YouTuber PhillyDroneLife has been slammed with a lifetime ban from flying drones by the FAA due to “reckless” operation of the remote aircrafts on numerous occasions.
Michael DiCiurcio is a drone enthusiast and a former YouTuber — but his popular channel has been taken down following an investigation by the USA’s Federal Aviation Administration.
DiCiurcio was known for using his drones to capture footage in the skies of Philadelphia, but some of his excursions bordered on potentially harmful.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania claimed that DiCiurcio operated his drone too close to historic landmarks like the William Penn Statue and the PSFS Building.
PhillyDroneLife, pictured here, was known for flying his drones around the skylines of Philadelphia, earning him thousands of subscribers on YouTube.
On top of this, they alleged that he flew inside controlled airspace near the Philadelphia International Airport and even lost control of his drone during one particular flight over populated areas in the city.
In an attempt to mitigate DiCirucio’s potentially dangerous drone operations, the FAA served him with written warnings, offered him educational classes on how to fly drones safely, and even threatened to fine him a whopping $182,000.
FAA bans YouTuber from flying drones for life
Despite these compromises, the YouTuber continued to fly his drones outside federal regulations, causing the US Attorney’s Office to file a formal complaint against him.
DiCircuio agreed to a consent judgment on January 23, 2025, where he admitted to the allegations against him of operating his drones against regulations.
In an “unequivocal” decision, DiCircuio was permanently banned from flying drones and forced to hand over all his equipment to the FAA — as well as delete his YouTube channel dedicated to drones.
“Failing to adhere to the safety requirements for flying small unmanned aircraft systems endangers people and property. All drone flyers have a responsibility to ensure that they observe all applicable regulations and guidance,” US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said.
In previous interviews with DiCricuio, the YouTuber was vehemently against the legal actions taken against him, as seen in a segment with 6ABC Philadelphia.
“You look into a person, find out they have nothing, and so, let’s throw the book at him!” he exclaimed. “$182 grand, let’s do it!”
But for DiCircio, drones helped him to recover after undergoing some massive physical changes.
“I fly drones because I was a physical mess,” DiCircuio explained in a 2024 interview. “I had gotten sober, lost weight, and it was like, what do I do with my life? I mean, I’m a mess. And the drones, the exhilaration of the drones leveled me out, and it was my medication for years.”
DiCircuio is far from the first content creator to go viral for using drones; in June 2024, tech YouTuber ‘Mrwhosetheboss’ gave wedding speech that used 500 drones to create a dazzling light show.