Dad, son fight FAA over gun-firing, flame-throwing drones

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Federal Aviation Administration and a Connecticut father and son are headed for a court showdown over whether the agency can force them to disclose information about drones shown in YouTube videos firing a gun and deploying a flame thrower in their backyard.

Nineteen-year-old Austin Haughwout, of Clinton, and his father, Bret Haughwout, are refusing to comply with FAA subpoenas.

A hearing on the dispute is set for July 6 before federal Judge Jeffrey Meyer in New Haven.

The Haughwouts’ lawyer says the subpoenas violate his clients’ constitutional rights and he questions the agency’s authority to regulate recreational drones.

The FAA says the subpoenas are part of a legitimate investigation into potential violations of its regulations banning people from operating aircraft in a reckless manner.