INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A brand-new law signed by the Louisiana guv gives local and state police officers the capability to take down any drones that unlawfully fly
While the law is fairly unclear in how officers can act, its not the most restrictive state law weve seen launched recently.Leave it to
Louisiana to produce a law specifically targeted at their love of parades when it pertains to drones
The law, called the We Will Act Act, gives state and local police the ability to remove drones over parade routes.For those that do not
know, New Orleans is infamous for its Mardi Gras parades that happen on a nearly nightly basis during the season
With thousands, if not millions, of attendees seeing many parades over the time of their trips.The act requires a No Drone Zone to be
produced and publicly shared prior to the parade and that only drones that threaten public security are to be taken down.Advertisement -
scroll for more contentAlso, drones that are licensed for the parade are allowed to be flown in the No Drone Zone.Violating the No Drone
Zone could land you a fine of $2,000 to $5,000 and/or in jail, with or without tough labor, for as much as one year.What is a No Drone Zone?
The FAA defines a No Drone Zone as an area that limits the operations of drones in a specific place
It only restricts the departure and landing of drones in the area and not flights in the airspace above the zone.The Louisiana law implies
its guideline of the airspace over the zone, another law whose constitutionality is confusing offered the FAAs sole jurisdiction over the
national airspace.The law conveniently doesnt supply a definition for its use of the No Drone Zone, adding confusion to the mix if a pilot
presumes they can still fly over the zone, just not take off or land
Contributing to the confusion, even the FAA uses the term No Drone Zone in recommendation to TFRs during particular sporting and other major
events.Authorized vs Unauthorized vs Nefarious
I think the law attempted to create clear classifications for drones in circumstances like this: authorized drones that do not cause a
hazard and unapproved, dubious drones that could threaten the public
However, there seems to be a 3rd classification: unauthorized drones that do not posture a danger to public safety.Is it nefarious to hover
your drone above a building or open space of ground to capture the parade? Or are any drones that are licensed to be in the location deemed
wicked? Im sure officers will default to the 2nd one.That raises the 2nd question: how does one tell if a drone is authorized or not? Will
authorities be tracking all drones in the airspace and having a list of licensed Remote IDs, or will it be a judgment call for cops on the
ground?This law puts a lot of faith in a system that is currently based on the honor system; authorities wont remove drones that arent
triggering a danger, and pilots wont unlawfully fly their drones
Both are situations that are ripe for misinterpretation.FTC: We use earnings making automobile affiliate links.More.
