Local, state entities weigh in on recent drone sightings

MISSOURI - Mysterious drone sightings in multiple states have sparked conversations around the country about the origins of these drones. It has also left people wondering if they can take matters into their own hands if one flies over their property.

OzarksFirst reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a local drone expert, and a Missouri lawmaker for the answer to this question.

Tim Michalak, owner of Line of Sight Aerial based out of Ozark, has years of experience flying drones. He says there are different hoops flyers have to jump through depending on how they use their drone.

"Here's some of the kind of rules, the regulations, the things you can do with your drone, the things you can't do. And that's everyone. It doesn't matter if you're flying for fun, doesn't matter if you're flying for business. You've got to start there," says Michalak.

According to the FAA, a drone is an aircraft, and shooting down an aircraft is a violation of the Aircraft Sabotage Act. The punishment for this is a fine and up to 20 years in prison. Firing a gun in Springfield city limits is also a crime according to the Springfield Police Department.

Representative Dean Van Schoiack of Missouri's 9th district says he has had drone regulations on his mind for years.

"It's something that I saw. I could see this coming. I don't know how, but I could see the time when people would be using drones for nefarious reasons."

Rep. Van Schoiack has introduced two bills to the Missouri House that would regulate drone usage. One requires law enforcement to get a warrant before a drone could be used to gather evidence. Another would prohibit individuals from using drones manufactured by countries of concern.

"They should not be using drones made from those places because they can send data and information back to those countries that would be harmful to the United States of America and to the state of Missouri," says Schoiack.

Schoiack also explained that sightings of unauthorized drones are more common than people think. In 2021, 15 unauthorized drones were spotted flying above Arrowhead Stadium during the AFC Divisional matchup between the Chiefs and Bills.