Ok guys I'm going to weigh in here.
About me, I am a 4000 hour Emergency Medical Helicopter pilot. I have been flying for 10 years and an aviation mechanic for 10 years before that. I am the chief pilot of a 5 helicopter operation in the US.
Recently I lost an inspire 1 to a flyaway downtown Indianapolis. It disconnected from the ground station and proceeded to plow in to the 25th floor or an apartment. It broke out a window, and I became the first liability claim for a drone in my insurance company. It was recovered by the police which called the FAA. The police wouldn't tell me what happened to my drone till the 5 days after it happened when I recovered it. I made a police report for lost property the day it happened. Then the day I found out what happened, I called the FAA and self disclosed. *I IMMEDIATELY FILLED OUT A NASA FORM* (Google and fill out a NASA form for protection). Yes I do also have a 333 in hand. I also have all my prerequisites in for the 107 Cert. This day, I flew with a spotter and had total visual contact with the drone, I try to ensure I always do.
I met with the FAA 2 weeks ago. I had told them I was flying for hobby (at the advice of my sUAS attorney), because I was only filming some cool stuff for me, and maybe a demo reel. Sadly I forgot about a heliport that I've flown to MANY times in downtown Indy JUST over a mile away. Here's what the FAA found me in "non-compliance" of:
1. Your UAS flight operation was for the furtherance of a business (my company Exemption No.) and not a hobbyist operation, and
2. You did not notify local heliport operators of your intended UAS operation.
They are looking for people to make examples of per there own words, and after Aug they are going to go hardcore on violators. The police that notified them called the Regional FAA office in Chicago, I notified the local FSDO. They informed me that they were about to close out my file when they got a directive from the district to investigate. Also, district told them to treat it as an aircraft "incident" which takes it all to a whole new level. Much more investigation! Lastly they stated that if it would have hurt someone they would violate me
I knew they would find away to violate me, so I informed my lawyer. When I met with them what they did say was that if I wasn't transparent, respectful, and admit my mistake they would have violated me. Because I self-disclosed and made changes myself between the flyaway and the meeting that they would do a "compliance action." A Compliance Action is new, it became available to them in 2015. Versus tying them up for a year with an enforcement action the compliance action allowed them to work with me and get me back in compliance with my own actions to get me to compliance. It does not effect my pilot's license at all, and with a certificate inquiry I would not pop up. My company would not be seen as dealing with the FAA in any way, the only thing was internal non-searchable paperwork to ensure I was following my own compliance plan when they followed up in a month. Here is my compliance reply:
1. Conduct all operations under the pretense of our 333 Exemption and the inference that all operations are for the furtherance of the business and under commercial guidelines.
2. Any operation within the greater Indianapolis area and surrounding cities requires calling the Indianapolis Airport Operations hotline to notify of our operations. We call and report our operation prior to all flights. Any questions we will contact you to seek resolution. Lastly, we will seek the appropriate authority to notify of our operations.
I have only heard from them to state that it was recieved. I had already imlimented this BEFORE my meeting with the FAA once insurance paid for the new inspire. According to the local FSDO office I am the "most logged pilot in the Indianapolis area" that's a great thing.
I hope it helps