Summary
A drone collision grounded one of two Super Scooper planes battling Los Angeles wildfires, leaving a critical resource unavailable.
The collision damaged the aircraft’s wing, forcing its grounding, and temporarily paused other firefighting flights, creating significant delays.
The FAA emphasized the dangers of flying drones near wildfires, noting it’s a federal crime with penalties up to $75,000 and prison time.
Over 36,000 acres have burned, with officials warning that delays in air support allow wildfires to spread rapidly, endangering lives and property.
The initial incident was this one.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-15520279
Unfortunately I got the inter governmental spat details from people involved. I work with big drones, and I’ve heard bits of it from both sides.
I’ll see if I can track down about the fine itself.