These articles covers it pretty well:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-drone-laws-bring-added-protection-for-passengers
https://dronesafe.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Dronecode_2018-07-30.pdf
In short new legislation was rushed through in May to restrict the height they can be flown (400 feet) and how close they can be flown to an airport (1km). Maximum penalty is an unlimited fine or 5 years for "recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or any person in an aircraft".
The fuller legislation will come into effect in November next year and will include the need to register heavier drones and take an online test.
I actively fly drones and fully support the need for appropriate legislation
The very act of shooting them down is dangerous - you miss and the round has to go somewhere, you hit and it passes through and the round has to go somewhere, you hit and it doesn't pass through, and you're potentially liable for the drone falling on someone.I do also wonder whether there is a concern the drones contain something dangerous that makes simply shooting them down out of the question?
I just hope the Army will sort this out soon, one way or another.
If this nonsense ends up affecting RC planes I will be pee’d off.
I don't understand how they haven't caught it they have spotters and a helicopter surely it can't be this difficult
I would hazard a guess that a lot of people, myself emphatically included, will read the penultimate sentence in your post, and think why do we need to wait until November 2019 for fuller legislation, why wasn’t it placed on the statute books when drones first came into being?
Quite a few more, myself definitely included, will read your final sentence, and wonder why you weren’t satisfied with flying kites, and instead, went into drones.
Maybe I’m missing something, but to a degree, I can understand those who operate remotely controlled model ships on a pond, or cars around a circuit, but having seeen the occasional news story regarding “near misses” with planes, culminating in this bizarre fiasco around Gatwick, where for whatever reason, the operator seems to have got away undetected, I would have thought that those that play with theses things, were held in low regard.
Well I’m suprsised but I’m sure there tiny things pretty much a battery with rotors on
What an odd post. Why would flying a drone be held in less regard than any other RC vehicle?I would hazard a guess that a lot of people, myself emphatically included, will read the penultimate sentence in your post, and think why do we need to wait until November 2019 for fuller legislation, why wasn’t it placed on the statute books when drones first came into being?
Quite a few more, myself definitely included, will read your final sentence, and wonder why you weren’t satisfied with flying kites, and instead, went into drones.
Maybe I’m missing something, but to a degree, I can understand those who operate remotely controlled model ships on a pond, or cars around a circuit, but having seeen the occasional news story regarding “near misses” with planes, culminating in this bizarre fiasco around Gatwick, where for whatever reason, the operator seems to have got away undetected, I would have thought that those that play with theses things, were held in low regard.
Technology always leads legislation. Laws are complex, and unless you want to strangle enterprise, you have to let technology progress and legislate on the way.
Drones have hundreds of uses that massively reduce cost, risk and time taken to do certain jobs.
Think of surveying a chimney stack with a drone versus hiring a modern Fred Dibnah. It costs a mere fraction of what a man and scaffolding would cost. It's much safer, and it could be done in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks using a drone.
Talk about storm in a teacup. The drone hasn't been seen for over 8 hours now, clearly the people responsible have gone under cover.