Drone video of Great Tennessee Airshow 2021 under FAA investigation

A of the Great Tennessee Airshow 2021 is allegedly under investigation by a number of government agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Drone video of Great Tennessee Airshow 2021 under investigation

Two days ago this video was uploaded to the Internet by Scout UAS. The video is almost 10-minutes long and shows footage of the Great Airshow 2021 recorded with a drone.

The airshow took place on June 5th and 6th, 2021 at Smyrna in Smyrna, Tennessee.

A Drone Video Of The Great Tennessee Airshow 2021 Is Allegedly Under Investigation By A Number Of Government Agencies, Including The Federal Aviation Administration (Faa).

Early on in the video, the creator points out that:

“All FAA and Airport Permissions, Waivers, and Submissions were completed, received, and approved for this documentation. Pilot maintained low elevation at all times.”

However, we have been informed by a very reliable source who is close to the FAA that this video is currently under investigation by multiple government agencies, including the FAA.

As you can see in the drone video, various fighter jets fly close by at high speeds and seemingly at the same altitude as the drone and at times even lower.

As per the FAA drone rules, unmanned aircraft need to give way to manned aviation, and cannot be flown in a reckless manner. Based on the footage in the video it appears that some of the FAA rules might indeed have been broken.

“This type of event always hurts the UAS industry and those who are careful to share the airspace safely, especially during an airshow. The event was under a (TFR) and it appears this person wasn’t in contact with the airboss in charge of the TFR, sometimes flying at what appears to be the same altitude as the performers. They would have never seen the drone and this could have had a dramatic ending,” said Greg Reverdiau from the Pilot Institute.

YouTube video

Drone Video Of Great Tennessee Airshow 2021 Under Faa Investigation 1

It is not the first time we have seen a drone video that was shot dangerously close to manned aviation. Remember this story from last year when a drone got really close to theย Blue Angels during the Detroit America Strong Flyover?

We will update this article as more information becomes available.

To be absolutely clear, this video was not recorded by DroneXL. We do not promote or condone irresponsible, dangerous, and/or illegal drone flying.

To learn more about flying drones safely and responsibly in the , check out these websites from the FAA:

In anticipation of the video being removed from the Internet, DroneXL has downloaded and uploaded the video to .

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Haye Kesteloo
Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is a leading drone industry expert and Editor in Chief of DroneXL.co and EVXL.co, where he covers drone technology, industry developments, and electric mobility trends. With over nine years of specialized coverage in unmanned aerial systems, his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and cited by The Brookings Institute, Foreign Policy, Politico and others.

Before founding DroneXL.co, Kesteloo built his expertise at DroneDJ. He currently co-hosts the PiXL Drone Show on YouTube and podcast platforms, sharing industry insights with a global audience. His reporting has influenced policy discussions and been referenced in federal documents, establishing him as an authoritative voice in drone technology and regulation. He can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

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