RCMP say a drone has been seized after it was spotted flying near the flight path of a STARS Air Ambulance helicopter as it approached the Red Deer Regional Hospital.
The incident was reported to officers just before 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Police said they were able to locate the owner of the foldable Mavic Pro drone shortly afterward.
Cpl. Karyn Kay with Red Deer RCMP said there are growing concerns around drones flying where they shouldn’t be.
“It’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure they are aware of what laws they are breaking, if any, and the regulations that are in place,” she said.
“Public safety, for the RCMP, we take that as a priority and it’s a huge concern for us. So we want to make sure that nothing is interfering with making our town, our community, our city safe. So it’s a big deal for us.”
On March 16, federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau unveiled new restrictions to curb the number of incidents in which recreational drones have come too close to planes. The new rules are an interim measure until formal regulations are enacted, likely in June.
“Violation of drone flight rules could put lives, aircraft and property at risk, and could result in fines of up to $3,000 for recreational use,” RCMP said in a Thursday news release.
RCMP are now investigating if the drone was in violation of the federal Aeronautics Act.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Although RCMP initally indicated violation of flight rules could result in fines up to $15,000 for commercial use, they later issued a correction saying that number wasn’t correct.
Comments