S’porean woman, 22, flies 249g drone without permit, gets 12 months' probation & 50 hours of community service - Mothership

Her parents have to put up a S$5,000 bond to ensure good behaviour during her probation period.

A 22-year-old Singaporean woman flew a drone for commercial purposes without a licence or a permit.

She was placed on 12 months’ probation and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

Ong Siqi faced 31 charges under the Air Navigation Act, Shin Min Daily News reported.

She pleaded guilty to four charges and was sentenced on Sep. 16.

The other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

At the time of the offences, Ong was a salesperson at JD Works Pte Ltd, a supplier of commercial and industrial equipment, including solar panels.

The company director bought a DJI Mini 2 Pro that weighed approximately 249g.

He allowed employees to use it for recreational purposes, provided they complied with the relevant regulations.

However, Ong used the drone for commercial purposes without his knowledge.

Between Mar. 13 and Jul. 10, 2025, Ong operated the drone without necessary permits for commercial purposes on 10 separate occasions.

In charge sheets seen by Mothership, on Jul. 10, 2025, at about 10:33am, Ong operated the drone near Jalan Demak at Upper Changi Road East.

Ong was conducting a roof survey for a client interested in the company’s solar panel products and services.

Ong needed an unmanned aircraft licence and a Class 1 activity permit to operate the drone in the area, which she did not have at the time.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) detected drone operations at the location and subsequently dispatched auxiliary police officers to the scene.

On Aug. 26, 2025, at about 12:40pm, Ong flew a drone for about two minutes near Macpherson Road, within 5km of Paya Lebar Air Base aerodrome, for recreational purposes.

She did not have a Class 2 activity permit applicable to the drone model at the time.

Ong’s parents were required to provide a S$5,000 bond to ensure good behaviour during her probation period.

The conditions of her probation included a curfew from 11pm to 6am.