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Government Consultation on Drone Flying in the UK.


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30 minutes, wow, some of you guys are fast.

It probably took me over one hour reading the BMFA specimen responses. Which I do think was a worth while action they took.

I probably spent a couple of hours formulating my own responses, with the BMFA view in mind.

Personally I found the main thrust about regulating and penalising the general drone operators, which in general terms is us. Are we the targets?

Anyway job done, another box ticked.

I am not complaining, I see this process as something the BMFA can usefully devote some column metres to in the mag, at the next issue.

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Like Erfolg, took me a couple of hours as I also read and used the BMFA specimen responses as a guide, which I have to say I though was time well spent - well done BMFA.

Recreational model flyers the target - I don't think so, we are just collateral damage in a ever growing sector where the speed of technology development has created issues and opportunities requiring regulation.

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Just completed it, and thought most of it was subversive. They don't define what "certain circumstances" are, and then force you to commit to legislation of some sort based on these unknown circumstances.

My favourite question...

Q106. How do you rate the assumptions that growth in commercial drone users will continue according to the quadratic trend that best fits historical data?

Really? 😂😂


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I appreciate this consultation is trying to cover all unmanned aircraft but it is really hard to see how some of the questions have much (any!) relevance to model flying.

How many questions had to be answered "Don't know" by the BMFA.

It is almost as if it is the intention of this consultation to generate almost any desired statistical outcome!

I wonder..... wink 2

Edited By Simon Chaddock on 26/08/2018 18:25:24

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Posted by Rob Ashley on 26/08/2018 18:10:17:

I'm glad it wasn't just me that exclaimed when I was asked to project commercial drone growth - it was a bit of an ask. Hopefully common sense will prevail.

I think you are looking at it a bit too narrowly.

The consultation will also be completed by the commercial drone industry and their customers, I don't think it's unreasonable that they have the means to express their opinion in this area.

We just have to be sure that we make our case heard.

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Posted by John Lee on 26/08/2018 20:28:50:

I think you are looking at it a bit too narrowly.

The consultation will also be completed by the commercial drone industry and their customers, I don't think it's unreasonable that they have the means to express their opinion in this area.

We just have to be sure that we make our case heard.

I see what you are saying John and get the fact that both casual and commercial users are able to respond to the consultation - I did read it and didn't infer commercial operators shouldn't get a say. Problem is the questions are poor as lack decent definition or were too direct missing vital information. They have tried to write questions that fit all camps, but they don't.

As a military aviator and modeller I have a vested interest over a wider perspective than most, as drones (I use this term to define quad type off the shelf systems) have significantly increased the risk to military low flying aircraft and of course commercial aviation, generally near airports. This is mainly due to the average user who can buy one, take it out of the box and fly it with zero knowledge of the Air Navigation Order - the questions in this consultation did not distinguish between these types and responsible modellers or indeed identify the need for education. Perhaps the data collected will reach that conclusion and common sense will prevail.

The consultation was not well written, in my opinion, and I think would have been better had it made some clearer definitions to start with and even a separate question bank for casual and commercial operators as they have very different needs. There are many rules and regulations in the flying world already and there is a good system for notifying where and when drone / model activity will take place so why not focus on educating people to use the system correctly - which is available online - instead of spending tax payers money on a new system that requires development and testing - the system is already there.

Best, Rob

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Posted by malcolm woodcock 1 on 25/08/2018 15:19:26:

Remember when the government took 27megs off of us because they thought there would be more votes for them from 'Citizen Band' radio. What did happen to them? I always worry when government's get involved.

That's not how I remember it, from what I recall they released some more of the 27 mhz band for CB use away from the illegal CB sets which conflicted with the frequencies given for radio control and then we were allocated dedicated 35mhz bands for RC aircraft.

They realised that they couldn't stop illegal CB radios so the allocated them frequencies where they wouldn't clash with existing users.

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I don't know if extra 27Mhz frequencies were allocated for CB, the problem was illegal CB radios didn't comply with their allocated frequencies anyway; only legal ones did. If compliance had been enforced, there would have been no need to give us the 35Mhz air-only band frown

I wonder how many drone-zappers (I don't remember the term they used in the consultation document) are going to be recruited to enforce the new legislation. And how long will it be before users with criminal intent will find ways to make their drones zapper-proof?

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