Tougher laws as hobby gets more popular
A DRONE came as close as 10ft to a passenger jet flying over London, a report has revealed.
The terrifying incident is believed to be the closest ever near miss involving a plane and a drone in the UK.
Aviation expert and pilot Paul Beaver said last night: “This could have been a catastrophic incident.
“Much more needs to be done to regulate drones in this country, because to my mind they can be considered as dangerous as antaircraft weapons.”
Details of the incident emerged in a report by the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near misses.
It occurred as the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner was flying at around 250mph at 3,200ft over Central Clapham Common
DRONES have quickly gone from a niche hobby to widespread use – and retail giants such as Amazon have even experimented with getting them to deliver parcels.
They come in all shapes and sizes but most come in the form of a quadcopter which has four propellers at the corners of its square H or X-shaped frame.
Models designed for civilian use are usually camera, toy or racing drones and
they range in price from as little as £70 to thousands of pounds.
The weight varies depending on how sophisticated the model is.
But the Department of Transport is attempting to regulate their use and as of July 30 you can no longer fly a drone above 400ft or within a kilometre of an airport.
If caught breaking these rules you could be charged with “recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or any person in an aircraft” and face a fine of as much as £2,500 or up to five years in prison.
From November 2019, all drones that weigh at least 250g will have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority and take an online safety test. Anyone who fails to register or sit the competency tests could face fines of up to £1,000.