next!
The “news”/journalism these days don’t look into the stories they report or do really any kind of accurate investigating so this is par for the course unfortunately. I personally don’t trust a single word they “report”.
Part 107 Cert or hobbyist, doesn't make a difference. Was he flying line of sight in every video? Was he flying above 400' in some videos? If you don't know what that means, even for a hobbyist (non 107), read up.
I think the 200,000 in fines isn’t hyped up and if this guy didn’t break any rules. This story is spot on
@@DigitalConfusion1 Well to answer your questions... we don't know! He could have been in line of sight with just good editing. Was he flying over 400 feet? Well that would depend on what he is filming. If the building is 500 feet tall he can still fly 400 feet above it as long as he is not in restricted airspace. 107 is only needed for a drone over 249 grams or for commercial use. Some of us have studied the rules we just don't agree with them. We have been flying since before their were rules.
I’ve seen a lot of his videos. I haven’t seen him do things that I haven’t seen others do except fly into himself lol
Except this guy has been told for about 4 or 5 years to knock it off by the FAA, and has defied them
@@marksalamack6133 I don’t disagree. lol.
Almost all these charges are from when he used to livestream his flights, which he quit doing years ago. And if he wasn't posting his flights to RUclips, would anybody even know he was flying?
Yeah, like he's done ANY harm to ANYONE OR THING at all.
Nope! Just got to harass and fine a poor guy with a hobby, having fun and being entertaining! Sheesh!
What an utter waste of time!
Very true, Ron.
North Korea
Stalins Russia and Hitlers Germany combined.@@caliman777
@@caliman777 Oh yeah, great comparison. Keep trying.
They didn't say in the video, but how many people died from his dangerous illegal flying?
Not even one got injured!
That’s the point McFly, the FAA is trying to make sure no one ever gets hurt.
Just cause you live in mom basement doesn’t give you the right to flaunt rules and regulations which exist to keep us all safe. Pilots who refuse to abide by those requirements are a danger and they deserve to have the FAA make examples of them.
His RUclips drone filming career died, that's for sure.
@@hookmasterL These people don't get it. Probably the ones that may have drones and are arguing may violate the rules themselves. Just a guess...
@@dronedude9523 If he would have done it legally and listened to the warning, he wouldn't have been in this situation. Simple. Like the guy who purposely crashed his plane for RUclips views and then got busted. Can't recall his name.
Any publicity is good publicity. The government sucks. Going after the little guy and not charging politicians that literally defraud us… come on …
Hes done some wild stuff but breaking rules is really border line arguments. Ive watched him for 3 years and never noticed rules being broke. Hey how about the next time somebody gets ran over by a drunk driver or someone texting send them a 182000 dollar bill... maybe it will start to save lives. Fireworks r more dangerous then drones. As a community we need to support the guy bc hes hurting NOBODY!!!!
Government overreach
Sad because the guy has legit flying skills. Haven't seen all his videos but I'm sure he broke "some" rules. That said it feels like his defiance was met with a bit of piling on. It'd be nice to see a guy like this turn it around by getting licensed and get a job filming legally in the film industry or television. Make some money to pay off whatever proven violations he committed. It is an expensive hobby that he wanted to earn a living from and went to extremes to get attention. I have no idea what other skills the man has but he has the precision flying skills needed to create cinematic videography. Hoping the judge doesn't bury him and more importantly, that he learns something from this and something good comes to turn his life around.
He's broken like all the rules.
@@VanderJam What harm has been done?
The fine is not proportional to the threat or risk!
Have you never broken any rules?🤔😲
@@VanderJamyeah, all the rules that were written with zero risk assessment. An overreach in power.
Some of his earlier videos had him flying above the clouds , over the 400ft limit.
@@digitaltitan and no harm was done! Which just goes to confirm the risks are minimal.🤔😲
I'm currently a recreational drone pilot, but I'm taking my Part 107 sUAS license test next week. It is very clear that the FAA requires anyone using their drone to make money to get trained and certified. We have to learn about airspaces, weather, effects of loading on performance, etc, etc. There's no way the FAA slapped this dude with $180K in fines without going through several layers of warnings. All of Philadelphia is in Class B airspace, and he would have to get LAANC approval from air traffic control to fly there. He's flying DJI drones. DJI drones warn you of this when you fly them, so he ignored multiple layers of warnings from several sources.
