UK "Drone" registration on the way?

[GetCarter]

djc206 said:

So you were in breach of the rules then?

Quite.

I lived in the Cotswolds at a height of 1400 feet. If I took off, I could fly to 1800 ft above sea level legally. I now live next to the sea with hills over 3000 ft next to me. If I take off from the top of one am I legal at 3400 ft? I doubt it... but it shows what stupid 'one size fits all' rules/guidelines exist.

[djc206]

GetCarter said:

Quite.

I lived in the Cotswolds at a height of 1400 feet. If I took off, I could fly to 1800 ft above sea level legally. I now live next to the sea with hills over 3000 ft next to me. If I take off from the top of one am I legal at 3400 ft? I doubt it... but it shows what stupid 'one size fits all' rules/guidelines exist.

The one size fits all works for every other airspace user, what makes you special other than your apparent ignorance?

You are legal to 400ft above ground level (agl). Where you take off from is immaterial really the drone must never exceed 400ft from the ground directly beneath it. It is up to you to know, airspace charts are readily available on the internet.

[Oakey]

I was on the park today with my family, sat on the field overlooking the lake (along with lots of other families). Heard a buzzing, look up, there's a drone hovering over us, probably about 100ft high.

I felt strangely compelled to watch it, constantly, in order to know where it was. I just kept thinking that I hope it doesn't fall out of the sky. I thought they weren't supposed to be operated in crowded areas?

Shortly afterwards a helicopter took off from nearby and flew straight over the park, right over where the drone had been.

[GetCarter]

Oakey said:

I thought they weren't supposed to be operated in crowded areas?

They are not.

[scrw.]

Oakey said:

Shortly afterwards a helicopter took off from nearby and flew straight over the park, right over where the drone had been.

So the Heli went over a park at 100ft?! More people have been killed by helis falling from the sky than drones however, but a park is totaly the wrong place to be flying any R/C stuff.

[GetCarter]

djc206 said:

GetCarter said:

Quite.

I lived in the Cotswolds at a height of 1400 feet. If I took off, I could fly to 1800 ft above sea level legally. I now live next to the sea with hills over 3000 ft next to me. If I take off from the top of one am I legal at 3400 ft? I doubt it... but it shows what stupid 'one size fits all' rules/guidelines exist.

The one size fits all works for every other airspace user, what makes you special other than your apparent ignorance?

You are legal to 400ft above ground level (agl). Where you take off from is immaterial really the drone must never exceed 400ft from the ground directly beneath it. It is up to you to know, airspace charts are readily available on the internet.

Thanks for your invaluable help to cure my apparent ignorance. I can fly to 3400 ft. above the sea, and then suddenly dive 3000 ft. Excellent. Just the sort of advice I was looking for. You really need to understand where people live and where they fly from before you make such adversarial and ill informed comments.

Serious question: How the hell do I fly 400 ft above ground level, when I fly from a 3000 ft hill and 400 ft out I am above the sea? We don't all live in flat England!

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 23 July 18:25

[red_slr]

Wonder what some of the bigger companies who have grown to supply the drone market will think of this...

As someone who has spent 25 years flying RC I have to say its yet another thing to be taken from us. I fly responsibly, but the occasional mistake can happen. What happens if I happen to stray above 400/1000. Then what, will the "man" come knocking.

I enjoy fixed wing the most at the moment, but as I use a flight controller no doubt that will need registering too. What happens if I have a fly away, will I get reported?

It all makes me think its not going to be worth the hassle flying any more.

[djc206]

GetCarter said:

Thanks for your invaluable help to cure my apparent ignorance. I can fly to 3400 ft. above the sea, and then suddenly dive 3000 ft. Excellent. Just the sort of advice I was looking for. You really need to understand where people live and where they fly from before you make such adversarial and ill informed comments. HTH.

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 23 July 18:17

That's your problem, if you can't fly within the rules where you fly don't fly there.

[djc206]

red_slr said:

Wonder what some of the bigger companies who have grown to supply the drone market will think of this...

As someone who has spent 25 years flying RC I have to say its yet another thing to be taken from us. I fly responsibly, but the occasional mistake can happen. What happens if I happen to stray above 400/1000. Then what, will the "man" come knocking.

I enjoy fixed wing the most at the moment, but as I use a flight controller no doubt that will need registering too. What happens if I have a fly away, will I get reported?

It all makes me think its not going to be worth the hassle flying any more.

Well realistically there is no one to enforce the rules so nothing will happen

[Oakey]

scrw. said:

So the Heli went over a park at 100ft?! More people have been killed by helis falling from the sky than drones however, but a park is totaly the wrong place to be flying any R/C stuff.

it took off from the other side of the park and flew over



it looks further away in the photo but was quite low, maybe moremlike 200ft than 100ft?

not sure if that's the police helicopter or air ambulance

[GetCarter]

djc206 said:

GetCarter said:

Thanks for your invaluable help to cure my apparent ignorance. I can fly to 3400 ft. above the sea, and then suddenly dive 3000 ft. Excellent. Just the sort of advice I was looking for. You really need to understand where people live and where they fly from before you make such adversarial and ill informed comments. HTH.

