I’ve no strong opinion on the actual NFZs being proposed, but I can’t imagine there are many criminals sitting reading this saying “You know, I was willing to risk the 10 years in prison for smuggling contraband, but now you’re saying I could also get fined £2500? That’s it, we’re going to have to find another way to get the drugs inside”
They’ll sell more drugs on the street to fund the fines. 
I thought prisons were geofenced anyway ?
There are drones from several manufacturers out there that don’t have any sort of Geofencing software. 
Damn there goes my sideline 
400m is to stop auditors too I suspect
the frz around prisons was a strange one as it was to limit flying for zero to 50m… but I think you could fly above 50m
must admit it’s not something I’ve ever considered flying near
it’s not going to stop those that want to though… as you would just build a drone using betaflight or inav …
police stations or hospitals will be the next one.
hospitals will affect me as I do use drones to aide in surveying elevations, plans, rooftops, plant, drainage and gutting and roof leaks etc (all with permission and I work for a very large trust). it’s much quicker, cheaper and safer than using a ladder and scaffolding and harnesses etc, and check and record ground information (… where does the drainage get installed etc etc). I wonder how one would get exemptions to flying in such locations (otherwise I too will be dumping DJI drones, and just build a custom one)
Pretty sure my Potensic atom se doesn’t have any software to geocache it. I could be wrong though
You’re absolutely right, but if it puts most genuine (i.e. non-drug-supplying-scumbag) folk off flying near prisons, then any drone sightings are more likely to be actual drug supply offences and not just ‘Got a new toy and didn’t read the manual’ nobs.
Police stations almost certainly. I’m not so sure about hospitals though. The main concerns with hospitals are twofold. Firstly, if they have an A&E department, they might also have Air Ambulances flying in. Second concern would be about patient confidentiality. Someone flying a drone may inadvertently film patients through the windows.
Same could be said for any building.
I know all about patient dignity and privacy (I deal with it everyday and have for a very long time)
with the air ambulance you can find out when it’s flying in it does not just rock up and it has a defined flight path.
selling this back to the topic I, people think 2500 is going to be a deterrent but they have to remember that is the maximum not the minimum
all the mobile phone while driving penalties does not stop people using them
Penalties
You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if you hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle.
You’ll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years.
You can get 3 penalty points if you do not have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.
You can also be taken to court where you can:
- be banned from driving or riding
- get a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus)
alot of drivers caught on one lane of a motorway here VVV
have you ever tried to look through a window with a drone?
I was asked to do it as there was a dorma window at the top of a very old building and no one could figure out how to get into the space… I tried but the images were really hard to decern and I had a mini 3 pro at about 500mm from the window at the time.
problem is reflections… yes if it had been light inside and darker outside then it would have worked better.
but thinking you can look through windows with a drone is a bit of a myth from my experience… give it a shot yourself (through your own windows… take responsibility for your own flying)
I live in Wakefield and HMP Wakefield is Geofenced and has been since I took up the hobby back in 2018. As it holds some of the most notorious Male Prisoners in the Country within the inner prison know locally as Monster Mansion. It’s understandable however I am surprised to read that the Geifencing is not the norm nationwide for prisons. We live and learn. Nigel G
Yeah but only for DJI drones there is no CAA official FRZ
Many saddo Frauditors like to. I couldn’t think of anything more boring to fly around.
Some pretty intresting ones architecture wise up north
As I have. During lockdown, a few of our trusts departments did videos to lighten the mood of all colleagues. No patients were seen on any video, but within a week we were told that under no circumstances were any departments allowed to video within the hospital at any time. ( one of the depts was actually closed down at the time that dept, created the video) The excuse used was that it showed the trust in a bad light, when we should all be concentrating on patient care. ( how could a dept that was closed, concentrate on patient care ? ) Bloody spoilsports, some of the videos produced were actually quite entertaining, showing the thought that had gone into making them.
It’s all about loss of reputation nowadays , it’s the biggest threat to any large institution
Ahh, when this Covid lark started, the first move our trust did was to close 3 elderly care wards down. Discharging around 70 patients out into community care, with the loss of bed spaces.( yep, not one of these patients were screened for Covid either) I initially thought this was to create 70 bed spaces for Covid patients, but no. Over the course of the next 18 months, each ward was repurposed as day clinics. Staff on the wards were re-allocated across the trust to different wards. 