Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1322958
In these days of anticipated lighter touch regulation, do we really want the CAA to be involved with prosecuting people flying remote controlled devices at 100/200 feet AGL? Surely it would better dealt with by the local police, leaving the CAA to use their expensive resource to focus on "real aviation" matters?

Chris
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1322959
Mr Plod is not short of work and would need training, CAA and ANO should stick together.
By Ragwing
#1322967
Flying at 200ft...if you look at them on youtube you will see them having near misses with airliners....I always knew these things would end in tears...
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By rf3flyer
#1322984
A cynical person might speculate that the real perceived offence was that it was at a soccer match, not merely the flying of a drone and that protection of TV and video rights of sporting fixtures weighed more with the complainant (a club official?) than concern for crowd safety. That complainant may have been delighted to have been able to involve the CAA rather than the local plod.

This whole drone business, though, while for the most part fun and innocuous has the capacity to end in tears, I feel. Maybe we flyers need to be entitled to fit machine guns to our aeroplanes, you know, for purposes of self defence. :)
By Rusty Spanner
#1322998
Weren't one of the first to be caught illegally using Drones, (wait for it)

The police? :P
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By Rob L
#1323002
At least the CAA (in the link referred to above by Joff) state:

CAA wrote:Notes to Editors:

Operating rules for small unmanned aircraft:
• An unmanned aircraft must never be flown beyond the normal unaided ‘line of sight’ of the person operating it. This is generally measured as 500m horizontally or 400ft vertically.

• An unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera must always be flown at least 50m distance away from a person, vehicle, building or structure.

• An unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera must not be flown within 150m of a congested area or large group of people, such as a sporting event or concert.


To their credit, this at least promulgates (in phrases that the press & general public can understand) the legal standing. Joff's link provides the necessary ANO articles.
By hatzflyer
#1323008
I landed back at my strip a few weeks back and a stranger was flying a large quad copter with a camera on it.
As I taxied in he hovered it towards the prop arc just in my blind spot.

I've been an aeromodeller for over 50 years so I know a bit about radio controlled models and how many failure modes can affect them. When I explained how stupid he had been he gave me a lecture on how good these state of the art models are.

He was bloody lucky he didn't end up wearing it ! :evil:
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By Sooty25
#1323029
have rifle,
will travel.
#1323035
I was told a story easily 20 years ago by a colleague (although the event had taken place in the 60s when RC aircraft were extremely rare and expensive) who had been out shooting rabbits. As they were walking along they heard a model aircraft buzzing towards them. It repeatedly buzzed them as the operator hid out of sight. He lost his patience raised his shotgun and blasted the thing out of the sky.
By chevvron
#1323041
Rob L wrote:At least the CAA (in the link referred to above by Joff) state:

CAA wrote:Notes to Editors:

Operating rules for small unmanned aircraft:
• An unmanned aircraft must never be flown beyond the normal unaided ‘line of sight’ of the person operating it. This is generally measured as 500m horizontally or 400ft vertically.

• An unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera must always be flown at least 50m distance away from a person, vehicle, building or structure.

• An unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera must not be flown within 150m of a congested area or large group of people, such as a sporting event or concert.


To their credit, this at least promulgates (in phrases that the press & general public can understand) the legal standing. Joff's link provides the necessary ANO articles.

Rule 5 still applies ie 'Not closer than 500ft to any person, vessel vehicle or structure' and 'not closer than 1000ft over an open air assembly not assembled of 1000 persons or more' etc.