Just joining the club as a newcomer to all this - Mini 4 Pro. Just trying to get my head round all the limitations on flying locations. The map’s a great help but it seems be ‘no’ to SSIs, National Trust. If I wanted to fly (say) in a National Park (Dartmoor or Exmoor are near me), can I launch from a public access area eg public path or car park, mindful of safety aspects of course? If not, how to you actually get to fly anywhere other than your own back garden? Advice please??
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Good morning @CirrusFlyer Andrew & welcome along,
I myself use nothing other than Dronescene where you can find out places that have been flown by many members on here & plenty of information you can use to find out on places you may want to go & fly of your own, it really is very useful 
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Welcome - your in the right place for good advice
National trust and like any other private land you need land owners permission and you may find that the Moors have the same sort of rules around them as they are farm land or trust land so it can be tricky to work out what’s what from that point of view. The Peak district is much the same too but generally from the road that you believe is public you can take off and over fly these locations. If challenged just say oops sorry and be on your way - not too much they or anyone else can do about it as its a bit like trespass really
As for the SSI - basically read the notes on Drone scene about the location - there should be a link for a deep dive on the location’s reasons but most are to do with nesting birds and moss - its a no no to bug wildlife so as long as your not doing that then your also good to go if your not taking off from private land.
Hope that helps a bit
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Hi @CirrusFlyer and welcome!
I used to live on the edge of Exmoor, but moved to Mid Devon a few years ago to save a long commute. It is lovely though.
I’m a novice flyer too, with a Mini 4 Pro.
Basically it seems that:
(a) the NT have no jurisdiction over the airspace above their land, certainly in de facto day-to-day terms, so TOAL from a public road, verge or lay-by, and
(b) there isn’t likely to be anyone there to complain if you’re in the middle of the moor anyway.
Follow the Drone Code, be sensitive to members of the public, and you shouldn’t have any trouble 
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Hi @CirrusFlyer and welcome to Grey Arrows 
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Ah, someone local and another novice. I actually live on the edge of Exmoor (near Bampton) albeit strictly in Mid-Devon District. Maybe you know it?
Reading the NT web site they state that nobody can fly over their land by national byelaw (which can’t be true - there must be a height limit to that restriction). It’s characteristically blunt.
Flying drones at our places | National Trust
But more generally on the moor I can’t see anything other than normal restrictions for a <250g drone. It’s not illegal to fly over someone’s land after all (unless legally prohibited for specific reasons). Hence my question about TOAL from public road / verge / layby which are public places. I can see that a footpath might be, strictly, more problematic, as they are usually on private land with a right of access. That said, Exmoor National Park does give some vague guidance:
I guess, provided one’s sensitive about these things (quiet location, away from property, no serious alternative), give it a go. If someone objects, then apologise and move on?
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Thanks to all for helpful comments. This is certainly a good, helpful community.
‘If challenged just say oops sorry and be on your way - not too much they or anyone else can do about it …’ As I said to TheLittleRedJen, unless forbidden by legal restriction (or SSI sensitivity or whatever) you can fly over land without permission as I understand it. (If there were general restrictions, ‘real’ aircraft couldn’t fly over land either.) And similarly, there is no legal restriction on taking photographs, subject to sensible caution eg being intrusive. Whilst one wouldn’t want to get confrontational and bring the community into disrepute, it sounds as if drone flyers can fly <250g without too much restriction.
This is all very reassuring. Haven’t bought a really nice drone to find I can’t actually fly it anywhere!
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I know Bampton well. I live at Hemyock now 
Maybe we should organise a meet up sometime, when the wind and rain finally decide to abate?
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Know Hemyock … yes, that would be good. First I need to learn to fly properly and strong winds aren’t helpful at the moment!
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Hi @CirrusFlyer abd welcome to the GADC site
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If a site you want to fly is shown as yellow, check if it is an SSSI. Some of these areas were designated because of geological or botanical features, neither of which are relevant to flying a drone. Check the citation details.
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Do your research when it comes to National Parks as most if not all are also covered under habitat regulations which is actual legislation. Although drones are not specifically mentioned, there tends to be a reason within that why they will not permit TOAL from their land, ground nesting bird season or such like - depending on what time of the year you want to be flying. It’s always best emailing a National Park Authority for more detailed information and they are generally very helpful.
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You have the picture right! Practice at low level, eyes on the drone, green field … and lots of hazardous trees, long grass (‘ground unsuitable for landing’), wet grass (no chance of sitting!) - all the joys of Devon country flying. Although the scenery is brilliant today!
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