The people in these comments would be singing a very different tune if this dude had crashed his 5lb drone into a windshield and caused a fatal accident, or lacerated the shit out of a little girl's face, or a hundred other things. Even commercial drone pilots aren't allowed to fly over groups of people.
let Artie Lang fly his drones
Money to his bookie
Philly will prosecute this but not thieves or murderers
0:56 Turns in to Al Pacino 😂
He acts surprised about this. This man was warned by the FAA several time over the YEARS and he made the decision to keep doing it over and over. He brought this on himself. All he had to do is stop when he was warned and he would not have been find.
Stop doing what? What did he do wrong?
Why should he have to stop? Also shouldn't the punishment meet the crime? 200k for not even breaking a law. He broke a federal agency made rule. No lawmakers wrote or voted on that law it was literally just made up to attack the little guy.
This is "de jure" vs. "de facto," because in fact reality, commercial real estate jobs require flying out of sight and over people and traffic all the time.
Why does he have thousands of dollars to spend on drones if he’s on welfare? I don’t want my hard earned money going to buy someone else’s drones. I only have one and I work and make my own money.
You’re absolutely right and plus he drives a new 55k dollar Cadillac
I was hired by a town to film a video for their boardwalk back in 2016. Out of nowhere, Trump's presidential helicopter and other military aircraft flew by very low, as they were visiting our Navy base, and my drone was at the same height, literally 100ft away from them. It was super close.
Anyhow, hardly anyone flying these drones are following the laws. They can fly as high as airplanes and miles away. You think people aren't going to use their capabilities? The most popular drone videos on RUclips are people breaking the law with them, capturing amazing shots, like this guy next to the train on the bridge.
It all just a show he is a great guy...and flys safe....shoots amazing video and he dont put people in danger...if anything Philly should give him his own talk show...
Yes he is a home grown talent that needs to be developed not destroyed!
@@TheJoeyboots Curb your drone enthusiasm would be a great title for his own sit com. He could battle Karens, FAA, city council and others based on his weekly flights. JB Smoove could play the role of Stew
By not listening to the rules and regualtions (including serious warnings), he forfeited his chance to move out of mommy's house.
@@DigitalConfusion1 Your channel has no content so STFU. Go away troll.
@@DigitalConfusion1 lol a 60 year old shouldn’t be in mommy’s house anyway, time to move out lol!
They’re trying to stop people like this, who actually have skills in operating a drone, just to give way to the big companies like Amazon fedex and UPS. They claim everything he’s doing is unsafe, at the same time trying deploy hundreds of delivery drones in the skies carrying packages over the same routes. Meanwhile, Boing is losing parts off their planes and they’re landing in peoples yards. Crazy times we live in.
I can't see how risk versus reward would ever make package delivery via drone worth it. What is the furthest distance away a deliver could be made from the center? What happens if there is bad weather along the route? Trees all around a house when trying to land..... etc etc. Just sounds like a cool idea that would have so many individual nuances like flying time to and from to consider instead of just driving it over with a vehicle and making multiple stops.
@@dronedude9523 I totally agree, but it’s steadily being talked about and configured for the future, but the bottom line is that the FAA/gvmt is trying to put an end to hobbyist drone activity, regardless of their reasoning. They are strategically attempting to take our rights away. I can care less why they are doing it.
While i think the price tag is crazy and i do feel sorry for him..... However flying up to 3 miles away from you breaks the vlos rule and flying at 2700ft above the clouds breaks the 400ft rule, editted or not its sadly the 2 biggest rules that are being clamped down on and doing it/posting on RUclips is a sure bet to get the lads knocking on your door..... The inforcement is a newish thing and i fear they are going to make him the example
And not to mention it, but that sort of behavior ruins it for the rest of us. Eventually enough bone heads doing this sort of thing, and drone flying will be banned all together.
@larrybenedict4984 That is exactly the point. Most people commenting here can't see the whole picture and probably few actually own real drones.
@@larrybenedict4984get your point, but at the same time your mentality is just as much to blame for incremental loss of rights . VLOS is easily 10years out of date and something big corporations don't comply with in any of their projects(delivery,inspection, etc) and increasingly not even piloted. It's the Elmer/Fudd mindset that will kill drones just like it almost did guns, and is still doing to HAM.
