UK "Drone" registration on the way?

[scrw.]

Unsure where to post this one, could be in the Scale or Photography sections, however.

Seems that HMG have decided to look at drones requiring registration & users to have to take exams to fly them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drones-to-be-re...

They haven't defined what a drone it, but I could be in the situation where I have to take an exam to fly my DJI Phantom quad rotor and limited to 400ft but can fly my 6ft-ish wings Wot4-XL which comes in at 5kg-ish and can travel alot faster/further/higher with less onboard safety in terms of sensors/gps etc that my Phantom has. Safety my arse, easy tax on a growing hobby more like.

Good video from NZ on the subject here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfrhIwp1L8w&yt...

(mods feel free to move to more suitable section)

[Evanivitch]

Why do you think RC aircraft won't come under the same control?

The reality is that the affordability and the usability of RC aerial systems has changed dramatically and it's a pretty big safety and security concern.

[Murph7355]

Evanivitch said:

Why do you think RC aircraft won't come under the same control?

The reality is that the affordability and the usability of RC aerial systems has changed dramatically and it's a pretty big safety and security concern.

I tend to agree...but also think any legislation will be utterly ineffective.

I was thinking today that maybe a better solution would be the authorities using similar technologies to actively protect the airspace they are concerned with (airports, prisons etc). And perhaps introduce a tax on these things to fund the "killer drones"

[scrw.]

I expect it is the thin end of the wedge. But from a safety of electronics pov, modern radio stuff is much better than old FM systems I used even 15 years ago

[scrw.]

They seem to be focusing on "drones" so quad copter stuff. So my Phantom can't do anything more dodgy than the Morley 300 helicopter (old RC types will remember them) could do in the 90's. The big improvement is on video/FPV stuff I admit, but licencing stuff never stops dodgy people doing dogy stuff, see handgun laws for example.

[scrw.]

Murph7355 said:

I was thinking today that maybe a better solution would be the authorities using similar technologies to actively protect the airspace they are concerned with (airports, prisons etc). And perhaps introduce a tax on these things to fund the "killer drones"

I think DJI is looking at that or it actually may already be a feature to stop over flying airfields. Certainly I can limit my phantom to distance from transmitter & overall height.

[Evanivitch]

Murph7355 said:

I tend to agree...but also think any legislation will be utterly ineffective.

I was thinking today that maybe a better solution would be the authorities using similar technologies to actively protect the airspace they are concerned with (airports, prisons etc). And perhaps introduce a tax on these things to fund the "killer drones"

What about army bases? Power stations? Public events?

I still don't see it being effective unless retailers are forced to register customers,and that would include serial number registration too.

[tim0409]

scrw. said:

They seem to be focusing on "drones" so quad copter stuff. So my Phantom can't do anything more dodgy than the Morley 300 helicopter (old RC types will remember them) could do in the 90's. The big improvement is on video/FPV stuff I admit, but licencing stuff never stops dodgy people doing dogy stuff, see handgun laws for example.

I worked in a model shop in my youth and remember the Morley and MFA 500 etc. The difference is that the halfwits that fire up a drone close to an airport wouldn’t have lasted 30 seconds in the air with a RC helicopter before The ease of flying/cost means literally anybody can fly a drone with the inevitable, depressing results.

[djc206]

Whether it has any effect or not is not really the purpose of registration as far as I can tell. Obviously tits will be tits, it's just this way when they decide to fly a toy through the Gatwick glide path as one halfwit did a few weeks ago they'll be charged with an additional offence so will receive a harsher sentence. The CAA has to be seen to be doing something, this is about the only course they could take.

I really think someone needs to go to prison soon for endangering an aircraft, it might wake up the rest of drone users to the dangers their toys (which most of them are) present to commercial air traffic.

[Murph7355]

Evanivitch said:

What about army bases? Power stations? Public events?

Just add them to the list.

The government sets it as restricted airspace, then the "killer drones" get deployed to protect it, knocking out unauthorised drones/etc at will

[mickytruelove]

I fly quadcopters, race quads mostly about 400-600g, i swap frames,motors and stuff every week so am i meant to register each one?

This is simply a money machine. The way to stop the dick heads with their phantoms is to have a 5 year minumium jail sentence for anyone caught flying near an airport.

Im sure with the police cuts we have at the moment they really dont need anything else to police.

[Dave.]

Murph7355 said:

Just add them to the list.

The government sets it as restricted airspace, then the "killer drones" get deployed to protect it, knocking out unauthorised drones/etc at will

Like Robot Wars, but in the skies.... awesome!

[Murph7355]

Dave. said:

Like Robot Wars, but in the skies.... awesome!

Exactly.

And then we'd get news drones filming the action. The BBC could have the filming rights which would bring in even more money to help them fund Gary Lineker and Chris Evans fronting it. (We could use Naga Munchetty for the eye candy).

Some of the money would necessarily need to be used to bolster the NHS to cover collateral injuries from drone debris (and just because the NHS always deserves more money) and we could become a leading power in drone defence tech which could replace both Financial Services AND fishing in a post Brexit UK.

It's such an obvious plan and I would bet is exactly where the government are going with this.

[jagnet]

Alternatively the Dutch use of eagles to catch drones is impressive to watch.

[PositronicRay]

I'm in favour, it may make irresponsible people think about their actions. I had one over the back garden while eating lunch with the family the other day, quite intrusive.

[Murph7355]

PositronicRay said:

I'm in favour, it may make irresponsible people think about their actions. I had one over the back garden while eating lunch with the family the other day, quite intrusive.

Air rifle or shotgun time

[Lucas CAV]

PositronicRay said:

I'm in favour, it may make irresponsible people think about their actions. I had one over the back garden while eating lunch with the family the other day, quite intrusive.

Yes agreed.
Just need something similar for the plonkers on jetskis buzzing up and down the same stretch of beach.

[Evanivitch]

mickytruelove said:

I fly quadcopters, race quads mostly about 400-600g, i swap frames,motors and stuff every week so am i meant to register each one?

This is simply a money machine. The way to stop the dick heads with their phantoms is to have a 5 year minumium jail sentence for anyone caught flying near an airport.

Im sure with the police cuts we have at the moment they really dont need anything else to police.

With a transmission range of a few miles, how do you trace who the owner is of an intercepted drone?

[jmorgan]

This was always going to happen when they got easy to use they become obtainable by anyone.

[terrydacktal]

I think it's a great idea. Drone owners, on the whole, seem to be a certain type and registration would hopefully make them at least think about their selfishness a bit.