Video footage captured by the drone shows the Blue Angels’ six-aircraft formation flying dangerously close to the camera drone before passing overhead. The flyover was part of an ongoing initiative to salute health care professionals and essential workers across America for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The video surfaced on the internet on Wednesday. It was originally posted to YouTube and included views from several angles, and parts of the camera drone even appeared in some of the shots, according to a report by the Aviationist.
The drone video was originally attributed to Facebook and Instagram accounts using the handle “@GIOLUCIA,” however, the footage and associated accounts were later deleted.
The drone footage has since been reposted by multiple YouTube accounts.
According to The Aviationist, which was able to view the Facebook account in question before it was deleted, the account’s owner had previously posted aerial photos of downtown Detroit. In a February 18, 2017, post, the user posted such a photo of Detroit with the caption, “Might of [sic] broke a couple FAA regulations today…”
The FAA has regulations for camera drone operations. One requirement on the agency’s website reads: “Do not operate your drone in a careless or reckless manner.”
“You currently cannot fly a small UAS [Unmanned Aircraft System] over anyone not directly participating in the operation, not under a covered structure, or not inside a covered stationary vehicle. No operations from a moving vehicle are allowed unless you are flying over a sparsely populated area,” a 2018 FAA news release states.
Drone operations are also required “not to interfere with manned aircraft.”
An FAA spokesperson confirmed to the Business Insider this week that “the incident was reported to the FAA, and the FAA is investigating.”