Did I do the right thing?

General Drone Discussion
21

As far as I can tell you are also alloeed to take off from a public footpath.

22

I looked into this and you’re largely right - with a couple of fairly major caveats unfortunately.

  1. The Crown Estate has sold off some of the foreshore - there’s an interactive map on the site you linked to, so you can check where The Crown does- doesn’t own the foreshore.

  2. The right to determine what can / can’t happen on the foreshore has been transferred to some government agencies / public bodies in some places - including NT. Again, the map on the site you linked to shows where Crown jurisdiction applies.

The good news though - they have published a guide (available for download from that site) saying what you can do on their land and they clearly state there is a general permission for non-commercial drone use.

In summary - look for the purple bits on the map, look up the tide times and buzz around to your heart’s content…

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23

I’ve not seen this tested, anywhere.
Most “public footpaths” are private property. The Footpath and Bridleway laws only give access.

For instance, there have been prosecutions for motorbikes and 4x4 using them, since this use is not included in the acts … I believe.

Obviously there’s a whole heap of difference between a drone and motorbikes/4x4 … . :wink:

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24

Its the same as photographing from a public footpath. It is allowed. The public footpath is always for public use. A permissive path can be withdrawn from use. Once the drone is is sirborne then you are subject to air laws. The state owns the airspace.
A landowner cane only refuse landing and take off on their land. The local countryside sevice have taken this view.

25

That’s a good question, Glenford, and some useful answers everyone.

I have had the same sort of thoughts and have come to the conclusion it’s best to find a public place slightly away from what you want to photograph or film and fly there a few hundred feet up. Nobody notices a Mavic that high.

Didn’t know about the Crown Estates thing, that’s really useful. Thanks.

SB

26

Thanks for this, being located near the south coast this is really helpful and now saved as a favourite. What is interesting is how many locations to me are ‘not’ shaded purple, and in particular one area I had hoped to use the ‘between the tides’ argument!!!

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27

You’re welcome. I was pleased to find out about this as well - we are going to be down your way soon. I didn’t think I was going to be able to fly around Durdle Door, but this might be the answer. Looks like there’s a couple of convenient lengths of Crown foreshore in the area.

28

I have seen loads of drone photos on Instagram of Durdle Door so have always assumed it was easy to fly around there?

29

Not legally. Durdle Door is on the grounds of The Lulworth Estate, who have a ‘no drones’ policy on their website. They own about five miles of coastline and quite a lot of land inland too.

Applying the same rules that Ian confirmed with the CAA (they can prohibit takeoffs/landings but not flight over), that pretty much rules out staying in VLOS unless you launch from a boat - or a nice bit of Lizzie’s foreshore!

Flying from the foreshore over an area owned by a disapproving landlord does come with its own problems of course. Not just wet feet or a soggy drone, but you will probably end up in the footage. Not insurmountable, but not ideal.

30

I’ve not looked at the map to know which bits of foreshore, but the beach at Durdle Door and Man o’ War Bay (the one to the east of the Door), both shelve very steeply … even at low tide on the Door side.
It might be the time to practice hand launch/retrieve and just get your feet wet. :wink:

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31

I think you might be right.

Sadly, I’m a bit of a nervy pilot at the best of times, my spotter even more so. I’ve done hand catching before, but I’m not sure I want to deal with that as well as indignant dog walkers and a landowner yelling ‘gerroff moi laahnd’ all at the same time.

Hence undecided.

32

I have never flown there but every day somebody does and usually from up top. Same at Handfast Point. One day I will take the spark on my paddleboard out there for a fly.
There are so many Durdle Door and Handfast Point pics and videos around for places that are suppose to be drone free.

33

I’m not so impressed with Airmap, we had the Air Festival here in Bournemouth from Thursday to Sunday and Airmap had nothing on for it whereas Drone Assist had extra no fly areas covering the beach area and a much bigger no fly zone around Bournemouth Airport.