UK Launch Guidance

[pao1os]

Hi, I am after some advice/guidance from any knowledgeable UK flyers:

Is it legal, assuming all other criteria are met (such as 30m from property and people etc) to launch from the roadside? I'm taking about reasonably quiet roads here where the traffic is sparse so launch and landing can be easily accomplished safely when there is no traffic.

I can find no specific information on this either in the drone code or the ANO.

Thanks

 

[Steve7777]

Hi, I am after some advice/guidance from any knowledgeable UK flyers:

Is it legal, assuming all other criteria are met (such as 30m from property and people etc) to launch from the roadside? I'm taking about reasonably quiet roads here where the traffic is sparse so launch and landing can be easily accomplished safely when there is no traffic.

I can find no specific information on this either in the drone code or the ANO.

Thanks

Hi and welcome!

Surely this must be very much dictated by common sense?

In all situations you should consider what could happen in a worst-case scenario. Although you weren't planning to come in to land when cars are around, your drone loses a prop just as a whole fleet of cars appears, your drone plummets and smashes into one of the cars which then causes a petrol tanker to swerve into a nuclear waste lorry... etc etc etc...

Rest assured though, if something does go wrong, then the UK justice system will be sure to find something to nail you with (manslaughter by gross negligence is one that springs to mind), most likely with a significant punishment.

Sometimes you can't find all the answers to all the questions for all situations written down in black and white....

Can't you take off from somewere nearby instead?

 

[pao1os]

Hi and welcome!

Surely this must be very much dictated by common sense?

In all situations you should consider what could happen in a worst-case scenario. Although you weren't planning to come in to land when cars are around, your drone loses a prop just as a whole fleet of cars appears, your drone plummets and smashes into one of the cars which then causes a petrol tanker to swerve into a nuclear waste lorry... etc etc etc...

Rest assured though, if something does go wrong, then the UK justice system will be sure to find something to nail you with (manslaughter by gross negligence is one that springs to mind), most likely with a significant punishment.

Sometimes you can't find all the answers to all the questions for all situations written down in black and white....

Can't you take off from somewere nearby instead?

? Good response. Take the point though and yes often it is possible to find somewhere nearby. I guess for those times when it isn’t though ultimately there is nothing regulation wise preventing us from doing so, yet......

Your initial point is one of the reasons for the question; while I am quite a cautious type when it comes to operating, I imagine the risk would be higher flying over a busy road even at or above 50m, than launch and landing from the side of a quiet country lane.

 

[WV. Rootman]

? Good response. Take the point though and yes often it is possible to find somewhere nearby. I guess for those times when it isn’t though ultimately there is nothing regulation wise preventing us from doing so, yet......

Your initial point is one of the reasons for the question; while I am quite a cautious type when it comes to operating, I imagine the risk would be higher flying over a busy road even at or above 50m, than launch and landing from the side of a quiet country lane.

I mean this in a kind way. I feel sorry for you and others who have such stringent rules. Some are just ridiculous. Why don't they have someone walked in front of a car warning people of it's coming, so no one can get hit by it.

 

[pao1os]

I mean this in a kind way. I feel sorry for you and others who have such stringent rules. Some are just ridiculous. Why don't they have someone walked in front of a car warning people of it's coming, so no one can get hit by it.

Thanks, I suppose it stems from a health and safety culture which sometimes goes too far, still there are places much worse off than the UK. We also don’t have all that lovely open space you guys enjoy. ?

 

[WV. Rootman]

Thanks, I suppose it stems from a health and safety culture which sometimes goes too far, still there are places much worse off than the UK. We also don’t have all that lovely open space you guys enjoy. ?