Im a part 107 license holder and im still confused on the laws.
The constitution protects you from excessive fines. 180k 4x his income is insane.
"Romero maintains that the FAA repeatedly warned DiCiurcio and that the agency “counseled and educated” him, but to no avail. She’s seeking an injunction to put a stop to DiCiurcio’s illegal drone maneuvers. And she’s also asking the judge to enforce a $1,501-per-violation fine which, as she tallies it, comes to $182,004."
City of Brotherly love.
Can we all agree there is a weaponized judicial system going on here. This is how they get compliance. Might as well fine him 83 million. Or 355 million!
And Russia wants nukes in space , door plugs and other parts falling of from planes , pilots landing on highways and they are worried about this guy ? WTF
That one movie predicted the nukes in space I forgot what that movie is called but it was on point
This guy is amazing and what a foolish government for doing this
Next, they'll go after his welfare.
Let Freedom ring! 🇺🇸
Claims to live on welfare but buys new DJI drones that cost thousands, I know because I own some myself plus he has a new Cadillac so the whole “welfare “ act is total BS
It was Stu flying, not Mikey boy. Go find Stu.
He did no harm and got his warning. Leave him alone at this point.
Isn't there an FAA rule that says: "Eight hours glass pipe to throttle"?
That's a pretty tacky response.
Theeeeere it is on the map….
He's way out of line here. He has shown a blatant disregard for FAA regulations. People like him are the reason that city and state governments keep trying to restrict drone use for those who have certifications. People like him are the reason that people who are doing the right thing are harassed by local cops when they try to fly. If he had bothered to spend a fraction of what one of those drones cost to get a commercial license, then he would have been allowed to do a lot of the things he was doing. But he apparently couldn't be bothered to actually take the time to learn how to fly safely.
its not hurting him, he's not actually hurt, just because you are weak dose not mean everyone else is like you! keep your fears and insecurities to yourself, you are being annoying and bothering him
Let the man fly no one has got hurt we got criminals on the streets to worry about that actually hurt people
You have nothing but you purchased a drone and I’m sure the revenue from views is also incom….this guy talks too much
@@plowe6751 exactly this. off-the-shelf drones have the potential to cause a ton of harm very easily. letting people have free reign over the skies is not a good idea.
yea, lets peep in windows too, nobody will get hurt.
@@plowe6751😂😂😂 they let criminals out of jail everyday ! And still continue to do so! He’s flying a drone not shooting someone
@@RenaissanceBeautyStudio he doesn't make much money at all from his channel. That's his motivation to push the boundaries to get more views and thereby earn more money. Mikey chose this as his profession but won't get licensed. He wants to get the views that Kyle, Heron, Dono and others get but cannot because his style doesn't appeal to a broader base. EG cursing, shouting, angry rants, silliness. All the aforementioned hosts have things that may turn off viewers, Mikey just has more which limits him. Mikey is envious of all those who have made money off RUclips with drones but doesn't have a good blueprint for his own success, Mikey thinking the FAA thing was going to just go away and he was free to return to flying the way he got in trouble doing was naive at best.
Leave the man alone!
Until he peeps in your daughters window?
@@Noneofyourbiz123 Yeah, let's poke out all male eyes because your daughter didn't buy curtains!
@@Quentyn73 moron
@@Quentyn73 I dont have a daughter. So your ok with peeping in windows? How about in the backyard around the pool is that ok? You must be a tRUMPer.
More democrat law BS. Couple In the fact he mostly uses DJI drones, it’s a win-win for the gov there. Do some real work, US gov.
He took the FAA safety course and it is very clear that the flying he was doing is not legal. Like not even close to legal. He could’ve done most of it legally but opted not to & got called out for it. Not really fair to others that opt to follow the laws either.
I hate being in Philly.
Don't we all.
Guy is just trying to enjoy life. That's how your government treats you.
Maybe he might uncover some bs secretly going on.
Bingo
yes that's what this is about!!! they don't want something being seen!
@Tommy.OrginalvideosPhilly Conspiracy theorist in the room I see.
The part where he flew into commercial air traffic ranges near the airport was conveniently left out.
