New drone laws come into effect
With drone usage continuing to rise, the UK Government has enacted legislation to help achieve safer flying across the country.
The new laws, which will restrict drones from flying above 400 feet or within one kilometre of airport boundaries, came into effect on 30th July 2018.
These changes have been met with approval by UK citizens, with new research published today from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) finding that 77 per cent felt that more drone regulation was needed. This was even echoed by the drone community themselves, with 75 per cent in agreement.
Indeed, safety was the clear priority among the 2,000+ UK adults and 350+ UK drone users questioned by the study:
93% of the public and 96% of drone users calling it 'vital' that drone flyers adhere to the rules and guidelines of the CAA's Dronecode, available at www.dronesafe.uk
there was good news for those keen to see safer use of drones, with the study showing that the drone community's awareness of the CAA's Dronecode has jumped from just over half (54% in 2016) to nearly three-quarters (71%in 2018).
Speaking on the findings, Jonathan Nicholson, Assistant Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) commented: “As recreational drone use becomes increasingly widespread across the UK it is heartening to see that awareness of the Dronecode has also continued to rise - a clear sign that most drone users take their responsibility seriously and are a credit to the community.
“Drones are here to stay, not only as a recreational pastime, but as a vital tool in many industries - from agriculture to blue-light services - so increasing public trust through safe drone flying is crucial.”