(Source: 6abc.com)
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it was investigating the incident in which a drone was flown just outside Citizens Bank Park during a Phillies game.
It happened around 4 p.m. Sunday.
In a statement that read, in part, the FAA said it “bars unauthorized aircraft, including drones, from flying over or near Major League Baseball games, as well as other major sporting events.”
In addition, the ballpark is within the Philadelphia International Airport’s “no drone zone.”
Phillies security was also alarmed when the drone hovered, looking in.
“Once you see a drone up in the air, you never know the intent of the operator, and that’s what causes concern for security operators all around Major League Baseball,” said Sal DeAngelis, the head of security.
In this case, the operator was deemed a hobbyist who only wanted to take pictures. After talking to him police let him go, and returned his $1,000 drone.
However, they asked him to erase the pictures he took, citing intellectual property rights.
Concerns about hobbyists unaware of where they can fly, as well as those who could do harm, are a headache for many in security.
Alan is serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and a drone enthusiast. He co-founded DRONELIFE.com to address the emerging commercial market for drones and drone technology. Prior to DRONELIFE.com, Alan co-founded Where.com, ThinkingScreen Media, and Nurse.com. Recently, Alan has co-founded Crowditz.com, a leader in Equity Crowdfunding Data, Analytics, and Insights. Alan can be reached at alan(at)dronelife.com