I don't know if they can actually stop you. Especially the first time. But they can definitely find you and fine you. A lot. Like more than tree fiddy.
You DON'T need a license for some types of flight though. Anything under 254 pounds. Ultralights and paragliders. (However that doesn't mean there's no rules)
Yeah, this. FAA does give a fuck. A lot of people fly drones extremely illegally but they're too small for the FAA to notice or bother with, and most of them can't get to real dangerous heights anyway. But try flying near an airport and you'll find out real quick.
I still haven't figured out if people just aren't aware that it's illegal or if they're just too brazen. I think it's the former but not really sure.
from me all the FPV pilots I know don't have the license, because it's very difficult to do because they are almost all the same things that a real airplane pilot needs to know,
Also I have seen FPV 6S drones at maximum speed even in densely populated areas always exceeding the legal limit of 120m if they had a license
Though that last paragraph does apply in many places outside the US. Sometimes it's even the US military responding outside of the US (I mean I assume they protect the airspace around their bases, but I guess I'm not really sure what kind of jurisdiction they'd have just because they have a military base).
They will shoot you down with planes if you fly into the airspace of the state. Generally you can get away with it short term as long as you live a reasonable distance away from an airport, military installation, or weather radar.
Otherwise, sort out your estate before fucking around and finding out with the air authorities.
I crewed for a hot air balloon place in high school. The wind once blew two balloons right over the airport runways. ATC was not happy, but those things go where the wind takes them.
Reaching almost 5000 meters is very impressive, and I love the plan of popping the balloons with a BB-gun to control the descent. I'm almost annoyed that they fined this unique effort.
My country town is really into ballooning, so there's always a bunch of balloons flying around here and there, so no one would even notice an extra one floating around, unless you were a dick and flying low.
I went in a hot air balloon once. Basically, once you’re up in the air, the wind takes you….where ever. It’s only controllable on one axis at that point. And the flame is fucking hot.
From what I've read the wind can point different directions at different altitudes, so you can navigate a little bit by changing your altitude, depending on the wind conditions.
I think the main way is by not launching upwind of buildings, forests, or the ocean. And don't launch when a weather system is coming in that would change wind patterns. Wind is usually fairly predictable.
I remember this time when a hot air Balloon operator, in the area, crashed the balloon into some power lines and 16 people died. Some people had to be identified by dental records. While he was a registered pilot, his company wasn't registered with the state.