Brit drone pilots have until Friday to pay for ‘theory test’ or face £1,000 fine
UK drone owners have until the end of Friday to pass a driving theory-style test or they face a £1,000 fine.
Those who pass the multiple choice "ID" quiz must also register every drone they own and pay a £9-per-year subscription to fly them under new rules launched by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The scheme aims to ensure flyers can pilot the gadgets "safely and legally". It will also create a register of all drones operated in the UK.
Any drone that weighs over 250g – pretty much anything but the smallest toy – is covered by the scheme.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reckons about 130,000 people will have to pay and register by the November 30 deadline.
Registration opened earlier this month and applies to anyone who owns a drone or unmanned aircraft.
The register was announced in 2017 in response to growing concern over drone use.
The gadgets have repeatedly been used to smuggle drugs into prisons and ground aircraft.
Registrants to the new CAA scheme have to answer 20 questions about drone flying and safety.
A score of 16 out of 20 is required to pass the test. Obtaining a license is free, but registering a drone costs £9 per year.
The UK's drone code – how should you fly?
Here's the official advice from the CAA...
- Always keep your drone in sight. This means you can see and avoid other things while flying
- Stay below 400 feet (120 metres) to comply with the drone code. This reduces the likelihood of a conflict with manned aircraft
- Every time you fly your drone, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions. Keep your drone, and the people around you, safe
- Keep the right distance from people and property. People and properties, 150 feet (50 metres) / Crowds and built-up areas, 500 feet (150 metres)
- You are responsible for each flight. Legal responsibility lies with you. Failure to fly responsibly could result in criminal prosecution
- Stay well away from aircraft, airports and airfields when flying any drone. It is illegal to fly them inside the airport's flight restriction zone without permission. If your drone endangers the safety of an aircraft, it is a criminal offence and you could go to prison for five years
The ID must be renewed every three years.
Regulators warn that more and more drone owners are "sky-tipping": Crash-landing one of the gadgets in public spaces and then abandoning them.
To combat this, all drones registered with the CAA must display a unique code linking them to their owners.
Pilots welcomed the launch of the register.
How much does my drone weigh?
Under new CAA rules, any drone that weighs over 250 grams must be registered to fly. Here are the weights of some of the most popular drones.
- DJI Mavic Air - 430g
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro - 907g
- DJI Spark - 300g
- DJI Phantom 4 - 1380g
- Parrot Bebop 2 - 500g
- Parrot Anafi - 3202g
- DJI Mavic Pro - 734g
- DJI Inspire 2 - 3440g
- DJI Inspire 1 - 2935g
- ZeroTech Dobby - 199g
The Balpa union’s head of flight safety, Rob Hunter, said: "This is another measure to encourage responsible drone operation, which is desperately needed to ensure a collision between an aircraft and a drone is avoided."
The new rules come in the wake of several high-profile drone incidents in Britain.
Last December, aircraft at Gatwick Airport were grounded for three days following reports of drone sightings close to the runway.
The incident forced the cancellation of 1,000 flights and affected a whopping 140,000 passengers.
In August, a passenger plane taking off from the same airport had a near miss with a drone. It was carrying 186 people.
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In other news, earlier this month it emerged that Brit cops have launched a drone scheme to help find missing people.
Singer Jess Glynn recently set a world record with a 160-strong drone performance created by coder kids.
And, Google plans to build a ‘smart city’ with self-driving shuttles, heated pavements and underground post tubes.
What do you think of the new rules? Let us know in the comments!
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