Madison Police Chief Larry Muncey
MADISON-The Madison Police Chief Larry Muncey addresses concerns over recreational drones and shares some safety suggestions.
“Dear Madison Residents:
With Christmas rapidly approaching, many of our children (large and small) are wishing for
some type of unmanned aerial system (drone, quadcopter, multirotor). While the Madison Police
Department does not have jurisdiction over the operation of such items, we do feel that it is
important to remind our citizens of some common sense rules and Federal regulations involving
the operation of UAVs.
1) Fly no higher than 400 feet above ground level. General Aviation aircraft, with the
exception of take-off and landing, and special operations like crop dusting, are supposed
to fly no lower than 500 feet above ground level, so keeping your new multirotor at 400
feet and below provides a nice, safe, 100-foot buffer between the two. Besides, for a
small quadcopter, 400′ is a LONG way up, and you’ll need eagle-eyes to see it at that
altitude.
2) Don’t fly over moving vehicles or over people (especially ones unaware of the
quadcopter). This means no flying over crowds, especially in sports stadiums. Always be
mindful of where it will crash and what damage or injury it could cause if a motor or
propeller were to fail.
3) Maintain visual line-of-sight with the drone at all times. Flying with First-Person-Video
screens or goggles is OK, as long as you have an assistant within voice distance who is
always keeping an eye on the quadcopter for situational awareness.
4) Don’t fly within 5 miles of an airport without contacting the airport’s control tower.
5) Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations. Be aware of
‘special operation areas’ such as firefighter zones, agricultural areas, law enforcement
operations, and/or emergency situations where crewed aircraft or other aerial operations
may be occurring at very low altitudes.
6) Don’t fly in adverse weather conditions such as high winds, rain, or in conditions of
reduced visibility/fog.
7) Don’t fly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
8) Don’t fly over sensitive areas such as jails, government facilities, and power stations.
Also avoid flying near powerful radio transmitters such as cell phone towers, as they can
easily overwhelm your quadcopter’s electronics and jam control signals.
9) Do not photograph persons in areas where there is an expectation of privacy without the
individual’s permission.
10) Don’t be careless or reckless with your vehicle–let only responsible adults or
careful/advanced children fly them–those whirling blades can cause a LOT of
damage/injury in the blink of an eye. Fly responsibly.
The following websites offer additional safety rules for multirotors, drones and other remotecontrolled
aircraft:
a) https://knowbeforeyoufly.org/for-recreational-users/
b) https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/
Have a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays,
Chief, Larry R. Muncey”
