14 DAY TRIAL // A stunning video of the historic city of Nancy in France landed a 18-year-old filmmaker with a 400 euro ($545) fine because he illegally flew a drone to shoot the amazing aerial footage.
Nans Thomas drew worldwide attention after publishing the clip online, but he was also penalized for his unauthorized drone flight that was carried on in January this year. Although he explained that he didn't know he needed permission to fly the device he purchased online, authorities charged him with endangering the lives of others and failure to comply with the French aviation law.
“I had no idea you needed permission (to fly it),” Thomas said. “Nobody gave me any indication I needed special permission when I bought it on the Internet.”
French regulations on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) state that in order to carry on such a flight, the pilot has to undergo a training and authorization process similar to the one of a plane pilot before getting a specific permission from the local “prefecture” to fly the aircraft.
Thomas's video, titled “Nancy seen from the air” (Nancy vu du ciel), features impressive aerial images of the main sites around the historic north-eastern French town, including church spires, the renowned public plaza and magnificent facades, all filmed with a GoPro camera attached to his drone.
The footage quickly became popular on the Internet, with around 400,000 views in a matter of days. But despite fame, the video also brought Thomas some troubles, as French civil aviation authorities ordered an investigation and he was eventually prosecuted for not having permission for the flight. It was France’s first prosecution of this type, The Local informs.
“If the aircraft crashed in a densely populated area, the consequences could be tragic,” prosecutors said. “The use of drones also raises the question of respect of people’s privacy.”
This week, the teen pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him and was fined with €400 ($545). He is so upset about the incident that he is now thinking of leaving the country and “moving to Spain or Portugal where the legislation around flying drones is less strict.”
“I feel like I have been treated like a criminal. I’ve also been overwhelmed by the media attention, but I’ve stayed humble with the help of my family,” he told local media.
You can watch the breathtaking aerial video of the city of Nancy below.
