EU Aviation Safety Agency Proposes New Drone Regulations

[Rich 26]

Bloody Europe dictating multi-rotor law now...

http://www.thedrive.com/tech/18852/eu-aviation-safety-agency-proposes-new-drone-regulations

If thats anything to go by, FPV will be banned because you cant see your model at all, so you cannot maintain line of sight at all..

[Bravedan 106]

Did the consultations and much previous info pass you by?  I had an EMail conversation with my MP a long long time ago now on this!

It was obvious from nearly two years back when this all started that EASA would come out with what suited their masters desire to grab the lower airspace for sale to commercial operators, however that article you link is as well as being a day late and a dollar short a pretty poor reflection of where CAA and BMFA have been indicating they are working to gain the best solution including existing club use.

And its NOT multi-rotor (potential) law, it's ALL UAV of ANY type!

 

[Pilot Ben 28]

So just to confirm it would only be uavs flow via fpv a not line of sight?

[Rich 26]

I know its all UAV, and have been aware of consultations etc, but not to any detail as such.. Life keeps getting in the way.

[Bravedan 106]

12 hours ago, Pilot Ben said:

So just to confirm it would only be uavs flow via fpv a not line of sight?

EASA have been stating all the way through (since 2015 in fact) that they have been unable to find a robust way to split away any form of UAV flying.  The hope is that CLUB activity where a safety record can be long proven can be negotiated out by the BMFA with the CAA as a "local" matter.

 

Some of this has been hilarious in a cringe worthy way, as an example a couple of my contacts seemed to think that any legislation would not apply to Free Flight.  I pointed out that if EASA thought FULLY CONTROLLED UAV flight even including geofencing, autonomous altitude management, etc, needed severe restriction how on earth did they think that UNCONTROLLED UAV flight would escape?? It went very quiet...................

[Peter Royall 47]

[Pilot Ben 28]

These CAA approved clubs would be a bit like home office approved shooting clubs? What implications would that have for us considering our proximity to Biggin?

Also, you mention that the commercial operators would buy the low level airspace, but what exactly would they do with it? Surely flying below 500ft in any aircraft isn't that beneficial unless on approach, as well as being risky if a fault occurs?

And surely even if they bought the airspace, our proximity to London (city + suburbs) would mean that they wouldn't be allowed to overfly a big city anyway?

[funflyjames 19]

The Bmfa website posts regular updates on the negotiations. This is the latest...

https://www.bmfa.org/News/News-Page/ArticleID/2510/EASA-Publish-their-Technical-Opinion-and-Draft-Regulations-for-Unmanned-Aircraft

 

[Rich 26]

This came in by email last night:

Dear BMFA Club.

The following was published on the BMFA website on the 15th June. Please pass on to your members.

I think you will agree this is good news for us all and a big thanks to Dave Phipps.

The latest meeting between the Department for Transport (DfT), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and representatives from the UK Model Flying Associations took place this afternoon (Friday 15th June) at the DfT offices in London.

The most urgent matter to address was the recent change to the Air Navigation Order (ANO) which introduced (in Article 94A) a 400ft height limit on the operation of all Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) which will come into effect on the 30th July 2018. Whilst the changes to the ANO are primarily aimed at regulating ‘drones’, the 400ft restriction will also apply to model aircraft below 7Kg.

However, we are pleased to report that agreement was reached that the Model Flying Associations will collectively apply for an exemption from Article 94A to allow their members to continue operating model aircraft below 7Kg above 400ft as they do under the current ANO. The DfT and CAA were supportive of this course of action and did not foresee any reason why the exemption would not be in place in time for the 30th July.

Negotiations on the other changes introduced in the ANO (operator registration and online testing for pilots) remain ongoing, but for now it is business as usual for members of the BMFA, LMA, SAA & FPVUK. Happy flying!

https://bmfa.org/News/News-Page/ArticleID/2528/Update-on-changes-to-UK-Regulations-and-the-400ft-height-limit

Stuart Willis.

Area chairman

[Pilot Ben 28]

Me being a bit slow; this won’t  have any effect on us at all, since we are still operating in Biggin Hills airspace?

[Bravedan 106]

When operating from Fickleshole, presumably likewise Sevenoaks, and from slopes like "The Trundle" and Shoreham Mill Hill, the 400' / 120 Metre height restriction will continue to apply, though in the case of Mill Hill a 50' over top of hill limit by agreement with ATC overrides.

What is not made fully clear (yet) are matters such as minimum distances from airport for ANY UAV flight, and given its only about six weeks off implementation, it's cutting it fine to get the word out.  On paper and from stated intent, CAMFC is (just) outside the proposed distance limit.