Drone License

[motorbiking]

As of today anyone with a Drone or model Aircraft over 250g now has to buy an annual Licence (£9) and pass an online test every 3 years. 250g isn't much for a typical hobby drone.

If you are considering buying one you need to check the weight if you don't want to have to register and licence the use.

more info..
https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft/Our-role/Drone-and-model-aircraft-registration/

 

[HERTS P&D]

All it is, is a way of getting everyone's details logged onto a data base that can be checked when drones are spotted at 'various areas'.

Andy

 

[Alec_t]

250g isn't much for a typical hobby drone.

Perhaps that's the maximum a jet engine could swallow without undue harm?

 

[Notch7]

It covers you upto a 20kg drone -now that would be a beast

 

[mattylad]

Pah... little johnny isn't going to fill that out on boxing day - he'll be flying it until the batteries die instead

 

[Alec_t]

Who's going to police all this, I wonder?

 

[mattylad]

I bet the local model aricraft club are really pi$$ed at this, probably moaning over their pints at the pub.

 

[Alec_t]

Fewer pints alas, since they've got to fork out £9 per annum for their operator licence.

 

[HERTS P&D]

There must be a rule saying you can't be p1$$ed and fly a drone??

Andy

 

[Alec_t]

There must be a rule saying you can't be p1$$ed and fly a drone??

There is. From the Drone and Model Aircraft Code :

 

[HERTS P&D]

I new someone would look it up.

Andy

 

[ericmark]

Main reason to fly a drone was to take pictures, but the licence required to publish any pictures taken has so many rules, it means in real terms forget it. You can take a picture for your own use, but if you want to enter that picture for a competition, or publish (that includes facebook and the like) they there are rules which include getting permission from anyone who property may be in the picture, the likes of estate agents use a licensed drone pilot.

If this new licence replaces the old system then it must be good news, as the old system was very restrictive, we as a camera club of 150 had just three people who could show aerial photos, two had drones and one a pilots licence for a light aircraft. We were not really happy about this as it seemed to give them an unfair advantage, however so did affording to holiday in Africa and pay out enough money to photograph lions matting, so it was really splitting into a them and us.

 

[motorbiking]

Sorry @ericmark there is a lot of misunderstanding in the above. Whoever, is giving out this advice is confused. But firstly, this requirement to license Drone/model aircraft use makes no changes to copyright law. Now that's cleared up let me clarify the situation for taking pictures.

There are two elements here.

1. Restrictions limiting the rights a person has to occupy land
2. Copyright in architecture.

1. it is true that a land owner can limit a person's right to take photographs while occupying their land. This is a restriction on the right to occupy. Effectively you are trespassing if you don't comply. It does not change the ownership or title to the photos taken, but could (unlikely) result in a damages claim.

2. sec 62 of the Copyright Design and Patents Act offers exemption http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/62 Your "pilots" are claiming exemption which is applicable to all.

note this is the short version.

Your PfCO holders still have an advantage relating to proximity to people and buildings, but there is nothing relating to copyright preventing you from exhibiting works. I suspect that still gives an advantage : info here https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-in...involving-small-unmanned-aircraft-and-drones/