As reported by The Verge: Two men were arrested
for flying a drone too close to a New York Police Department helicopter
in New York City, but the police and the drone pilots are telling
different stories.
The cops say the drone was
flying 2,000 feet over a major bridge just after midnight earlier this
week. The drone pilots say they weren't flying nearly that high.
Wilkins Mendoza, 34, and Remy
Castro, 23, say they were flying their DJI Phantom 2 only about 300 feet
in the air when a police helicopter started pursuing the little drone.
"We're trying to get the drone away from the helicopter, and it keeps on
following the drone," Remy's brother Jonathan told The New York Daily News. "We have video proof that we are not following him, he's following us."
The DJI Phanton 2 can reach
heights of 2,000 feet, but it's more commonly flown at much lower
altitudes. Its limited battery life also would have forced it to land
after about 20 minutes.
The two pilots have been charged with felony reckless endangerment,
a serious crime that implies a risk of death and disregard for human
life. The drone came within 800 feet of the helicopter, close enough to
lead to a collision if the drone were above or in front of the
helicopter.
Drones, or quadcopters, are treated like model aircraft. Flying them is legal for now, as the Federal Aviation Administration considers which rules and standards should apply to the new class of flyers.
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