Drone UK law changing end of Dec 2020 - read if you have small drones

[Tony]

In case you're not aware, this was published very recently. From the UK Civil Aviation Authority tweet:

 

Drone users: some of the UK’s #drone laws change at the end of this year. Make sure you are flying correctly and legally by checking out what is new on our website: http://caa.co.uk/drones

 

Direct link to the PDF of the changes - http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/ORS4No1449.pdf

 

In a nutshell - drones under 250g now require registration. £9 a year.

 

I am not surprised about this as we have had an explosion of drone usage this year and with Christmas coming, a lot of people will have their first drones.

 

What do you think of this changes?

[Alex97]

Anyone who's going to be stupid with a drone isn't going register them!

[Bajadre]

yeah seen this on another forum tony seems algood u still dont have to reg toys one which is good i know alot were building under the weight limit this year to bypass reg or a flyer id which is mad in my eyes.

[Bajadre]

Just now, Alex97 said:

Anyone who's going to be stupid with a drone isn't going register them!

true alex but if your caught without your id number on a drone the police can take it away so always better to follow the rules to keep the hobby safe  👍

[Tony]

10 minutes ago, Alex97 said:

Anyone who's going to be stupid with a drone isn't going register them!

 

Yeah, unless you got caught then all of the kit are taken away. Not something you want this to happen.

[Tony]

10 minutes ago, Bajadre said:

u still dont have to reg toys one which is good

 

Yeah, the 'toy' drones doesn't reach that far so I think CAA got the balance right this time.

[Alex97]

22 minutes ago, Bajadre said:

true alex but if your caught without your id number on a drone the police can take it away so always better to follow the rules to keep the hobby safe  👍

I agree that people should follow the rules however many won't

[Stormbringer]

guess i will have to put my regy on the nanos and micro helis i fly now

[Bajadre]

5 hours ago, Alex97 said:

I agree that people should follow the rules however many won't

True we had a guy flying with us couple of years ago owned a syma dji clone thing wasnt a good flyer so we used to tell him to use safe mode with RTH just incase but he kept wandering out further and further til he lost connection and it flew off lol we always use a spotter as most of us FPV 

[Alex97]

The point I was trying to make was that the type of person who buys a cheap drone for a bit of fun to muck around with no doubt isn't aware that they need this or for the price of the drone is happy to risk it. 

 

Shame but the few will always spoil it for the rest.

 

 

[Stormbringer]

yeh some idiot does something stupid and the legal registered folk get the hassle

Edited December 19, 2020 by Stormbringer

[Mack1]

To me it is the government and the CAA saying "look what we have done to combat antisocial drone use" without actually doing anything, apart from rubbing their hands together counting the extra cash flow. All this registration could easily in my mind be done by the BMFA as they already know who is responsible enough via the membership/ Insurance. They could give numbers out or just insist on carrying valid membership card whenever flying.

[Fly In My Soup]

Oh great another stealth tax.... Just what I wanted... 

 

I won't register what I have as we only go out in local fields anyway.... Not exactly what you'd call densely populated 

[GMballistic]

On 19/12/2020 at 21:44, Fly In My Soup said:

Oh great another stealth tax.... Just what I wanted... 

 

I won't register what I have as we only go out in local fields anyway.... Not exactly what you'd call densely populated 

I get where you're coming from as it doesn't seem fair to have to pay out cash for something you're using safely in a private area with lots of space.

You do see some right idiots sometimes though using drones in populated areas where if it did crash land it could quite easily kill someone or damage property. This registering may put some people off getting one which is a good thing but as @Alex97 was getting at most people who may not be as responsible with their drones will not register anyway. 

 

If for the yearly fee that included some public liability insurance then I'd see that as more than worth the fee. 

 

I gave up flying my large drone a few years ago because I struggled to find safe areas locally to fly it as I wouldn't want to fly over populated areas. 

[Fly In My Soup]

Anyone got a link to the Caa regs update? 

 

Cheers big ears

[Tony]

Just now, Fly In My Soup said:

Anyone got a link to the Caa regs update? 

