Drones are often thought of as airplane-sized, unmanned aircraft intended to get surveillance video of remote areas or bomb distant targets. But they do exist on a much smaller scale, within the purchasing power of the average American hobbyist, one of whom learned last week that doing so can land him in a New York court with felony charges.
The man was flying a model drone, a DJI Phantom 2, with a remote control. According to the police report, a video camera was attached to the craft and he allegedly flew the drone within 15 feet of a hospital window, where patients were undergoing medical examinations. Patients and staff had reported seeing the drone, but the man says the tinted hospital windows prevented the video footage from showing anybody inside.
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