Drones and the law

Regulation of drones in the UK has struggled to keep pace with the surge in usage, but the government promised tighter controls (and more powers for the police) in last December’s Queen’s Speech. Currently, you don’t need to register drones or model aircraft under 250g – for heavier models, you must buy a £9 annual licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and take an online safety test. Commercial users need a more expensive certificate, requiring two days of flight training, a written exam and practical flight test. This December, a new EU-wide certification system will bring further changes. The CAA website also has a comprehensive ‘drone code’, which lists the do’s and don’ts of flying drones…