FPV col said:
In the uk there is a 400' Max height for model aircraft as you stated but also if you are flying FPV (first person view) you are required to fly LOS (line of sight) with the aid of a second person as a spotter.. Be careful flying in near proximity of an airfield as there may be military activity and they very often under exemption fly well below the minimum 500' rule…
Ok, this is going to be a long one, sorry - don't say I didn't warn you. Pet subject of mine, I'm afraid, the whole UK legislation. Disclosure: I'm a lapsed UK PPL(M) and want to clear up a few misconceptions that seem to be around about legal aspects of RC flying in the UK. The rules regarding flying anything in the UK are contained in the Air Navigation Order (
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP393.pdf ) which has legal status - break it, you're breaking the law.
Model aircraft flying ("small unmanned aircraft") are exempt from most of the provisions, but the ones that directly effect us in the UK are:
s138: A person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger
any person or property.
So, even in your back garden, or in the middle of nowhere, all bets are off if you fly like a ****head and hurt someone or something.
s166: (1) A person must not cause or permit any article or animal (whether or not attached to
a parachute) to be dropped from a small unmanned aircraft so as to endanger persons
or property.
(2) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft may only fly the aircraft if
reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made.
(3) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct, unaided
visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other
aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding
collisions.
(4) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft which has a mass of more than 7kg
excluding its fuel but including any articles or equipment installed in or attached to the
aircraft at the commencement of its flight, must not fly the aircraft:
(a) in Class A, C, D or E airspace unless the permission of the appropriate air traffic
control unit has been obtained;
(b) within an aerodrome traffic zone during the notified hours of watch of the air
traffic control unit (if any) at that aerodrome unless the permission of any such
air traffic control unit has been obtained; or
(c) at a height of more than 400 feet above the surface unless it is flying in airspace
described in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) and in accordance with the requirements for
that airspace.
(5) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must not fly the aircraft for the
purposes of aerial work except in accordance with a permission granted by the CAA.
Note the 7kg mass restriction in 4. Fly where you like, at whatever height you like... BUT s.138 means flying your Vision within a mile of Heathrow is going to land you with a big fine at best. Most airfields in the UK have an Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) which is a circle of radius 2 (sometimes 2.5) miles centred on the middle of the longest runway, extending up 2000ft. If you are within a couple of miles of an airfield then I wouldn't fly above 400ft as a
self-imposed limit. If I was within half a mile of an airfield I wouldn't fly above the highest obstacle in the area (church steeple, or chimney or whatever) - actually I'd probably just go and find a nice bit of open land further away, to be honest.
Lots of people think there is a restriction on smaller RC models flying above 400ft - it's not true. Legally you must maintain unaided visual contact.
Guidelines have been issued that this is going to be around 400ft up and 500m horizontally. If you can't see your aircraft when it's 300ft up, you're breaking the law. If you can see it at 500ft up, you're not breaking the law. Of course at all times you need to be keeping a good lookout and listen out for other air traffic, especially unexpected ones like police helicopters, etc. Also, the "500ft rule" mentioned (Rules of the Air, Section 5, Low Flying (ANO Schedule 1) is frequently misunderstood. That rule says:
Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not be flown
closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.
It's a distance stipulation, not a height one. It's perfectly legal for a Cessna to be barrelling along at 30 feet above the deck, as long as they are 500ft away from
you... but they might not see your Phantom 40ft off the deck right in their path. I used to regularly fly down to 50ft above large open fields to practice engine-out forced landings when I was training, for example. Probably wouldn't have seen something as small as a Vision being flown FPV from 1000ft away... I guess what I'm saying here is no matter what height you are at, you must keep a good look out for other air traffic. Don't rely on keeping under 400ft to be "safe" and don't rely on not finding any light aircraft at under 500ft, and don't restrict yourself to 400ft either
if it's safe, and not recklessly done. I fly with the knowledge that if I hit any full-size aircraft with my Vision, at any height, I'm for the high jump and I look out accordingly.
However, we have Visions - these are classed as "small unmanned surveillance aircraft" so we have some extra restrictions to deal with:
s167: (1) The person in charge of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not fly the
aircraft in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (2) except in accordance
with a permission issued by the CAA.
(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are:
(a) over or within 150 metres of any congested area;
(b) over or within 150 metres of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000
persons;
(c) within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the
control of the person in charge of the aircraft; or
(d) subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), within 50 metres of any person.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), during take-off or landing, a small unmanned surveillance
aircraft must not be flown within 30 metres of any person.
(4) Paragraphs (2)(d) and (3) do not apply to the person in charge of the small unmanned
surveillance aircraft or a person under the control of the person in charge of the
aircraft.
(5) In this article 'a small unmanned surveillance aircraft' means a small unmanned
aircraft which is equipped to undertake any form of surveillance or data acquisition.
So in addition to watching out for air traffic you need to keep well away from "the public" if they are not "under your control". A total stranger standing next to you talking about your aircraft is going to under your conrtol for these purposes, but random dog walkers, pedestrians on beaches, etc, not. Also, if you don't live out in the sticks then taking a tour of your neighbourhood is prohibited as well.
If anyone wants to go to the lengths of buying charts I can recommend these guys as a place to buy 1:250,000 UK VFR charts of your area. They will show ATZs, no fly zones, controlled airspace, etc. overlaid on a scale that's useful for our purposes.
http://www.afeonline.com/shop/caa-1-250-000-vfr-charts
Sorry for the length, but..... Hello? Is anyone still here? Hello?!
