Drone Safety UK

Anyone can own a consumer drone but not everybody can fly one legally. To be a recognized recreational drone pilot you have to meet certain conditions.

There is an official document that explains this in detail. You can find it in the Air Navigation Order 2016 (ANO) file. It gives details of the entire aviation regulations within the UK [10].

Below is a quick breakdown of what constitutes a recreational drone operator. You will identify some of these from the drone code above, though there are more details here:

1. You MUST take full responsibility for flying your drone in a safe manner
2. You MUST keep your drone within line-of-sight at all times
3. You MUST NOT endanger any person or thing with your drone
4. You MUST adhere to additional rules if your drone weighs more than 7gk (see below)
5. You MUST be aware of additional limitations for camera drones (see below)

Here are some of the additional details relating to points four and five above:

Drones Over 7kg – Additional UK Laws

Bigger, heavier, consumer drones that weigh 7kg or more have to abide by extra laws. All the above laws apply but with a few additions. These drones MUST NOT fly in Class A, C, D, or E airspace [11].

The only exception to the above is if an appropriate air traffic control official grants permission beforehand. Another rule is that 7+ kg drones MUST NOT fly within an aerodrome traffic zone.

Again, these rules don’t apply if officials grant special permission in advance. And the final additional rule is that drones weighing 7kg or more MUST NOT fly at an altitude exceeding 400 ft. [12].

Additional Limitations for Camera Drones

For camera drones (fixed or attached) there are additional rules to abide by in the form of limitations. There are limits on where you can fly the craft and also how close you can get to people or objects.

These restrictions only pertain to persons or things uninvolved with the flight. It’s sometimes possible to fly your camera drone inside these areas and distance limitations with prior permission.

The only way to get special permissions is to apply for official authorization from the CAA.

The current limitation for people and camera drones is 50m. For congested areas—including open-air events with more than 1000 persons—it’s 150m [13], [14].

Failure to Comply with Public Drone Rules

Drones fall into different types and categories and each has its own set of rules, regulations, and restrictions. In the UK, laws change periodically to keep up with drone technology and increased use.

As a drone pilot, you’re responsible to know what the rules and limitations are for you and your craft. Authorities will not accept ignorance as an excuse as all information is in the public domain.

The CAA can prosecute offenders who fail to comply with current drone laws and restrictions. The maximum fine at the time of compiling this guide is £2,500 GBP

The CAA also has the authority to revoke your permission to fly drones in the future in addition to the fine if they choose to do so. Pilots may have a defense if they can prove a situation was unavoidable at the time of the incident [15].

Drone Rules for Visitors to the UK

Visitors to the UK can bring their drones and take to British skies. There’s nothing on the official websites about visitors taking the new awareness tests that UK citizens have to sit.

I contacted the UK’s UAV Enquiries Department for clarification in September 2017. They informed me that visitors do not need permission to fly in the Kingdom for noncommercial purposes.

In this case, ‘non-commercial’ simply means as a tourist or for hobby flying. The CAA did, however, say that visitors must familiarize themselves with all UK drone regulations prior to arrival.

Rules and regulations on drones and UK airspace are under constant review. Visitors are therefore responsible for acquainting themselves with the latest CAA updates.