Drone pilots’ test to avoid air disaster
DRONE owners will have to sit safety tests and register the craft in a crackdown to prevent collisions.
The move will apply to drones of 250g and above.
It comes after a study found a 400g one could damage helicopter glass and one of 2kg shatter an airliner windscreen.
Near-misses rocketed from three in 2014 to 71 in 2016, with 26 ranked at the highest level of danger.
Airliners had to be diverted from Gatwick or put on holding patterns twice this month when a drone was spotted hovering near the runway.
Aviation Minister Lord Callanan said last night: “Our measures prioritise protecting the public while maximising the full potential of drones.”