And any blanket ban will never prevent the dickheads who are causing these problems using drones anyway.
1 Like
perhaps it is worth proposing drone flight areas to local authorities through the BMFA or similar. My local authority has dedicated flying areas for the model flying club, including a an area on a moor with landing strip. The planes buzz over your continuously some afternoons.
If you could show some level of competency and liability insurance then this should be possible. At least there would be areas to practicing droning on and on 
Then I am happy flying from paths, getting permission etc
Do you think they should make us register our drones to keep on a national database ? Maybe even adopt a vehicle driving licence approach where we have to take theory and practical tests then get issued a licence to prove competency. Could even go down the route of legally needing public liability insurance and that is also kept on a national database. That way they could issue licence bans for unsafe behaviour etc
Policing it is the problem. To cover the cost weād pay dearly, I fear.
A database would only help where the drone crashes and retrieved by someone else.
It doesnāt help stop a quick flight somewhere people shouldnāt fly, land and off quick ā¦ and itās probably this area thatās the one ātheyā would most like to stop.
We tried a press release a while back, soon after we started. No responses.
Your second point is a good one. However, we have to be 110% sure of our facts before we start refuting theirs. Plus we need to speak with one voice, not āwhen I was flying my drone in xxx there was no problemsā.
Worth thinking about though.
1 Like
There are other examples of bye laws being ignored and not enforced. Mountain Bikes on anything other than a road or bridleway. Dog poo deposited and not collected., litter dropped etc. Quite often this legislation is used to indicate a behaviour society would like. It is rarely expected to stop the behaviour.
if DJI and others were to work with the govt and other legislators it would seem obvious something could be worked. As with mobile phone use in a car then the consequences are passed back to the perpetrator through the insurance system as well as the law.
So weāve got North Somerset County Council and Bradford Council implementing bans. Any more?
It might be helpful if members in affected areas contacted their councils and tried to find out how the decision was reached, what kind of expert advice they had, etc. Nothing confrontational, just the facts.
This way we can build our own database of which parts of the country are becoming āno-goā areas, Could be useful in the future.
1 Like
I think DJI are trying to do just that. Itās in their own best interests after all. Theyāve already added the ācompetence testā to their software which they can show as proof to legislators that they re being proactive.
I like that! 
There are plenty of other drone manufacturers that donāt have any data collection, have no likelihood of built-in NFZ, and therefore wouldnāt be able (or willing) to assist.
DJIās NFZs can be countered.
You can build a drone from bits that have no restrictions or links to the internet to be checked up as to where they are.
DJI is unique, as far as Iām aware, in having the inbuilt control that it does, with NFZs. But DJIs NFZs are only a small fraction of all the areas one is not supposed to fly, and simplistic circles at that.
Itās there to basically try and protect larger airports (small ones donāt appear in their data), other āsensitive areasā (prisons/nuclear installations, etc) and to show that DJI are trying to minimise issues.
Just to consider the bans a little further. There are two questions you need to ask:
-
Is it a bye law enforceable as an offence. In which case the government has opted out of dealing with the situation. The example I would use is banning skateboarding in town centres. This can be applied by a Local Council or requested from such by a parish/town council. Dogs on leads and collecting of dog poo are byelaws often placed on a whole district as that easier to do.
-
Is it a ban on certain parts of the Councils estate I the interests of the pther users. This would not be an offence.
I still think that the industry and the hobbyists should try and reach a consensus with the government before it is too late. Legislation will be passed and in the main ignored except whn an accident occurs.
I should point out that I have yet to fly my droneā¦getting worried as to where would be acceptable.
Bradford Council have just banned drones from their land. which includes wide expanses of rarely visited spaces o the moors
Really? Does this include Cow and Calf rocks? this is a place on my list to visit with the Drone.
And that mate, is the bottom line 
(and not just because Stone Cold said so!)
Iāll be honest here, and sorry in advance to everyone who has faith and interest in BMFA, but I joined a couple of months ago just to see what all the fuss was about and I shall not be renewing next year.
Iāve since received a couple of copies of their magazine and to be blunt, they donāt (appear to) give a shit about drones. I donāt think weāre even on their radar.
Which is fine, theyāre a large, long standing organisation and no doubt specialist in their field of planes and helos, and thatās perhaps where they should stay, leading that field. But then we (the recreational drone flyers) have no āindustry bodyā to speak for us.
@Renni-Aire @Londroner @Ronidog @anyone-else-who-may-be-interested if you think GADC could become that voice then letās get that conversation going guys
This is coming Johnā¦ big time: New laws going through parliament today - 30th May 2018
Something which we could neatly build in to the DroneScene site @RaRaRasputin?
1 Like
I hadnāt thought of the terrorist aspect. Thatās a scary thought. Perpetrators could be two miles away. Also, you could probably fly drone right into quite a few high security places.
I can see this happening.
Imagine if that knee-jerk reaction is applied to motor transport. One car accident to a fatality and they blanket ban motoring. Especially as its in the thousands?
Some perspective is needed here. Lets ban knives too. People canāt be trusted to follow the knife code.
Itās real easy to take the route that blanket bans will be imposed. doubt this will happen, why? easy Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£. Drones are set to be big money over the next 5 or so years. Local authorities that ban them on ātheirā land (just out of interest who pays for local authorities in the first place?) are just placating the loudest complainer in the room.
When I first got my drone I contacted West Lothian Council asking them for their take on drone flying and permission etc. They declined to comment and directed me to Police Scotland. Basically follow the guidelines we have, get insured through the BMFA (its peanuts) and when the test comes out, pass it. There are morons in every walk of life, but if you fly your drone for fun or business then you will do what is needed to keep your drone safe and all around you. I know I do.
The other thing we can do is take the reports of ānear-missesā to task. The recent helicopter story in my view is questionable on a number of counts. Another supposed aircraft near miss story was removed when questions were asked.
If someone is daft enough to fly over a motorway and something bad happens then yes, it will be terrible for all involved, including the enthusiasts but you can legislate for those who donāt follow the rules.
So, enjoy the skies people, they arenāt going anywhere and for those people caught out by blinkered local authorities, ask them if they are going to stop Amazonās deliveries in their areas, because thatās very likely going to happen.
2 Likes
It should do. However there is nothing about drone use on the Council website or on entrances to the plots of land.
It is a Bradford post code, however, no signs or mention on the website then Iāll be flying there. Iām not telepathic.
I have a CrystalSky not a Crystal ball.
4 Likes
LOL!
Best quote ever 
2 Likes
It looks like Bradford Council have realised that they cannot police a ban and so it will not become policy to ban drones from their land. It seems that the drone code is being accepted as the guiding light whilst any further legislation is created.
4 Likes
Thatās rather sensible of them! 
1 Like