UK CAA reminds drone operators of new rules from July 30th 2018 – CAP1687
In the UK the Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance that all model aircraft/drone operators should read. At the end of this month 400′ is a hard ceiling for model/RPA operations and
CAP1687: Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018 -Guidance for small unmanned aircraft users
On 30 May 2018, the United Kingdom Government published an amendment to the UK Air Navigation Order 2016 (ANO) which contains its changes to the legislation regarding the operation of small
unmanned aircraft.
The amendment is published as Statutory Instrument (SI) 2018 No. 623, entitled ‘The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018’. This can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/623/made. Some articles (parts) of the amendment come into force on 30 July 2018, but others take a further 16 months, coming into force on 30 November 2019.
Effective from 30 July 2018
A 400 ft operating height limitation for all small unmanned aircraft
A new limitation on the closest distance that small unmanned aircraft weighing 7 kg or less may be flown near specific types of aerodrome
Changes to terminology with the introduction of the terms ‘remote pilot’ and ‘SUA operator’ in place of the previously-used term ‘person in charge’
Minor corrections to the ANO 2016 to provide clarification or to correct previous errors
Effective from 30 November 2019
A requirement for the registration of SUA operators
A requirement for the competency of remote pilots to be tested
This is the bit traditional model fliers will be interested in:-
Meaning of “remote pilot” and “SUA operator” 94G In this Order –
(a) the “remote pilot”, in relation to a small unmanned aircraft, is an individual who –
(i) operates the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft by manual use of remote controls, or
(ii) when the small unmanned aircraft is flying automatically, monitors its course and is able to intervene and change its course by operating its flight controls,
(b) the “SUA operator”, in relation to a small unmanned aircraft, is the person who has the management of the small unmanned aircraft.
Small unmanned surveillance aircraft
95 (1) The SUA operator must not cause or permit a small unmanned surveillance aircraft to be flown in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (2), and the remote pilot of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not fly it in any of those circumstances, except in
accordance with a permission issued by the CAA.
(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are –
(a) over or within 150 metres of any congested area;
(b) over or within 150 metres of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons;
(c) within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the SUA operator or the remote pilot of the aircraft; or
(d) subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), within 50 metres of any person.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), during take-off or landing, a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not be flown within 30 metres of any person.
(4) Paragraphs (2)(d) and (3) do not apply to the remote pilot of the small unmanned surveillance aircraft or a person under the control of the remote pilot of the aircraft.
(5) In this article, “a small unmanned surveillance aircraft” means a small unmanned aircraft which is equipped to undertake any form of surveillance or data acquisition.
Read it in full here
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1687-SUAANOAmendmentOrder-3.pdf