Me being a judge in the department of justice, I don’t see any legal obligation to sue this man everything that I’ve seen has not broken any laws he has not flown high enough to restrict air traffic
I cannot come to terms with what’s going on in that state and I’m sorry to him. For legal advice, I can give him I would sue the government at this point.
It is a new Artform of course. Visuals and photos that used to be impossible to do. Laurie. NZ.
If he was near an airport he couldn’t even take off with his DJI drone. Never heard of flying too close to a building either. You can fly over people as far as I know, as the law has been changed. I feel sorry for city dwellers as there doesn’t seem to be many places to fly. I wonder who is behind this lawsuit. If he doesn’t have his pilots license, he can’t put his videos on sponsored RUclips videos. Good luck to this gentleman.
You cannot fly over pedestrians unless there is a structure covering them or they are affiliated with you. As the regulations currently stand you cannot fly over unprotected strangers under any circumstance.
@@RMX7777 Category 1 small unmanned aircraft are permitted to operate over people, provided the small unmanned aircraft:
Weigh 0.55 pounds or less, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft at the time of takeoff and throughout the duration of each operation.
Contain no exposed rotating parts that would cause lacerations.
In addition, for Category 1 operations, no remote pilot in command may operate a small unmanned aircraft in sustained flight over open-air assemblies unless the operation is compliant with Remote ID.
@@fearlessleader1436I'll admit I wasn't thinking of category 1 drones when I wrote that response, however the guy has tons of videos flying category 2 drones over public spaces.
@@RMX7777 I never saw any of his stuff until the FAA fine video. He comes across as a bit naive about flying. I think if you get warnings from the agency you’d better heed them. If you read the rules they are a bit ambiguous. I have my FAA license and fly heavier drones than the small mavics, and I guess I can fly over people, but not hover. I still try to avoid it. Try to understand this. Incredibly huge aircraft fly over millions of populated areas every day. The only reason recreational drones are regulated is because they are low hanging fruit. No lightweight drone ever killed or seriously injured anyone on the ground. You can’t say the same about other aircraft.
@@fearlessleader1436 Can't argue with that, I was just stating the regulations. All that being said, I realize a majority of people do not follow them. The difference is that those people don't post the evidence online.
In case anyone hasn't noticed, nothing is allowed without 10 million licenses in the "land of the free".
Stay anonymous and no one would know who you are......but welcome to the other side fam......my people ain't got nothing either but they take from us every day 🤷🏾♂️
You must be a shop owner that gets looted everyday
@@gilwood7530 yeah, I'm a shop owner 🙄
Mainstream media...
🙄🙄🙄
Smoke & mirrors..
Well being sued for almost $200,000...and if he is actually living in his mother's home/ is on welfare and doesn't own anything of great value.....**As the old saying goes:
"YOU CAN'T GET BLOOD OUT OF A STONE!!"😉
He owns drones that are worth thousands along with a new Cadillac so he isn’t broke he’s just using the system to get free stuff!
Surprised how many folks are coming down on the side of this guy. The FAA has a policy of education first, and he was directed to educational resources where he could get licensed, get his flights approved, and be taught how to fly more safely like 7 times. He also outright ignored a cease and desist order. People *really* bent over backwards to help him continue to do his schtick, and he just ignored them at every turn. Flying unidentified craft in controlled airspace absolutely endangers people, and he just didn't care until he saw the fine.
Follow the rules. It’s so easy.
This tool is an accident waiting to happen. Definitely not helping the hobby
Where is the harm?!? Imagine a $200,000 speeding ticket for 5 over the limit. This is the equivalent.
“Philadelphia man” oh.. that’s a new one 😂
Leave this guy alone he’s not bothering nobody really anything for money leave this guy alone
Steal a car: slap on the wrist.
Fly a drone questionably: 200k fine
He will get famous from this report and RUclips will earn the revenue to pay whatever bill he will have at the end. I think that the judges should just give him a warning and make him get the part 107. That should be enough.
Lol "we" dont have a license at the news station. Single persons do. And congratulations its not serious its just a way to track yall and get money. Its revenue. Also theres no such thing as a commercial drones license it aint a 18 wheeler needing a cdl. Its a drone u get a certificate just like a cookie 🍪 you want a cookie 🍪?
There is no need for them to sue the guy if he has never been warned before. If he had been warned and fined repeatedly in the past, then it would be understandable.
