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Airport staff stops drone launch; city manager cites Nevada rule requiring airport permission within five miles
Summary
Airport staff intervened to stop an unapproved drone launch from airport property. The manager cited Nevada Revised Statutes 493.109, which requires drone operators within five miles of an airport to obtain airport permission. Staff said the rule is little known and suggested local code changes or clearer enforcement authority.
Airport staff intervened to stop a drone launch from property at the end of the runway after the operator said it did not need airport permission. The manager cited Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 493.109, which the manager said requires drone operators within five miles of an airport to obtain permission from the airport operator.
Corey, the airport manager, said staff observed two people preparing to launch a drone from airport property and stopped them before launch. He said the two initially insisted they did not need airport authorization because the airspace is Class G and that, from an FAA perspective, unmanned aircraft in Class G are not regulated in the same way as controlled airspace. Corey told the meeting that because the operator was launching from airport property, the airport operator could prohibit the activity.
"This is a major problem," Corey said, describing the safety risk of drone operations launched or recovered on airport property near final approach. He added that the state law, NRS 493.109, requires airport permission for drone operations within five miles of an airport, but the rule is little known among operators.
Corey said the company operating the planned flight is CinderLite Trucking, recently purchased by Granite Construction; staff said the two individuals were using airport property at the runway end. After staff intervention and a phone discussion, the operator agreed not to fly that operation.
Staff recommended exploring local code or administrative changes to improve enforceability, including potential city code language (Title 16 or Title 19) that would provide a local enforcement mechanism in addition to the state statute. The manager said staff will provide operators copies of NRS 493.109 when needed but that broader local authority would aid enforcement.
The authority did not take immediate action at the meeting but directed staff to explore enforcement options and coordinate with city staff on possible code updates.
