CAA and BMFA chat

[cymaz]

 

 

 I’m sure a lot of bmfa members have had a link to this. It makes for interesting viewing in how the CAA view model /RC flying.

I make no apologies for my views on Buckminster HQ. I was against it when it was first proposed but it is now built so we can’t go backwards and we have to work with what we’ve got. 

How to lower the age range and raise the members is a very difficult one. Interesting that the membership is now dipping down after covid and Dmares regs. 

 

Edited March 2 by cymaz

[Cuban8]

I watched the YouTube repeat and I have to say that I noted what I thought was frustration on the part of the BMFA representatives with much of the CAA's standpoint as regards 'conventional' R/C flying.

Yes, we know that thankfully, we are able to carry on pretty much as usual, but to most model flyers and I suspect the BMFA itself, we all  really don't get the rationale for lumping line of sight R/C flying in with the wider 'drone' regulations. Interesting that this appears to be driven by Government policy according to the CAA chaps (who were both modellers, apparently!). Security being a particular worry.

This is where it seems to be going......it looks as if the best outcome for us, because of the wild dreams of the airspace becoming black with BLOS commercial drones (when this will be they never  say)  will be registered flying sites that can be avoided by other vehicles using 'our' airspace. What use or good the registration scheme has been so far other than a money spinner, was not made clear. The 'benefits' of remote ID for model aircraft (especially when flown from a 'registered' site) as mentioned by the CAA chaps, seemed very tenuous and I got the impression that even they thought it was daft. So some hope for common sense after all.

 

BTW I actually saw a fair sized commercial drone hovering over an industrial area in Colchester this week - I guess doing survey work. A rare bird indeed!

Edited March 2 by Cuban8

[JackCook]

I live in Australia but am considering returning to the UK.

We have been through all this nonsense here. I was the guy who was mapping the registration exempt model flying fields for the Australian Miniature Aerosports Society. 

Commercial drone registration happened. And then recreational drone registration was cancelled. No reason given. We aren't getting it.

Reading between the lines of discussions with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, they realised it would be a huge workload for zero return and would be unpoliceable with much unregistered use expected.

Also all commercial drone licenses were for piloted flights for surveying, photography etc. All the autonomous drone delivery trials which were operating in some towns for years, have been scrapped. There were loads of noise complaints. Privacy complaints. Drones and payloads going missing. Drones found smashed up and stripped for parts. It turned out drone delivery is a way to deliver something tiny with zero security. So it has to be tiny in weight and value. The dream has died.

Also rather pleasingly CASA now understand there is a difference between drones and model aircraft and have become very easy to work with.

I hope things go so well for my British friends.

[Andy Stephenson]

Let's hope our CAA learn from this otherwise it will happen all over again here.

[Cuban8]

3 hours ago, JackCook said:

I live in Australia but am considering returning to the UK.

We have been through all this nonsense here. I was the guy who was mapping the registration exempt model flying fields for the Australian Miniature Aerosports Society. 

Commercial drone registration happened. And then recreational drone registration was cancelled. No reason given. We aren't getting it.

Reading between the lines of discussions with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, they realised it would be a huge workload for zero return and would be unpoliceable with much unregistered use expected.

Also all commercial drone licenses were for piloted flights for surveying, photography etc. All the autonomous drone delivery trials which were operating in some towns for years, have been scrapped. There were loads of noise complaints. Privacy complaints. Drones and payloads going missing. Drones found smashed up and stripped for parts. It turned out drone delivery is a way to deliver something tiny with zero security. So it has to be tiny in weight and value. The dream has died.

Also rather pleasingly CASA now understand there is a difference between drones and model aircraft and have become very easy to work with.

I hope things go so well for my British friends.

QED...

BTW, just keep on considering your relocation back to blighty would be my advice.