"Romero maintains that the FAA repeatedly warned DiCiurcio and that the agency “counseled and educated” him, but to no avail. She’s seeking an injunction to put a stop to DiCiurcio’s illegal drone maneuvers. And she’s also asking the judge to enforce a $1,501-per-violation fine which, as she tallies it, comes to $182,004."
"nearly six years of FAA warnings to DiCiurcio to limit his aerial videos to the realm of regulatory compliance. Those having allegedly gone unheeded, prosecutors say they’re going to take more convincing dissuasive action."
they want his channel. did he take it down yet?
Federal Goverments better start dealing with true crime and wiht people who are having fun and not harming anyone
Stop aiding foreign countries & let this man be...
Gotta love this “free” country. Doesn’t matter your political beliefs, this is just wrong. We have no freedom.
Obviously you have never flown a real drone. When people violate FAA rules as did this guy and ignore all warnings, it just involves more guidelines and restrictions being made for the flyer who does obey the rules. His abuse is what ruins it for the rest of us.
@@DigitalConfusion1 doesn’t change my point. I agree that violating rules are wrong. My issue is the rule. I live in Florida, and for the longest it was illegal to capture rainwater. It was illegal to have solar panels. So while I understand what you’re saying about rules, the rule is the issue. I understand not flying a drone around airports. That makes sense but why can’t I fly 5 miles away from an airport? It’s actually legal in this country to blow cigarette smoke someone’s face… But I can’t fly a drone that I purchased? I can operate a remote control car. No one regulate that. My issue is we are so regulated in this country and people are just OK with it while chanting, USA, and freedom. You’re free to do whatever you want to as long as it doesn’t make someone else feel uncomfortable then there’s a law against it.
@@DatDude923I understand your point that we all are over regulated. The rainwater and solar panel issue is such an example. However, if you don’t understand why you can fly a drone 5 miles away from and airport, but not inside of that range, you don’t understand why that rule is in place. And it’s not about feelings, I sure as hell don’t want the airplane I am coming in on a landing on being struck by someone’s drone just so they can have some fun. Fun which they could also have 5 miles away and not put me or my loved ones in danger. Sorry, that’s where your freedom ends in my opinion.
Read my response again, I said, why can I not fly it 5 miles away. Inside of 5 miles it makes sense. @@larrybenedict4984
His videos are awesome ❤👍👍
Slow crime day apparently.
It's sad to watch the world slowly collapse
Philly Chamber of Commerce should hire him for promoting the city with his awesome skill.
For those that don't know the number one rule he is breaking is it is FAA law that you keep your drone within Visual Line of Site (VLOS) at all times. Although the videos are beautiful, he is clearly not within VLOS in these videos. Now do the rules make sense, that's a whole other subject.
Wow, amazing. Totally leaves out the fact the FAA asked him 4 years ago to stop. He initially appeared to comply, and the FAA went away. However he kept flying those flights in Class B airspace, above allowed 400' limits applied to drones, and farther than visual line of sight allows, years later... and THAT is why he has the $200k fine. People shouldn't HAVE to die for you to comply with air safety rules. It's sad that's what it takes for this to register.
So fine, your drone doesn't kill anyone. How about the airliner with 300 passengers who suddenly sees your drone about to be injected into its engine and decides to maneuver but something ELSE goes wrong? Your drone didn't cause the final disaster, but it started the cause-effect chain. Just stop flying above 400'. Just stop flying beyond line of YOUR sight (not the drone camera sight). You can't see a Mini 2 at 1/2 mile. You just can't.
No "editing" changes that.
I support you because your a brethren philly cuzin however the F.A.A. put all the rules & reg’s in place because of hazards and safety precautions that are inherent with drone flight. (SAFETY MOST NOTABLY)
Civilian drone use had gone on for 2-3 years before the FAA HAD to put these guidelines into law.
I had to sign off that I knew all the the rules on flying a drone before they would give me a registration number.
I filed my registration 6 months prior to registration even being available under a FAA pilot program they ran just to see how the program would actually grow and attract pilots. Not sure how much the registration is now however it was $5 when I first filed .
You are correct, and it's still $5. As a recreational pilot, one registration is good for every drone you own, for commercial, you have to register each drone individually, for $5 each.
