UK CAA Registration

[ukracer]

Hi All,

Read today that there is an act of parliament coming out in the next few days that will enforce registration by owners of Stones overall 250g and require a competence test and also limit altitude to 400 feet AGL.

Has anyone else heard this?

Bob

 

[monki77]

Hi All,

Read today that there is an act of parliament coming out in the next few days that will enforce registration by owners of Stones overall 250g and require a competence test and also limit altitude to 400 feet AGL.

Has anyone else heard this?

Bob

I have multiple rocks in my garden and I refuse to register them. This is not freedom!

Yep you heard right, UAVs over 250g require online registration and an online test - in effect from November 2019

The altitude limit of 400ft only applies to within 1km of an airport though. Seeing as the current altitude limit for standard PfCO is 400ft and no one in their right mind under normal circumstances would typically fly 400ft within 1km of an airport anyway, I fail to see the difference to most people.

Pretty lapse if you ask me. Law abiding drone operators don't really break the rules anyway, and the people that do, don't care. I'm not sure exactly what the purpose is.

 

[probonic]

I have multiple rocks in my garden and I refuse to register them. This is not freedom!

Yep you heard right, UAVs over 250g require online registration and an online test - in effect from November 2019

The altitude limit of 400ft only applies to within 1km of an airport though. Seeing as the current altitude limit for standard PfCO is 400ft and no one in their right mind under normal circumstances would typically fly 400ft within 1km of an airport anyway, I fail to see the difference to most people.

Pretty lapse if you ask me. Law abiding drone operators don't really break the rules anyway, and the people that do, don't care. I'm not sure exactly what the purpose is.

You've misunderstood. The rules are you can't fly within 1km of an airport at all, and not above 400ft anywhere else.

The main purpose is to make sensible limits that once could legally be exceeded laws. This adds a little bit more incentive for people to follow them. Unless someone is flying dangerously, they should have nothing to worry about.

As for registration, this is effectively a record that you have completed whatever test the CAA comes up with (which is likely to be quite easy, but educates people about the rules), so people can't claim ignorance about the rules if they are caught breaking them. It adds an extra layer of responsibility.

I know a lot of people will say of course there will be many people who won't bother and break the rules anyway, but this isn't about those people - there's not much that can be done about that. It's about the people who genuinely don't know the rules and end up breaking them by accident.

I'm fine giving probably 10 minutes of my time to register, if it means many people who are ignorant of the rules are forced to educate themselves.

 

[monki77]

You've misunderstood. The rules are you can't fly within 1km of an airport at all, and not above 400ft anywhere else.

After re-reading I think you're right, the 2 are not hand in hand.

Although I still don't understand what the point is. Standard PfCO already has a limit of 400ft AGL. With an OSC you can get this to something like 600ft, but with a reduced VLOS range.
I'm going to assume they are not removing the OSC for over 400ft for a well-seasoned pilot.... it makes no sense.

 

[probonic]

After re-reading I think you're right, the 2 are not hand in hand.

Although I still don't understand what the point is. Standard PfCO already has a limit of 400ft AGL. With an OSC you can get this to something like 600ft, but with a reduced VLOS range.
I'm going to assume they are not removing the OSC for over 400ft for a well-seasoned pilot.... it makes no sense.

The point is to make the 400ft rule enforceable. PfCO or not, up until now there's been nothing stopping you going above 400ft, it was only a recommendation up until now. By making it illegal, it should make people think twice about going above 400ft. It's mainly about updating the law to make things official.