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 23 July 18:17

That's your problem, if you can't fly within the rules where you fly don't fly there.

See my question above. So you are saying I can take off from my 3000 ft hill and fly to 3400 ft? I'll let the CAA know your opinions!

As I mentioned we don't all live in flatlands!

I should add... This is the road I live on:



..and I flew DOWN to take this photo. Am I 400 ft above ground level? Who knows... I was lower than take off.

ETA: many will know where this was taken... just over 2300 ft up on the Bealach.

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 23 July 18:58

[Chuggy]

GetCarter said:

Quite.

I lived in the Cotswolds at a height of 1400 feet. .

How did you manage that ?? Thought the highest point was about 1000 ft

[GetCarter]

Chuggy said:

How did you manage that ?? Thought the highest point was about 1000 ft

I had a tall house.

(ETA, but I was on almost the highest point of the Cotswolds)

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 23 July 18:59

[terrydacktal]

GetCarter said:

djc206 said:

The one size fits all works for every other airspace user, what makes you special other than your apparent ignorance?

You are legal to 400ft above ground level (agl). Where you take off from is immaterial really the drone must never exceed 400ft from the ground directly beneath it. It is up to you to know, airspace charts are readily available on the internet.

Thanks for your invaluable help to cure my apparent ignorance. I can fly to 3400 ft. above the sea, and then suddenly dive 3000 ft. Excellent. Just the sort of advice I was looking for. You really need to understand where people live and where they fly from before you make such adversarial and ill informed comments.

No that's not what he said at all. Re-read it maybe - it looks like your flying days are numbered if this is the legislation. You don't have a right to fly a drone.

[scrw.]

However flying 10ft from a cliff face as you decend from the top to 400ft from the valley below is going to be in airspace unused by other aircraft

[djc206]

GetCarter said:

See my question above. So you are saying I can take off from my 3000 ft hill and fly to 3400 ft? I'll let the CAA know your opinions!

As I mentioned we don't all live in flatlands!

I should add... This is the road I live on:



..and I flew DOWN to take this photo. Am I 400 ft above ground level? Who knows... I was lower than take off.

ETA: many will know where this was taken... just over 2300 ft up on the Bealach.

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 23 July 18:58

I would say yes that's fine you're not more than 400ft agl. There'll be no controlled airspace there as it wouldn't be considered terrain safe so not an issue. It's not a cliff so surely staying roughly 400ft from the surface is not particularly difficult. GPS would give an accurate surface height amsl surely? Of course as we've already said there's not going to be anyone in the wilds of Scotland monitoring anyone's actions anyway so it's all moot. However if you took off at 3000ft and flew straight out maintaining that original altitude you'd be clearly breaching the rules.

[Murph7355]

GetCarter said:

Thanks for your invaluable help to cure my apparent ignorance. I can fly to 3400 ft. above the sea, and then suddenly dive 3000 ft. Excellent. Just the sort of advice I was looking for. You really need to understand where people live and where they fly from before you make such adversarial and ill informed comments.

Serious question: How the hell do I fly 400 ft above ground level, when I fly from a 3000 ft hill and 400 ft out I am above the sea? We don't all live in flat England!

I believe the software in some of these can be set to maintain a height/max height above where they are.

But as djc a little abruptly put it, the point is it's up to you to make sure you know, and if you aren't sure, fly lower. If you can't fly lower, you shouldn't be flying.

I would say the chances of a real helicopter/plane flying 400ft above the ground directly below it in the picture of the slope you posted are zero. Which is what the rule is there to cover I think

[Evanivitch]

Murph7355 said:

I would say the chances of a real helicopter/plane flying 400ft above the ground directly below it in the picture of the slope you posted are zero. Which is what the rule is there to cover I think

Unless you're in a UK Low Fly Zone.

https://www.gov.uk/low-flying-in-your-area/where-a...

[surveyor]

'GetCarter' show's the reasoning behind the new legislation. Lot's of UAV (fancy name for a drone) owners push the rules that suit them. Virtually every video I see on Youtube has an element of rule-breaking.

I am hold a PfCO, so hopefully I won't have to do the test... but I fully agree with both the test and the registration.

Incidently for Get Carter.. The rules are that the drone must stay within visual range, which generally the CAA consider to be 500m laterally and 400 feet AGL laterally. But if you can argue that the drone is still in visual range, you would not be in breach of the regulations. My only concern would be whether these valleys are within the MOD low flying regime. He would know better than me. Hopefully he checks Notams and Charts. Also interestingly as a Professional this loophole ins closed to me, as my permission clearly states 400 feet above ground level.

[Nothingtoseehere]

terrydacktal said:

No that's not what he said at all. Re-read it maybe - it looks like your flying days are numbered if this is the legislation. You don't have a right to fly a drone.

Don't tell me,its a privilege.