Caen Hill Locks Devizes

[wrel]

This is the first drone video I have posted on this site. I recently went along to Devizes to get some footage of the locks. as you will note the weather was not good, dull and cloudy. Anyway, there I was enjoying this flight (not the best in the world) when I am approached by this CRT (Canal & River Trust) volunteer. He politely informs me that I am not allowed to fly the drone on the CRT land and I must obtain permission. I informed him that I did have a licence and was registered with the CAA and had logged the flight. He said that may be so, but I was still contravening CRT rules. But then he said he was a drone owner and told me to carry on, but to be careful. I thanked him and carried on. On my return walk I encountered him again and we got chatting. I told him that if the CRT did not want people flying drones along the canals, they should put up signs. He said it’s mainly in the summer months when their are lots of people around and a drone may injure a member of the public. That seemed odd to me. I fly a Dji mini pro 3, a sub 250 drone. I said, if the drone dropped out of the sky onto a person, it would more likely damage the drone than the person and that the drone was mainly flying over the canal water. I think he was trying to be a jobsworth, but he was polite and we did have a good chat. I check the CRT website when I got home and the only reference to photography and drone flying I could find was regarding commercial filming, and how to apply for licence. AM I wrong?
egarding commercial filming, and how to apply for licence. AM I wrong?

Cainhill Locks

[Jhdee]

The only thing that CRT can enforce is that you may/may not be allowed to take off/land from their property.
They cannot prevent you from flying over their property if you take off/land outside the boundary of their property. CAA controls airspace not CRT

[wrel]

Yes that was my thought. But as I told the chap I spoke to, they should put up signs.

[BulletDodger]

CRT volunteer sounds like a Throber to me🙄

[Howard78]

Standard thing for most of these organisations that typically are manned by volunteers.

They want to get the ill informed to pay them to fly on their land under the guise that a drone could be a danger to a member of the public.

As already said in this post - they can only enforce where you TOAL from when its on their land.
Just agree and wait until the volunteers go and fly anyway (safely ofcourse)

[wrel]

Good idea.

[jcbdriver]

Great place fantastic views next time hope the weather better for you.

[wrel]

Cheers.

[Andymack1966]

The CRT can be a funny bunch most are ok but Murphy’s law and all that, I live very close to the K&A there are lots of places to fly without putting foot on the tow path. If you go to Caen Hill again, go early and park at Foxhangers there is direct access to the lock ponds and no CRT to be seen, even in the middle of summer until 09:00. It is great place to see the sunrise, only downside of going early is that there are very few barges on the move.