Regulation of UAVs in the United Kingdom

Regulation of UAVs in the United Kingdom prescribes the rules that operators of unmanned aerial vehicles must follow in the UK.

Status: Unknown
Records of Parliamentary debate relating to the statute from Hansard, at TheyWorkForYou

History

In August 2012, The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) stated that it would require non-military drones larger than 20 kg to be able to automatically sense other aircraft and steer to avoid them.[1]

As of 2013, the CAA requires that UAV aircraft less than 20 kilograms in weight must be in direct visual contact with the pilot, cannot fly within 150 meters of a congested area or within 50 meters of a person or vehicle, and cannot be used for commercial activity.[1][2]

In July 2018, the CAA forbade flying above 400 feet (120 m) and flying within 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of an airport or airfield boundary.[3]

Between 19 and 21 December 2018, flights were canceled at Gatwick Airport following reports of drone sightings close to the runway.

Regulation

The Civil Aviation Authority created a "Drone code" which lists the following regulations, forming the acronym DRONE:

"Don’t fly near airports or airfields, Remember to stay below 400 feet (120 m), Observe your drone at all times – stay 150 feet (46 m) away from people and 500 feet (150 m) away from crowds and structures, Never fly near aircraft and Enjoy responsibly". Further:

  • Follow the manufacturer's instructions.[3]

On 20 February 2019, the Department for Transport announced legislation to extend the ‘no-fly’ zone around airports, banning drones from flying within 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) of runways.

References
  1. Reed, Jim (29 August 2012). "The skies open up for large civilian drones". BBC News Technology. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  2. Sclesinger, Fay (16 March 2013) "Animal activists to use drones in fight against illegal hunting" The Times, p. 17; subscription required
  3. "The Drone Code" (PDF). Dronesafe.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
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