A KVUE Defenders investigation uncovered nearly 200 reports of drones flying too close to airports and commercial planes across the nation, including the skies over Texas.
The reports were submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration from February 2014 to November 2014. Some pilots cite safety concerns to themselves and the public.
In August 2014, one pilot reported a drone in Houston, which he said was very close to his aircraft, flying at 2,500 feet. Another pilot reported seeing a drone four to 10 feet in diameter about 3,000 feet in the air about 10 miles from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in July 2014, close to the flight path of commercial airlines which take off from the airport each day.
"None of these drone operators are going to have any clue about airspace regulations and that sort of thing," said Austin pilot John Nagle.
Nagle said he's never seen a drone near his plane, but he knows it only a matter of time.
"A drone that is outside the range of its transmitter could be like an unguided missile. It can crash into any aircraft, any person, any house," said Nagle.
In order to get a general aviation pilot's license, the FAA typically requires about 60 hours of flying with an instructor, not counting instruction on the ground. None of that is currently required to fly a drone.
"That's not fair and that's not safe," said Nagle.
The FAA is considering rules to regulate commercial drones. Some of the proposed rules includes limiting altitude to 500 feet, passing a basic flying test and the operator must be able to see the drone from the ground at all times.
Austin commercial drone pilot Robert Yoens said he agrees with the proposed FAA rules.
"They are going to protect general aviation and to allow commercial operators, like myself, to function in the national airspace," said Yoens.
Henry Wurzburg, another drone enthusiast in Austin, owns three drones. He said he believes it's a good idea to regulate commercial drone pilots, but not hobbyists like himself.
"Congress in 2012 specifically forbid the FAA from regulating model aircraft unless they are operated in a careless or reckless manner," said Wurzburg.
Over the past year, drone pilots have been seen illegally flying over a University of Texas football game, over crowds during South by Southwest and crashing on the White House lawn. Henry said that's a small percentage of the thousands of drone pilots who fly responsibly.
"To my knowledge, there's not been a single instance of damage being done of all those people flying admitting carelessly and recklessly," said Wurzburg.
The KVUE Defenders discovered that while few, some drones have hurt people. In April, the BBC reported a triathlete sustained head injuries after a drone operator lost control of his machine filming the competition. The Washington Post also identified 400 drones have crashed since 2001, injuring some on the ground.
The FAA could make its decision on drone regulation by within the year.
Map of all drone sightings reported to the FAA:
If you're having trouble viewing this map, go here for a spreadsheet of the data.
Web extra: Watch Alex Finch talk about the popularity of drones in Texas and why he took up the hobby. You can watch more of Finch's videos on his YouTube channel here.
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