What you should know before flying a drone in the UK Drones used to be scary, specialist equipment reserved for the military and dystopian sci-fi novels. But now theyre everywhere. Companies have worked out how to make these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) cheap and reasonably easy to fly, enticing a whole new wave of amateur pilots. Whether you want to use one for photography or filming purposes, or simply to master the art of flight, its never been easier to have a go. The rapid rise in drone ownership has left many governments scrambling to work out how, if at all, these lightweight aircraft should be regulated. The rules and restrictions vary around the world, so its always a good idea to familiarise yourself before launching a drone somewhere new. Keen to start flying in the UK? Heres everything you should know first. Do I need a permit? Drones are currently regulated by the UKs Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and split up into three different weight categories: 20kg or less, 20kg to 150kg, and above 150kg. For the lightest tier, you dont need a certificate or permit to start flying your drone. The only exception is for aerial work, which refers to any flights where you (the pilot) is paid. If your drone weighs 20kg or more, youll need a permit from the CAA first. However, most hobbyist consumer drones -- be they toys or serious enthusiast models -- are significantly lighter than this, so even if youre attaching heavy camera gear youre unlikely to hit this higher weight bracket. To give just a few examples: DJI S1000+: 4.4kg DJI Phantom 2 Vision+: 1.2kg Parrot AR Drone 2.0: 0.4kg Blade 350 QX2: 1kg Where can I fly my drone? For all of these lighter drones, the CAA has outlined a few scenarios where its not acceptable to take to the air. Some are fairly niche, while others are just plain obvious, but its worth knowing about them so youre never caught red-faced by the authorities: You cant fly your drone recklessly. Or negligently, or in any way that might endanger a person or property. It might sound obvious, but its worth bearing in mind when you hand the controls over to your less-than-trustworthy housemate in the back garden. Any reckless, malicious or negligent flying could also break a number of traditional criminal offences normally handled by the police. Depending on the infringement, officers have the power to arrest you, or seize your drone as evidence and possibly prosecution. The Metropolitan Police, for instance, works alongside the CAA to tackle drone misuse. You cant drop anything from your drone that might put someone in danger. So maybe hold back on some of those flyby water bombs.You should only fly a drone if theres a reasonable expectation the flight can be completed safely. Again, sounds obvious, but it means be realistic about whats possible, both for the technology and your own flying skills. You have to keep direct, unaided visual contact with your drone at all times. The CAA prescribes this as up to 400 feet (122 metres) vertically and 500 metres horizontally. Otherwise, you might not have the ability to avoid potential collisions. To go beyond these distances, youll first need approval from the CAA. This requirement also rules out drone deliveries, at least until adequate detect and avoid systems are approved in the UK. You cant fly a drone in restricted airspace. Or near an Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ), unless youve been given permission beforehand. If youre in a quiet, secluded space this probably wont be a problem, but if youre ever unsure its always best to ask first. What about if Im filming? If youre planning to fly your drone for filming or photography purposes, the CAA has some additional rules that you need to comply with: For take-off and landing, your drone cant be closer than 30 metres to another person. This rule doesnt apply to you (the pilot) and anyone under your control -- which means, in short, people that are aware of what youre doing and will listen to instructions. While in the air, you cant fly your drone within 50 metres of another person, vehicle or structure thats not under your control. Thats a considerable distance to maintain-- roughly five double-decker buses parked one in front of the other. You cant fly within 150 metres of a congested area or a large group (1,000+) of people. This includes music concerts, festivals and large sporting events, as well as densely populated urban areas. Simply flying high isnt an option either -- as we mentioned earlier, your drone cant be higher than 400 feet (122 metres) from the ground at all times. How about privacy laws? If youre capturing videos or photos with your drone, those images will likely fall under the UKs Data Protection Act (DPA). The legislation includes a list of principles that apply to any collection of personal information, including drone footage. Unfortunately, none of them refer to UAVs directly, so working out whats applicable can be tricky. To help you out, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has published some tips to help you stay on the right side of the law and respect peoples privacy. Here are the most important ones: While filming, be honest and fair with people. Its a fairly broad principle of the DPA, but essentially it means you need to be up front with anyone who might appear in your shots. Wherever possible, you should notify bystanders before you start recording, especially if theyre going to be identifiable in the final footage. Its not always easy to alert people though, so you might want to consider some kind of special clothing (the equivalent of a press badge or hi-vis jacket) or signage if youre shooting in a specific area. Think about where youre shooting and the capabilities of your camera. If youre hovering in someones back garden with a huge zoom lens, youre asking for trouble. You should be able to switch your drones camera on and off remotely. This means youll be less likely to capture someone by mistake who doesnt want to appear in your video or photos. Doing so will also minimise the amount of data you need to keep secure. Any data you collect needs to be stored safely. The images and videos you shoot are your responsibility, so the ICO recommends using encryption to keep them secure. Likewise, if you dont need the footage any more, its best to just delete it. The DPA also includes an exemption (section 32) for journalism, literary and artistic works. Its not a blanket protection, however, and comes with some additional criteria -- the footage must be intended for publication and be in the public interest, for instance. You must also reasonably believe that the very nature of your work makes it incompatible with the rules set out in the DPA. If someone were to ever file a case against you (a worst case scenario, of course) the ICO would judge your eligibility for themselves. Want to know more? To review the CAAs guidance for yourself, there are two documents you should check out: CAP 722, which outlines some basic guidance for using drones in the UK, and CAP 393, which covers the Air Navigation Order (ANO) 2009. For the latter, your starting point is Article 253 -- subsection three will direct you to the additional articles which apply to drones. For the DPA, this beginners guide by the ICO is a good starting point, before moving on to the CCTV Code of Practice (page 29, section 7.3). Otherwise, its a matter of flying sensibly. The regulations in the UK are actually quite light, but if youre flying recklessly or disrespecting peoples privacy, youll no doubt find yourself in trouble sooner or later. Of course, if youre ever unsure about a particular place or the rules regarding both drone usage and filming -- its always best to ask someone first. [Image credits; Lima Pix, Flickr (header image), Andrew Turner, Flickr (first image in main body) Stefan Schubert, Flickr (second image in main body) Don Mcullough, Flickr (third image in main body) Gabriel Garcia Marengo, Flickr (final image in main body)] Filed under: Misc Comments ift.tt/1JW4prS
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:38:52 +0000
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