Having now registered with the CAA for an Operator ID and Flyer ID to use my Mini 2 from January '21 I have a couple of questions I’m hoping someone can help me with.
From January will the Mini 2 legally need the operator ID to be attached to it somewhere?
I’m thinking even it doesn’t legally need it, it might be useful if you lose the drone and its found by someone else.
So the second question is what labels would everyone recommend. I’m thinking waterproof and easy to remove are important?
Last question is regarding the Operator ID.
The Operator ID is valid for 1 year.
Does the ID change every year when it’s renewed?
The reason I’m asking is I have seen companies that provide credit card sized photo ID cards with the operator and flyer ID on them.
I’m thinking this creates a perception of authenticity and authority if approached by someone when flying. I just don’t want to have to buy a new one every year hence the question about if the ID changes upon renewal.
As the Mini 2 is under 250gms you don’t need to put the operator reg on it, but as you say, it comes in handy if you lose it.
When I got my OP number, the wording was that it might change every year, but when I renewed this year it didn’t, although I think some people on here have had new ones issued.
I renewed on Thursday with the same Operator ID. The renewal process and confirmation email said:
New regulations coming in 2021
New regulations for flying and operating drones and model aircraft are coming in 2021. We’ll be in touch with more details when all the details are finalised.
The operator ID you’ve just renewed will remain valid for the full 12 months. However, it’s likely your operator ID will be a different number when you renew again next year.
The current CAA operator ID isn’t in the correct format for the EASA regs so next year the CAA will at some point switch over to the new style of operator ID. After this point the intent is that your operator ID wouldn’t change on renewal.
I’ve made myself an ID card for the exact reason you state - a perception of authority.
I just used photoshop to make a simply card with my photo, ID details, FPVUK insurance # etc
There are services on ebay that will print it out for around £2.50
Very pleased with the result!
At that price - I don’t mind too much if I have to change it in a year
Policies employed by sponsors to disproportionately limit access to a zone, such as the
ones listed below are not appropriate in many circumstances:
Blanket ban on UAS activity (or manned aviation within a UAS Geographical Zone)
without justification;
Charging a fee for access to airspace;
Refusal to engage with permission requests;
Lengthy delay in replying to a request
The CAA may reconsider the suitability of the UAS Geographical Zone’s existence if it is
not satisfied that the airspace is being used in a fair or equitable manner
It certainly has the potential to be a real threat. The CAA give examples in the document of situations where restricted areas might be agreed (largely around crowd safety etc), but it will come down entirely to how they apply that guidance in practice, and whether they are willing to bend to political pressure. They have already been happy to create restricted zones for non aviation-safety reasons in the past e.g. the permanent restriction around Prince Charles’s home in Scotland (if anyone thinks that’s reasonable, try getting one in place around your own home). There is also still plenty of scope for ministers to designate restricted areas via secondary legislation, such as the three no-fly zones in London which are designated by law.
If people are genuinely concerned, then it may be worth emailing the CAA (contact address is in the CAP PDF that @PingSpike shared) asking for more detail on how they will consider requests, how they will ensure it is fair to ordinary drone users, and whether they will do any consultation or have an appeals process. I plan to do that.
Have just read all of it. If this takes off it would make places to fly increasingly difficult to fly. I bet the National Trust already have their legal people onto it. Surely, in fairness to airspace users it must be a request that is very difficult for sponsors to obtain? Does not seem that way at this moment. Seems the CAA are happy to relinquish control of a lot of uk airspace.
Having had a quick look at the CAP1616 Airspace Change Procedure guidance, there will be a lot of hoops to jump through which non-aviation bodies will struggle with. New ACP proposals can be searched here, they give a good flavour of what is involved.
In contemplating any airspace change proposal, a change sponsor must consider the impacts on others and the implications those impacts may have and engage with them appropriately. Detailed guidance is available in CAP 1616. At certain points in the process, related feedback should be submitted on this website. As it will subsequently be published, what you say must be appropriate for publication (see our moderation guidelines).
Don’t be overly concerned by the “threat”, I would be very surprised if any control of airspace is relinquished by the CAA (acts of parliament gave them responsibility). The National Trust would love to control the airspace above their locations but I don’t think that will ever happen…
Having dealt with the CAA (before alignment with EASA) and EASA there was a better understanding of the intent of regulations by the “CAA” . Possibly because English is the official language and the mental translation by some EASA staff, answers were either yes or no, CAA staff would listen and agree to a reasonable interpretation that complied with the intent. Don’t forget the CAA existed long before EASA.
As for HRH residences, power stations etc. they are a special case with the global threat levels.