never did get around to joining, usually if i am going up one of the fells someone there is a member for the parking
Is that so you can spy on people without your drone?
It would make sense and even if they did it at certain locations, stating away from buildings etc, I’m sure they would see a huge increase in membership uptake from Drone Enthusiasts overnight
Whoa hold your horses there sparky, it’s taken them from 1965 to 2021 to even think about updating their bye-laws, I don’t think any changes will be quick. lol
No, you misunderstand. Use my membership and park. Use a local public footpath off their property for TOAL. Take footage/photos of their property, observing vlos, rth on the public footpath. Return to car, go home. Or buy a very expensive cuppa, then go home.
You can do all that now. TOAL from a public footpath, take the photos then bugger off and there’s nothing the NT can do cos they don’t own or regulate the airspace. The advantage you have is free parking in their car park, but a bit of a walk to the nearest public footpath.
Exactly. That’s why I like my membership.
You may find that TOAL from public footpaths is also prohbited according to your local council.
In my county they seek to prevent drone TOAL and overfly by drones from/over council land/public rights of way. The rules that they quote are outdated and the CAA links to which they refer have expired.
I have written to them to tell them that their rules are currently unenforceable. (The short version - it was a side and half of A4) and I am currently awaiting their reply.
This seems to be a topic with legs - I also await the NT’s response with interest.
BTW Dartmoor National Park also has a “Drone, No Fly” policy. A significant part of Dartmoor has military exercise areas (that are marked on Drone Assist/Altitude Angel) but not the rest. It does seem a pity that one of the most photogenic areas of the West Country is a no-go for drones
I mean no disrespect to current or former members of the forces, I am one, quite apart from anything else. Just that I’d expect someone on HM’s payroll to deal with any threats robustly. Prime example, in my probation, I once went to a job where this guy spoke to 5 yobs as he was unhappy they’d kicked his mum’s cat across the road, pavement to pavement. They moved in on him and one drew a knife. Unfortunately for them, he was a self-defence instructor in the RAF. Ten seconds later, he was fine and they all had serious injuries. Final score, decent society 5, chavdom 0.
TOAL from footpaths has always been technically banned, by definition of it being a footpath. It’s a while sine I read the rules but essentially you aren’t actually allowed to stop and do anything on a public footpath or right of way, not even smell the flowers, or snap a photo. You are supposed to keep walking according to the rules. Obviously this rule would or could never be enforced (I hope), but councils by there very make up like to control every aspect of our lives. My opinion is that they should stick to ensuring the bins are emptied, the streets are lit, cleaned and planning regs are adhered to.
Much nicer, and it also has a NT layer too
No offence taken,
A footpath is a highway - so you are potentially correct if you can’t take off from a road etc.
I took no offence also
Oh boy I spat my coffee over my phone at your comment
In think the case law indicates that you can indeed stop and smell the roses:
The NT is NOT an ordinary land owner. They are financed by its members and organisations such as the National Lottery and other public bodies for the good of all ! That is why they have to allow walkers, hikers ,bikes, dogs, wheel chairs and in some locations 4 wheel drive vehicles , hang gliders, kites, horses etc. I would say that it is reasonable for say a farmer or private land owners to prohibit all access to their land by anyone including walkers (and of course most of them do). But the NT and English Heritage are different. They claim to purchase and own land for the good of the public and everybody in this Nation. Responsible Drone flyers are part of this Nation! A complete blanket ban on flying drones is highly discriminatory and unreasonable. A way forward could be found by the NT which would give drone pilots the right to fly within certain restrictions similar to the approach taken for dog walkers and other visitors (dogs must be on leads in certain areas and cyclists are only allowed on designated paths etc.) A total blanket ban on flying drones is uncalled for and I suggest not practicable . Many pilots will just ignore the ban . If the NT took a more flexible approach, they would get a better result and might even gain a new revenue stream
Convincing the General public is going to be a sticking point. Disturbing wildlife being only one hurdle. As I have already posted I flew at 2 NT sights with permission ( RC Gliders only ). I can see any relaxing of the rules on Drone flying being along similiar lines. Where they want you to and not where you would like to.
There is plenty of really secluded places that are NT that are away from houses and away from people. Even pre Covid I’d been to a few NT sites and was the only person there for a considerable amount of time.
So if they were to suggest those particular sites or set limitations I.e not on the weekends to reduce the amount of people around. Or if even suggest a booking system so they don’t get 30 people turn up with drones.
There’s plenty of things they could do to make it more access and if that requires me having a membership then I’d do it
I’ve flown at Glenfinnan Viaduct, awesome place. It made the papers a while ago because the resident laird charges for a drone permit (£10 a day) and you get asked a few questionson on drone flying. A lot said in the article, “why should we pay?” Fair enough, but in my opinion this seems a reasonable trade-off. The amount of drones in the air at one time is regulated and you get the chance to get great footage (without the hassle). This surely would be win win if introduced at NT sites. Nobody likes paying over and above what we pay CAA but this could be a compromise that could work. Go easy as it’s just an opinion