True. The closer people are squeezed together, the more laws they have, as a rule. The same for different areas of the states. In West Virginia I have great liberty in flying. We are allowed to even fly in state parks. West Virginia has only 1.8 million people and 78% forests.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

As with Steve777, I'd be wary of landing/flying on the literal roadside but if you must come in early with no need to rush the landing and be prepared to land/ditch/crash it somewhere else.
Personally I doubt I would risk it.
I have flown from roadside, seaside carparks etc. and at one the police arrived to check out an abandoned car, they didn't appear even interested in my flying but I was out over the sea at the time or coming in and there were no other people about nor was I "zooming" about all over the place.
I have flown across the road there (to get to and from the cliffs beyond the road) but it was at height and speed so that if something went wrong it was unlikely the drone would come down anywhere near the road. It's not only traffic you should think about but on rural roads, rural happenings e.g. farmers moving herds or flocks etc. or horse traffic.
Elsewhere, in a different carpark, I did have one mishap during one of my first/early proper flights, I had been out over the sea and had come back in and was about 3ft off the ground when it suddenly started heading for the road, I am still not certain what happened but I probably screwed up somehow. I put the drone into a stone built wall that was between the carpark and road rather than risking it going over the wall and out over the road. I was lucky in that the drone didn't escape the carpark and it suffered no damage.

 

[gunner370]

Thanks, I suppose it stems from a health and safety culture which sometimes goes too far, still there are places much worse off than the UK. We also don’t have all that lovely open space you guys enjoy. ?

I live in the north east England. We have some great open spaces, the North Yorkshire moors are less the an hour away, miles of deserted coastline , the Dales, Lake District etc. What we don't have is guaranteed good flying weather, still wouldn't live anywhere else. ;-)

 

[landmannnn]

It isn't illegal to take off from a roadside, however near in mind that in most cases the road is the property of the adjacent landowners up until the middle of the road. Although you still have right to use the road, it may be that the landowner could ask you not to fly drones.
Watching those youths on Motorcross bikes without registration plates and the Audi drivers doing 120mph on rural roads, I doubt if any policeman would bother you though.

 

[Capt KO]

Do you have local no-fly maps. At least you’ll know if it’s legal or not to even be there.

 

[pao1os]

@PhiliusFoggg: I’m generally pretty cautious and try to find somewhere slightly away from the actual kerbside, sometimes though a pull in by the side of the road is the only place to launch. Sounds like a narrow escape with the second incident you described.

@ gunner370: now I’m just jealous ?

@ landmannnn: I didn’t know that, I thought public roads were owned by the local authorities or highways agency.

@ Capt KO: Yes we have an app called Drone Assist, it’s pretty good at showing no fly and risky areas but it doesn’t show restrictions around roads per se.

Thanks all for the input.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

The second one scared the 1234 out of me, it was late, 11pm ish, and the road was not busy but .........

 

[landmannnn]

@PhiliusFoggg: I’m generally pretty cautious and try to find somewhere slightly away from the actual kerbside, sometimes though a pull in by the side of the road is the only place to launch. Sounds like a narrow escape with the second incident you described.

@ gunner370: now I’m just jealous ?

@ landmannnn: I didn’t know that, I thought public roads were owned by the local authorities or highways agency.

@ Capt KO: Yes we have an app called Drone Assist, it’s pretty good at showing no fly and risky areas but it doesn’t show restrictions around roads per se.

Thanks all for the input.

On the ownership, generally for all roads built after WW2, the highways agency purchased the land for roads, so yes they are effectively in public ownership.
For all the rest of the roads they are generally just rights of way over people's land. (I doubt if the Romans made any compulsory purchase orders when the built those relatively new straight roads a couple of thousand years ago)

 

[tribar]

"Ikopta" is a very good source for the UK (link to youtube channel below

Ikopta

Welcome to ikopta. Your "everything" for Drones, UAV's, SUAS, and Unmanned aerial filming. Upload Schedule: MONDAY: Product Review- Drone Tech & Must Have Ac...

www.youtube.com

 

[pao1os]

"Ikopta" is a very good source for the UK (link to youtube channel below

Ikopta

Welcome to ikopta. Your "everything" for Drones, UAV's, SUAS, and Unmanned aerial filming. Upload Schedule: MONDAY: Product Review- Drone Tech & Must Have Ac...

www.youtube.com

Yeah he's pretty cool, I've already subscribed, particularly liked his rant at the beeb a couple of weeks ago.