I am new to this and have messaged several people and grateful for their advice indeed.
Drone us a dji mini 3 sub250g
I am literally debating whether to open the box the drone is still in and risk all this hassle or to send it back and save a few hundred pounds
I live in South Wales and asked my local council if I could fly from a local beach which has a castle near it.
Council have said I would need to ask permission and submit flight plan, proof of insurance etc
In addition, I asked about if they have a map of areas that show private or public land, they dont.
Asked do i need to ask permission each time I sed somewhere fancy flying as could be driving or cycling around, yes to submit for each one which will be for a specifc date and time. ( how restrictive is that)
I am confused if its council owned is that the same as public area?? How do I know which is which?
Just like the beach, I can drive down, park up and walk onto the beach no drone signs are there
I an trying to do the right thing.
I said to council that I confused and do I just go ahead and use my brain in deciding this land is open, punlic go there, its not private and just do it?
I have also asked them for information regarding your authority’s regulations/policy on the recreational use of drones from land under
your jurisdiction.
You can take off and land from any public land (providing there are no byelaws in place). Once in the air you do not need permission to overfly anything or anyone, from anybody. Just keep at a sensible height so you’re not disturbing anyone, 40mtrs is usually considered ok as a minimum. If taking off while standing on private land you can do it but if asked to leave, you must, oherwise you’ll be trespassing. Sometimes it’s better to plead ignorance and ask forgiveness in this circumstance. The exception here is Flight Restriction Zones, these are controlled by the Civil Aviation Authority, DO NOT fly in them without permission. These are mainly airports, Some MOD areas, Nuclear Power sites etc. One of the mods will be along along shortly to post some links to our resources where you will find all the info you need.
I urge you to check out our Beginners Resources as a first step. Then have a look at our very own Dronescene Dronescene is the absolute and utter goto resource for drone pilots in the UK, it is more than worth the forum subscription charge alone!!! You can find where to fly safely, all the FRZ’s, ground hazards, local byelaws and a whole host of other useful stuff!!!
In addition if you pop over to dronescene.co.uk and click on where you want yo fly there is the possibility of seeing any restrictions which maybe in place
Looking for Public Liability Insurance? Then look no further, we offer £5,000,000 worth of cover to our Insured Members. Details of our insurance can be found at:
Looking for recommendations of places to fly? Check out our interactive map on Drone Scene and please feel free to add locations of your own too
Wondering whether you can fly a particular model of drone under particular circumstances? Check out Good 2 Go where you’ll soon find the answer
We’re a well established club with many knowledgeable members so it’s very likely that any issues you come across will have been discussed here before. Our discussion forum has very powerful search features which should help you find what you need but if you get stuck you can post a new question in the Questions & Answers category.
And finally, if you are new to drones and wondering what it’s all about, have a look at Resources for a beginner.
I fly from a beach 9 maybe 10 times a month… There’s no byelaws in place so the Council can do one. As has been mentioned, keep a sensible height from those below and fly free!
Hi Paul @PaulPaulUK - whereabouts are you in South Wales ?? I’m in the Swansea area. Let me know which beach you are looking to fly from and I will try and help you with getting your head around the legalities of flying your drone there
Most councils in South Wales do not have drone policies let alone bye-laws to prevent you from flying. They will however try it on and make you jump through hoops if you request permission. Most of them don’t have a clue about drone laws so the safe answer for them is to say no.
Even in th unlikely event you’re in an area with a bye-law its better to seek forgiveness than seek permission - if you’re approached by an official of the council, just be polite, explain there are no signs indicating drones are prohibited, apologise and move on to another spot. If you have broken any rules they will almost certainly be civil law issues and not aviation law issues.
Don’t give up and let some people who have no idea about drone regulations spoil your fun - they’re basically covering their own rear ends and too lazy to educate themselves and therefore say NO
Ohh thankyou all very much indeed for your replies, encouragement to keep the drone and charge the batteries aswell as the links.
Thankyou all
Yeah, doing the right thing by checking with the council ended up with a headspin and doubt. I have asked them for their policy, see what that generates
Jhdee thanks for your offer, much appreciated. Yes not far from Swansea. I asked the council about Llansteffan beach. I know from drone assist it has air restriction over part of it, so if I cannot fly at that beach then that is fine.
