For clarity, this thread refers to hobbyist flights only, not flights conducted under PfCO.
As you’re aware, section 4 of the Drone Code web site relates to keeping the correct distance from people and property.
For reference I attach the (current) Drone Code PDF as it has a bit more detail than the slides on the DroneSafe web site.
Dronecode_2018-07-30.pdf (136.9 KB)
The above Drone Code states:
Keep the right distance from people and property
People and properties – 150ft (50m)
Crowds and built up areas – 500ft (150m) and don’t overfly
The “crowds and built up areas” reference has often prompted questions from Grey Arrows members around the specific definition of a ‘crowd’, and indeed that of a ‘built up area’.
People have sometimes asked if 50 people is a crowd, or 500? And similarly, what exactly constitutes a built up area?
In a bid to gain a definitive answer to these commonly-asked questions we contacted CAA directly and put the questions to them, asking for a clear and concise definition of each.
We spoke with Jonathan Nicholson, Assistant Director of Corporate Communications. He said,
With regards to built up areas, Nicholson said:
So perhaps still open to some interpretation but the bottom line being, use your common sense