It’s never been easier to get your hands on a drone, which means the authorities have started paying some serious attention to airborne tomfoolery.
The latest law-laying comes courtesy of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which has just unveiled a ‘drone code’, which teaches people how not to be idiots when piloting aircraft remotely.
That’s probably for the best too – just last month a drone was seized by police because it was being flown over the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the home of Wimbledon.
There are three core tenets to the new ‘drone code’, which read as follows:
Keep your drone within your line of sight and at a maximum height of 400ft high
Always fly your drone away from aircraft, helicopters, airports, and airfields
Use your common sense and fly safely. Remember you could be prosecuted if you don’t
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He continues: “We want to embrace and enable the innovation that arises from the development of drone technology but we must ensure that this is done safely, with all airspace users in mind.”
Johnson adds: “It is imperative that people observe the rules when operating a drone.”
Related: 11 jawdropping videos that will make you want a drone
It’s worth mentioning that you can already be prosecuted in the UK for the criminal offence of ‘recklessly endangering an aircraft in flight’. As such, you’ll want to keep your drones away from airplanes.
Phil Binks, a drone expert at air traffic control NATS, said: “Drones can be fantastic tools and we’re sure to see more and more flying in UK skies in the coming years. But with that growth comes the need to remind people of their obligations as airspace users and that safety always has to be the top priority.”
Do you think authorities need to do more to keep us safe from drones, or should laws ease up on the burgeoning robo-birdies. Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
