It’s no secret San Diego’s airspace is different than the rest of the nation: A downtown airport, multiple military bases and an international border make airspace limited.

Adding drones (or unmanned aerial vehicles as they are known within the aviation community) makes the airspace even more crowded.

According to records kept by the Federal Aviation Administration, there have been 81 incidents involving drones in San Diego County. Most of these incidents involve a drone flying higher than the 400-foot-high limit or entering restricted airspace.

As of December 2015, all owners of drones weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds are required to register their aircraft before flying.


Currently, there are 274 people registered with the FAA to fly drones in the county, with hobbyists outnumbering non-hobbyists nearly five-to-one.

Registration costs $5. Failing to register can result in civil penalties up to $27,500 or criminal penalties up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment up to three years.


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Reach the writer at: daniel.wheaton@sduniontribune.com or @theheroofthyme