Watch where you’re flying up there in the blue skies.
A new report from the Federal Aviation Administration indicates that there were 650 cases where U.S. pilots encountered unmanned aerial aircraft through Aug. 9 of this year.
That’s up from 238 cases in all of 2014.
“The FAA wants to send out a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal,” according to a press release from the FAA. “Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.”
Commercial airline pilots and other pilots spotted 138 drones during the month of June and 137 during July, some of which were flying up to 10,000 feet. It is illegal to fly drones above 400 feet, or have the UAVs drift beyond line of sight.
Amazon.com, which is working on testing its Prime Air fleet of drones, last month called for regulations that would designate special airspace between 200 or 400 feet for commercial drones like the ones being developed by Amazon. It also suggested a “no fly zone” for drones between 400 feet and 500 feet. Critical to the company’s plans to deliver packages by drones is the need to fly via an automated system beyond line of sight.
The FAA is working with drone hobbyists and others on a new effort called “Know Before You Fly,” which is designed to educate drone users about the regulations around flight.
“…Just because you can buy a UAS, doesn’t mean you can fly it anywhere, or for any purpose,” the site says.
Previously on GeekWire: Revealed: How we found Amazon’s secret drone testing site, and a mysterious satellite image…Amazon’s plan for safely flying drones: Designated airspace, smart automation to avoid seagulls
