Fort Wayne City Council is considering an amendment to the city code that would prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft vehicles -- or UAVs -- within certain areas of the city.
Unmanned aircraft vehicles or systems are defined as aircrafts without a pilot that are controlled from the ground -- a drone is one example.
City council is seeking to prohibit the use of UAVs within a 5,500-foot radius from 100 W Main Street in downtown Fort Wayne. Residents could use that space if properly permitted by the city to do so, but flying a drone there without a permit could lead to a fine of $500.
Law enforcement says it’s partly a safety measure, and a way to keep track of who is operating drones in the city. But resident and licensed UAV pilot Sean Doobey says the proposal might collide with federal law, and suggested a more education-based approach.
“The people flying over Fort Wayne, that’s controlled by the FAA. So even if Fort Wayne puts a rule in place, they’re preempted by federal law that’s already there," he said. "And that’s causing lawsuits coming back on cities and counties around the country.”
Council has plenty of time to deliberate the proposal. Next Tuesday is a special “fifth Tuesday” meeting featuring a conversation with Purdue University-Fort Wayne, and the May 7 meeting has been cancelled due to the primary election.
