Drone flying near airport without permission, what are the risks?

I was at an event yesterday within a mile of a runway at an airport. This airport handles major domestic and international flights. Planes were flying very low on approach, and I saw someone flying a drone at about 150 feet. I asked if they had permission, and they said no, but they believed it was fine because they stayed below treetop height and had flown there last year without issues. How likely is it that they’ll get caught and fined for this? What kind of fines could they face? The drone looked like a Mavic Pro, if that matters.

Sounds like they convinced themselves it was fine, but that’s not how the rules work.

Jade said:
Sounds like they convinced themselves it was fine, but that’s not how the rules work.

Exactly what I was thinking. Do you know if it’s likely they’ll get caught? It seemed like a really bad idea.

@Sydney
For them to get caught, someone has to report it. There’s no active system monitoring every drone. You could report it to the FAA using their online form or notify the airport.

Jade said:
@Sydney
For them to get caught, someone has to report it. There’s no active system monitoring every drone. You could report it to the FAA using their online form or notify the airport.

Large airports often have drone detection systems like Aeroscope or Dedrone, which can track DJI drones.

Jade said:
@Sydney
For them to get caught, someone has to report it. There’s no active system monitoring every drone. You could report it to the FAA using their online form or notify the airport.

If it’s a Mavic Pro, wouldn’t it have Remote ID?

@grayking
Only the Mavic 3 series has Remote ID. The original Mavic Pro and Mavic 2 series don’t include it.