It is not Wisdom but Authority that Makes a Law —Thomas Hobbes

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) successfully prosecuted an independent filmmaker for flying a drone over a crowd of demonstrators in Dublin 

The May 2021 incident saw the drone detained and its operator informed by the IAA that he’d violated its 1993 Act for “operating a drone over an assembly of people.” The agency alleged the operator did not appreciate the safety risks posed to the crowd gathered underneath a flying drone. The IAA further stated that bystanders below an airborne drone cannot safely move away if the drone malfunctions and falls, or is operated erratically.

During subsequent court proceedings, the IAA argued that flying a drone over an assembly of people was a “high-risk offense,” and that the drone “did fly relatively close overhead.” 

The operator/defendant—who plead guilty—was awarded the Probation Act (which spares defendants recorded convictions) and ordered to contribute to the IAA’s legal costs. The defendant was further ordered to make a charitable donation to the Little Flower Penny Dinner Charity, which provides legal aid to the underprivileged in Dublin. Such punitive sentences are common in the EU, which serves as the world model for governmental overreach.  

Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, Aviation Regulator for the IAA, states, “As Ireland’s Aviation Regulator, the safety of the public is our priority. The onus is on those who operate drones to do so safely and within the scope of the law, which in this case is EU-wide and in force since the beginning of last year. Luckily no one was injured in this instance and the operator has admitted he was at fault.” The loquacious Mr. Ó Conghaile went on to say, “The use of drones is growing all the time, and whilst we can educate people on the safety aspects of their use, drone pilots must understand that these operations come with risks. Ó Conghaile sanctimoniously added, “Had this pilot undertaken the necessary training, this incident is unlikely to have taken place. Cooperation between the [national police service of the Republic of Ireland] and the IAA is invaluable in ensuring the safety of the public when it comes to aviation, as was seen in this case.”

FMI: www.iaa.ie/docs/default-source/publications/advisory-memoranda/uas-advisory-memoranda-(uam)/uam-006---guidance-on-distance-from-people-exemption-for-open-a2-commercial-operations-issue1.pdf?sfvrsn=897615f3_6