FBI Announces Drone Crackdown Around Kailua-Kona Ahead of IRONMAN World Championship
Honolulu is a city in Honolulu County, Hawaii (a consolidated city-county). The FBI's Honolulu division announced on October 8 that it will enforce FAA-imposed temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) around Kailua-Kona during the IRONMAN World Championship on Hawaii Island, which takes place Saturday, October 10. "The FBI is enforcing No Drone Zones around Kailua-Kona in support of the IRONMAN World Championship," said FBI Honolulu Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan C. Noonan. Under Department of Justice authority, agents and law-enforcement partners can use specialized detection tools to identify and seize drones that violate the restrictions, in order to keep athletes, spectators and the community safe. Violations can bring civil fines of up to $75,000, criminal fines of up to $100,000, as much as a year in prison, and seizure of the drone. Operators are urged to check airspace restrictions through the FAA-approved B4UFLY apps or at tfr.faa.gov before flying, and the public can report suspicious activity, including unsafe drone flights, by calling 9-1-1. The IRONMAN World Championship is Kailua-Kona's marquee annual sporting event, drawing the world's top professional and age-group triathletes to race through ocean swells, lava fields and island heat — and, in recent years, an ever-growing number of camera drones, which is precisely what the restrictions are designed to manage.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, 公有领域, 作者 Paul D. Honnick（U.S. Navy，科纳铁人世锦赛终点）
