UK Drone Registration

[Ian]

The UK Government has announced plans to introduce the requirement for UAV drone registration for owners of aircraft weighing > 250g. There have been an increasing number of problems with drone owners operating aircraft unsafely, such as very close to airport runways or flying them at high speed in public places.

There is no time frame or firm plans as to how the new rules will be enforced and the Department of Transport admitted that "the nuts and bolts still have to be ironed out".

The drone safety awareness test will involve potential flyers having to "prove that they understand UK safety, security and privacy regulations", it said.

The plans also include the extension of geo-fencing, in which no-fly zones are programmed into drones using GPS co-ordinates, around areas such as prisons and airports.

The BBC have more details here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40684581

 

[Ian]

Just saw this image and thought of this news headline!

A family photo gone wrong....

 

[V_R]

I was just reading about this.... Good idea, if implemented correctly.

As usual it would seem the idiots ruin it for the rest.

Its this kind of thing that puts me off getting a Mavic, I don't want to get it then they regulate it to hell and I can't fly the thing anywhere.

Lol at that gif!

 

[Ian]

They're considering building in geo-fencing in to drones like the Mavic - i.e. GPS disables flight within 1km of airports, sensitive places etc.... I don't like limiting devices like that, but people have shown they can't be trusted to obey the law or use common sense, so it does seem necessary. It won't affect hobby drones that you can buy for £40 at Amazon, but the higher end ones like Mavic, Phantom, etc...

I would love to get a high-end drone, but I just don't think I'd make use of it enough - plus the laws that will be around in a couple of years will likely prohibit so many uses.

 

[nivrip]

It's essential that some regulation be brought in. There have been several episodes at airports and, unless something is done, it's only a matter of time before there is a collision, with god knows what consequences.

I think it's a good idea to disable drone flights near airports and probably near prisons too where things have been dropped in to prisoners.

A driving test for drones?

 

[TriplexDread]

I read the other day one was apparently registred as flying at approximately 18000ft????

How??

 

[V_R]

That was a Phantom wasn't it? That would involve the dodgy hacked FW to get it that high I'd imagine. Either way that's very reckless, if it failed at that height who knows what could happen.

A friend of mine has a DJI Inspire, which I've had a go with several times, It bad enough when it gets high enough that you start to loose it in the sky, never mind going about the 400ft limit.

 

[EvanDavis]

This is a good idea. And I quite like Niv's idea of a driving test for drones. I am after one and would need some lessons or I would probably fly the thing in to my own head.