Drone Comes Close To Private Plane Taking Off At Windsor Airport

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File photo of a Diamond DA 20

A single-engine airplane taking off at Windsor Airport came within feet of a drone that was flying over the end of one of the airport’s runways.

In a report released Wednesday by Transport Canada, the pilot of a single-engine Diamond DA 20-C1 propeller plane owned by a local flying school “reported passing a drone on departure from Runway 07, over the threshold of Runway 25,” just after 5pm on Saturday, May 11th.

Approximate location of the drone sighting at the “threshold of Runway 25” (Google Earth)

“The drone was approximately 1 foot in diameter, white and 1000 feet above the ground,” the report continued.

Transport Canada has listed the incident as an unauthorized entry into controlled airspace. Current Canadian drone laws prohibit the use of drones within 5.6 kilometres of any airport. Drone pilots are also not permitted to fly higher than 300 feet above the ground.

Transport Canada inspectors investigate reports of unsafe and illegal drone use and may involve local police if other laws, for example, the Criminal Code and privacy laws, have been broken.

Drone pilots can face penalties including up to $25,000 in fines and/or jail time, if they put aircraft at risk, fly where they are not allowed, and/or endanger anyone’s safety.

The plane later returned to the airport and landed safely. Nav Canada reported the incident had no direct impact on air traffic operations that day.

The investigation is continuing.