Give him a day in jail and call it quits
One thing I can say if he's living with his mother and he's 60. His mother is close to 90 when she passes away. The house is his f. A a a a will take that house in one heartbeat for all those Fines😮 lol it's not funny no more mikey 😅😂😂
Theres no legal precedent for this DOJ referral. While people are unaliving themselves a bunch of idiots in the drone community complained about him. To the point it got somewhere. Well now some airhead prosecutor thinks they can tell him he cant fly the drones or face jailtime. Thats hilarious.
I think $200,000 is a bit much. Too much for his penalty. The penalty for sound torturing is way worse.
I wonder, did this man get any notices to quit prior to this?
He states his drone can do no harm... That doesn't quite tie up with the $60k damage a drone did to the helicopter in Long Beach just recently.
He regularly flies over the freeway too & if his drone came down there & went through someone's windshield at 70mph that could have serious consequences.
There are things you can safely do in open space but over a congested city, close to airport operation areas & in the dark you are asking for trouble.
The helo pilot was in the wrong there.
Show me a case of where the drone is at fault. You won’t find one.
For Long Beach the FAA report seems to say drone pilot NOT the helo pilot at fault ERA24LA079
& I won't find one more case of a drone pilots at fault... true not one... hows about trying Buttonville or Laguna Beach or El Segundo or the LA news helicopter for starters.
@@StreakyP ehh. Fake news. The one I was referring to was the helicopter being below 400’ agl where they shouldn’t have been.
@@Whydidyouusemyname helo was on "approach to land at an off-airport landing zone" so WAS where it should be. Drone WAS operating in a controlled zone where it was meant to be clearing its operations with ATC but hadn't.
My friend in the drone community knows this guy personally and he deserves this fine because he was warn by the FAA numerous times and ignored the warnings. You can agree or disagree but he was on the radar and should have complied. He thought he was above the law/rules and didn’t care. This guy is the biggest POS you could possibly meet and has a nasty mouth. Hope he goes to jail soon!
How the hell did that little ass DJI mini get that high⁉️🤔
This is why I took all my videos of youtube and the others that is how the FAA is finding you and yes the fines can be that much. Did anyone see the guy that was flying over the F1 race in Las Vegas they said just the city fined him 12 thousand dollars and he had not even seen the FAA yet and he was taken to jail. This is serious playing around when you don't know the rules one guy last year was fined 90 thousand dollars and all his films is what hung him.
Please leave Britney alone 😭
Wow.
That reporter didnt sound bias at all. Good thing she pointed out how media groups have a professional lisence. Because thats going to definitely make one ounce of difference in anyone's safety. Yeah sure. Notice how the camera man made sure to get an unflattering look way inside this guys's ear.
But you still flew illegally and recklessly after you were warned. You have no excuse dude.
As a drone pilot myself here in Canada, I know the stupidity that is applied to drone operations here. Thankfully not as bad as in the US yet. But this level of fine though is raw stupidity and an example of bureaucracy gone wild. Here in Toronto, a police officer flew a drone into a small plane and very little was done about it compared to what would have happened had I done it as a private citizen.
It’s make risk if was flying in path of aircraft’s plane but in center city if something happens just like some have a car
i am speechless, at this guys defense, of his actions
I have a DJI drone. The only way this guy came across in this interview is ignorant, blameless and pathetic. And if that drone, without propeller guards flew into the neck of a person, especially a child, it certainly could kill. At a minimum, he should be banned from every operating a drone again.
The same people sueing you are the same people that allow helicopters to blast across the city all day and night. When you go to court take a crash reel of helicopters with you. That's what they're putting over our heads every day and don't give two flying fcks. So there's no way they care about your drone, they're just playing power games and should be fired and in prison for intentional misuse.
That's why I threw my drone away
Leave the guy alone.
The Feds need to leave him alone
They need to leave EVERYONE alone instead of trying their level best to start a nuclear war.
......You don't have to pass a safety test to fly recreationally in Philly. This reporting was trash.
not true, TRUST and/or part 207 are federal FAA requirements and cannot be waved by state or local governments.
Funny cause FAA already charged him for this. Not PA trying to charge him for the old stuff he was already charged for
Sames cases, PA is handling the prosecution.
He's just doing this as RUclips Click Bate. Just have him removed from RUclips, and he will stop flying. Simples. 😊