Its just it started from the the confusion of what on earth is council owned land, public and so on:see_no_evil:
Then issues like what if I/ we are pasding near Paxton Tower or Dryslwyn castle or somewhere else and would like to get an aerial shot
Hi Paul - Llansteffan beach comes under the Pembrey military hazard zone. First thing is to make yourself familiar with Drone Scene (DS) - this is without doubt the best tool to determine where you can and can’t fly. Go to the map in DS and select Llansteffan beach - there you will find a a red zone - click on it and it will bring up the following info - have a read and you will see the zone is active Monday to Friday and they usually post a NOTAM explaining when there are restrictions in the zone. Quoted in the info are contact details for Pembrey where you can request permission to fly. They don’t bite so don’t be afraid to ask. So on a weekend you could take off from the beach and fly Llansteffan castle without too many problems.
Give it a try and see how you get on - in this area DS is very similar to Drone Assist and contains the same info. Where DS tops Drone Assist is getting info on council bye-laws. To get local authority info click on the Local Authority tab on the righthand side of the map view - then click on the map in the area you wish to fly. This will take you to the results of Freedom of Info requests which will in turn tell you if the local authority has a drone policy or more importantly a bye-law which may restrict flying. Most in South Wales have neither so you can go ahead and fly.
Have a play with DS and check out the About tab and also the Good 2 Go tab - loads of great info here. If you need more guidance - you know where we are
You’re not alone in finding the rules a little daunting and you’re not the first to worry that it’s too much hassle, but honestly, it really is fairly straightforward with a little common sense - especially with your Mini 3.
Don’t fly over crowds of people (if you’re not sure if a group of people constitutes a crowd then err on the side of caution and assume they are)
Don’t fly above 400ft
Keep your drone in sight
Check there aren’t any restrictions where you want to fly (DroneScene is your friend)
Take off from, and land on, public property or private property with permission - and unless there’s specific signage or bylaws then I wouldn’t be losing any sleep about flying in parks or from pavements.
And the most important rule as with everything in life: Don’t be a d**k.
Stick to the basics and you’ll find it’s a doddle. Get out there and enjoy it.
As John has pointed out, you have some specifics to consider for Llansteffan beach, but for beaches in general it’s worth noting that the foreshore (the land between high and low tides) is actually part of the Crown Estate and they’re absolutely fine with you using it to fly your drone:
I’m getting myself a mini 3 for Christmas, and have also been trying to understand the law.
Have got my flyer and operator IDs. Once you are in the air, it seems pretty straightforward, CAA drone code is fairly clear. For a sub 250g, as long as there are no FRZs, then if you aren’t being a dick, then you are legally fine.
Legally getting off the ground seems to be a whole other thing, and confusing as hell, since land ownership in this country seems excessively complex. Even knowing who you supposedly need to ask permission from is far from clear a lot of the time, and in the majority of cases I’d expect permission to be denied simply because it’s the safest option for them.
At the same time you get these ‘drone auditors’ deliberately being as provocative as possible, and seemingly never getting any consequences (though I guess they don’t post when it doesn’t go their way).
Since it’s so unclear, I’m wondering what the actual practical implications are of taking off from somewhere that you do need permission, without having it, that ISN’T an FRZ. I.e. anywhere that the CAA say is permissible, but where the landowner hasn’t actually given permission.
Would your insurance be void?
Would the CAA care at all? (I guess not, since they care about safety, and this isn’t a safety issue)
Assume that you aren’t being a dick, and you are staying clear of people/livestock, etc. If the landowner rocks up and complains, and you agree to land and leave immediately, can there be any further issues? My understanding is that it would be considered to be tresspass, but if tresspassers leave when asked, that is the end of it, isn’t it?
If there is a byelaw saying no drones, and you fly anyway, then again, what could be the consequences other than possibly being asked to stop? Fines? An angry, but ultimately powerless, man from the council arguing with you?
Is take-off from a public footpath/right of way always allowed?
