City Council to consider greater drone regulation | Local

Fort Wayne will likely soon have more areas where drone operators are required to notify city police before flying their machines.

An amendment introduced at the City Council will add several more aerial districts to the drone ordinance that was approved in 2019. Under the ordinance, drone operators don’t have torequest permission from the police department, but officer Michael Hickman said it is beneficial for public safety to know when drones are being flown in certain areas.

The 2019 ordinance – which refers to drones as unmanned aircraft systems – sets fines ranging from $150 to $500 for people who operate them unsafely or in an aerial district without notifying the police department. The police department rarely fines operators, Hickman said, as it has issued only two citations since the ordinance passed. 

Drones vary in size but often weigh around a few pounds. Drones that are used recreationally must weigh less than 55 pounds, according to the Federal…