 

Cheers big ears

 

My first post has the PDF link.

[Fly In My Soup]

3 hours ago, GMballistic said:

I get where you're coming from as it doesn't seem fair to have to pay out cash for something you're using safely in a private area with lots of space.

You do see some right idiots sometimes though using drones in populated areas where if it did crash land it could quite easily kill someone or damage property. This registering may put some people off getting one which is a good thing but as @Alex97 was getting at most people who may not be as responsible with their drones will not register anyway. 

 

If for the yearly fee that included some public liability insurance then I'd see that as more than worth the fee. 

 

I gave up flying my large drone a few years ago because I struggled to find safe areas locally to fly it as I wouldn't want to fly over populated areas. 

 

Yeah.... I'm thinking this is one of ' those ' regulations... 

 

You know the type.... Lobbied and passed by individuals who have 0 idea what they're actually engaging in or talking about... They just.... do..... Usually because of constituent pressure or just to be seen to be doing anything about something someone has whinged about / has been in the papers this week..... 

 

I mean.... On face value... It seems they're e pro actively helping reduce nuisance drone users.... When in fact... The immediate conclsuion would be that 'Johnny chavington' is gonna laugh when you tell him he needs to licence his drone.... 

 

And if he indeed was... Or planned to use said drone in nefarious activities /stupid stuff... He's actively going to avoid registering his drone at all costs.... 

 

So What your left with.... Is a hollow policy.... A regulation set up to ' reduce nuisance users' .. . That literally just punishes the legit end user community...... 

 

And just like that... You're back to square one.... 

 

' Well that didn't work... What should we try next...'...... 

 

'I know... A complete repliciation of a failed regulation... But this time for drones under 250g....'

 

🤣🤣.... 👌

 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by Fly In My Soup

[Lone-wolf]

All this laws and rules changes makes me want to just call it a day with the flying, feeling more and more like a criminal and all i am doing is lobbing foam in the sky LOS, i am all registered and insured but they keep moving the goal posts

[Tintin]

Feels similar to the change in legislation over air weapons here in Scotland. You now need a certificate for them, and have to pay for it. All brought in because some wee neds on a scheme shot a toddler. Would they now apply for a certificate? Would they have even bought the weapon from a shop? It is nuts.

 

Oh and there is no record of what air weapons you own, or how many. So none of the guns are traceable. You just have a bit of paper saying you can own them. 

 

As said above the reason for bringing in the law on face of it is for the good. It will allow the police to have more power when dealing with muppets. It is just that the common person who is going to have to pay. 

[Stormbringer]

Yeh Jack i agree its just a big pain in the posterior and its only the legal fliers that will register whereas the numpty's wont and will continue to do stupid things with drones 

[jony nitro]

This does spoil it, but I think all drones and people should be registered , does annoy me though that cameras and phones can video people without their consent.

[GMballistic]

On 28/12/2020 at 10:36, Tintin said:

Feels similar to the change in legislation over air weapons here in Scotland. You now need a certificate for them, and have to pay for it. All brought in because some wee neds on a scheme shot a toddler. Would they now apply for a certificate? Would they have even bought the weapon from a shop? It is nuts.

 

Oh and there is no record of what air weapons you own, or how many. So none of the guns are traceable. You just have a bit of paper saying you can own them. 

Goodness don't get me started on that BS. 😡 😆 

Don't forget all the used airguns floating around passing between hands that aren't licenced as well. 

 

Bit like when the Government banned Brocock and other TAC airguns making everybody that wanted to keep them apply for a firearms licence, ...if you didn't go for the licence then you had to hand the gun/s in for no compensation whatsoever which is disgusting when you consider the cheapest ones were around £150 to buy. 
Needless to say I am sure loads of them are now being held "illegally".

 

I know some people who did get the licence which is a joke because not only do they have to keep paying to renew their licence even if they wanted to sell their legally owned guns to someone else with a licence they cannot do it so either they keep the gun for life or have it destroyed, again for no compensation.