Photographer Ordered to Pay Over $1,000 After Almost Crashing Drone

A photographer narrowly avoided a drone collision with famed DJ Fatboy Slim, as reported in court proceedings, and has been ordered to pay over $1,000 in penalties. 

Giles Dalby, 39, was attempting to capture a video of DJ Norman Cook’s (known as Fatboy Slim) performance when he lost control of his drone, causing it to crash onto the stage near Cook.

Dalby faced charges this week for his careless or negligent operation of the drone, endangering both Mr. Cook and the audience of 8,500 people at the event. Speaking at Brighton Magistrates Court recently, the security designer expressed remorse, insisting he had no harmful intentions and was striving for a dramatic aerial shot of the concert when he confused the controls after turning on sport mode, which disabled some of the collision sensors. Dalby added that he had subsequently obtained a drone pilot’s license and acknowledged his error in flying the drone over a populated area. On the other hand, prosecutor Megan Attree noted that the drone’s flight data showed Dalby had ignored multiple warnings.

Dalby was accused of recklessly or negligently allowing a drone to endanger people or property, violating the Air Navigation Order of 2016. The court, recognizing Dalby’s clean record and early guilty plea, imposed a fine of £576, along with a £230 victim surcharge and £85 in costs, totaling £891.