CINCINNATI — Thinking about flying a drone near Great American Ball Park on Opening Day? Think again.
Travis Lenhoff wanted to capture the huge crowd outside GABP, launching his drone in The Banks and flying for about 10 minutes. He said he was shocked to find out it was illegal.
"I was surprised when I was initially approached by the sheriff’s office and then really caught off guard when I was questioned by an FBI agent, so that kind of changed the tone of things," Lenhoff said.
According to court documents, Lenhoff was flying an unregistered drone through restricted airspace at GABP and into the bowl of the stadium.
Pilots are not allowed to fly a drone in temporary restricted airspace for a sporting event one hour before a game and one hour after the game. Lenhoff said he doesn’t remember if he was flying during that temporary flight restriction in the area.
"I don’t place any blame anywhere. I chose to buy a drone and to fly it and I didn’t fully understand the rules and regulations that I should have," he said.
A Tri-State man is speaking out after he illegally flew a drone on opening day for the Cincinnati Reds. He’s sharing his story, so others don’t suffer the same fate. @WCPO pic.twitter.com/O5GDyuqwj2
— Jessica Hart WCPO (@JessicaHartTV) March 15, 2023
Tim Marshall, director of operations at Flamingo Air, is an instructor who teaches the public about the rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration.
"There’s no excuse for flying a drone without a license," Marshall said.
Marshall said it’s important for pilots to know the rules before they take flight.
"Make sure of the regulations, so you’re not breaking the regulations, you’re not flying over 400 feet altitude, staying away from clouds, not flying over people," he said.
Lenhoff was one of two men who illegally flew a drone over sporting events in Cincinnati last year.
During a Bengals playoff game on Jan. 15, 24-year-old Dailon Dabney flew his drone into what was formerly known as Paul Brown Stadium and hovered over the players and the crowd, investigators said.
Lenhoff said the FBI agent he spoke with told me it wasn’t a big deal and many people are unaware of the rules and regulations set by the FAA.
"There was no ill intent there but it very quickly turned into a serious situation," Lenhoff said.
He was contacted by the FAA 30 days later. They agreed Lenhoof would get rid of his drone, and he took educational courses. He thought the matter was settled.
"Then about five or six months later, to my surprise, I was indicted," he said.
Lenhoff took a plea deal that dropped his federal felony charge to a misdemeanor.
"The sentence that we expect, now the judge ultimately makes the decision on any sentencing, but the sentence we expect is one year of probation and 40 hours of community service," said Lenhoff’s attorney Eric Eckes.
Eckes added they also told the U.S. Attorney General’s Office they would be available for any public service announcements to get the message out about the consequences of illegally flying a drone.
Marshall added it’s important to know the rules because drones can be dangerous.
"If it falls on somebody from 50 feet up and the propellers are turning what’s it going to do to you? It’s going to cut your face, or cut your body, or cut your head," Marshall said. "It’s like knives over there, that’s why it’s dangerous ... these are not toys, they can be used as weapons."
Lenhoff wants to share his story, so that what happened to him doesn’t happen to future pilots.
"I think the ultimate goal here is the fact that we were able to educate myself and hopefully other future flyers to where this situation doesn’t happen," Lenhoff said.
He would like to see more manufacturers print more information about what is required of them.
"A normal person who knows nothing about aviation or aircraft to be able to buy something that has the same intended laws as an aircraft is concerning," Lenhoff said. "There are rules and regulations to these things the drones are actually identified the same as an aircraft would be, so flying an unregistered drone that weighs one pound is the same charge as an unregistered 10-person airplane."
Marshall noted that information is available in the box the drone comes in.
Lenhoff said he plans to get a new drone once his case is settled. Currently, there is no sentencing date.
