NSF Convicted For Flying Drone To Record NDP 2019 Fireworks, Says He ‘Didn’t Know’

I’m sure many of us enjoy watching the fireworks play out right in front of us. It’s a beautiful sight and it’s not often that we get to see them. They’re usually only lit during special festive occasions, and one example would be during National Day, because well, we’re celebrating our country’s independence.

So of course, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you see people of all ages whipping out their phones to capture the moment.

In order to capture the sight in high definition, one may even fly their own drone in to record it. I mean you’re right there, how much higher can the resolution possibly get than your own pair of eyes when you’re right in front of the view?

But anyway, newsflash, doing so is not legal, and one full-time national serviceman found that out the hard way.

What Happened

21-year-old Tan Jin Kang, a security trooper with the Singapore Armed Forces, brought his drone to the National Day Parade (NDP) last year to record the fireworks.

However, the area that he flew his drone in was previously already declared a special event area under the Public Order Act and drones were not allowed there. Apparently, there were also multiple signs that warned the public of this, but Tan claimed that he didn’t see them.

While he was in the area, he flew his drone to a height of approximately 10.8m for about 45 seconds at around 7.50pm.

As soon as the drone was spotted, police officers were notified about it and off they went hunting for the drone controller.

As the drone was landing, one officer spotted Tan and immediately arrested him.

The Court Hearing

Tan was charged in court on 7 January for flying a drone in a special event area under the Public Order Act and he pleaded guilty.

He did not have any lawful excuse as to why he was flying his drone there.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Benedict Teong asked for a fine of $4,000, stating that there was a need for deterrence. He also added that there were many signs around the area that indicated that the flying and possession of drones were not allowed.

At the spot that Tan was standing at, there were two such signs close by.

In response to this, Tan, who was not represented, claimed that he didn’t see the signs because he walked to the area from another direction. He then shared that he was unable to spot the signs as they were in red and was somehow camouflaged in the sea of people dressed in red for NDP.

His sentence will be determined later on 18 February by District Judge Christopher Goh.

If convicted of the offence, Tan can face a fine of up to $20,000, or jailed for up to a year, or both.