I used to fly remote control planes. There ARE rules for where you can fly them, because many of them (the ones with turbine engines) are capable of 200+ mph (actually faster, but it's hard to keep track of them) and can weight 10-50 pounds (some of the bigger propeller-powered ones are 100-200+ pounds, though much slower). They are dangerous in the wrong hands, and require quite a bit of training to fly properly and safely.
This guy broke the law, did something dangerous, and deserves a fine. Period.
Turbine engined planes in the 10-50 pound range are a subset of remote control planes with a penetration on the order of 0.1 - 0.01%.
Prop-powered 100-200 pound planes are even less common. A 12ft wingspan Senior Telemaster, made of old-fashioned wood with an internal combustion engine, weighs in at 31 pounds, and is not something you can reasonably transport without a commercial truck or trailer.
For the simple majority of people, fixed-wing RC planes involve ARF EPO foam models in the 1 to 2.5 meter range that are ridiculously safe in a direct collision. Other niches may be somewhat riskier, but few equal the things you like to do (aerobatic stunt heli flying with large models is one of them that does).
There is an ongoing problem that such people have with the turbine & super-heavy class hobbyists trying to legislate based on reasonable voluntary safety provisions for what is essentially payloadless guided missile testing, to apply to an FPV Easy Star foamie or a 5lb quadrotor. They are not the same thing, and they do not pose the same danger.
A GoPro-carrying quadrotor is recklessly endangering the people on the ground to an injury on the level of an open-handed slap, an open-handed slap that misses and scratches fingnernails across the cheek if it's unlucky and hits using the rotors. A bruise or scratches, worst-case scenario.
A carbon fiber / fiberglass / aluminum jetfighter model sporting a turbine engine that flies 400mph is an entire other world of danger, akin to hitting someone with a full-size Cessna.
> Turbine engined planes in the 10-50 pound range are a subset of remote control planes with a penetration on the order of 0.1 - 0.01%.
Prop-powered 100-200 pound planes are even less common.
Less common for sure, but plentiful enough. At the club where I used to fly (it had a grass field, on a large ranch in the country), the average plane had a 10-12 foot wingspan (I personally learned on an 8 foot trainer). The biggest planes had around a 20-25 foot wingspan, the one I specifically remember was a B-17, powered by 4 large gasoline engines. The club in the city had quite a few turbine/fan powered planes, and there even was a hobby shop that specialized in RC jets.
> There is an ongoing problem that such people have with the turbine & super-heavy class hobbyists trying to legislate based on reasonable voluntary safety provisions for what is essentially payloadless guided missile testing, to apply to an FPV Easy Star foamie or a 5lb quadrotor. They are not the same thing, and they do not pose the same danger.
They aren't the same thing, but if people get annoyed with them, it could be bad news for hobbyists, and those who actually do fly RC planes safely. I'd hate to see anti-'drone' legislation that is too broad and hurts responsible hobbyists.
This guy broke the law, did something dangerous, and deserves a fine. Period.