The Railway Magazine – August 2019

The rapid growth of drones asafun

application over the past few years, coupled

with the increase of video shot from UAVs

appearing onYouTube, has led to concern

it would only beamatter of time beforea

drone would be ingested by the engine ofajet

airliner with disastrousresults.

As aresult, strictrules have been created

for UK drone users by the CivilAviation

Authority (CAA), with different countries

having its ownregulations.

The reported sighting ofadrone at

Gatwick Airportlast December,which resulted

in athree-day shutdown affecting 140,000

passengers, cost millions andruined holidays.

This led toafurther tightening ofrules,

including one wheredrones must not be used

within 5km of an airportorairfield.

Because of the Gatwick incident, the

Government warned in Januarythat those

flouting the changedregulations could, in

an extreme case, face five years in prison

and confiscation of equipment. In addition,

all drone operators will need toregister

their UAVbyNovember,and have visible

identification details similar to those on

aircraft.

The law says drone operators must not

fly their UAVabove 400ft or within 150ft of

people or property,and at all times havealine

of sight to the craft. Thereare also different

rules for drones overacertain weight; the

CAA website has full details ofrules and

regulations: http://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/

Unmanned-aircraft-and-drones

To help enforce suchrules, manufacturers

use ‘geo fencing’ in the UAVsoftwarelinked

to its GPS system, which should prevent the

craft straying into prohibited areas.Website

http://www.noflydrones.co.uk provides plenty of

information, and thereisanapp to download

to smartphones for maps on the move.

Otherrestricted areas will include military

sites, critical infrastructure(power stations),

public gatherings,royal parks, common land

(such as Clapham orWimbledon Commons),

the Peak District National Park and the

New Forest. Some local authorities have

even used byelaws and banned drone use

over some or all land within their area.

Flying over property can beagreyarea.

Currently,the rights ofaproperty owner are

restricted inrelation to the airspace above their

land to suchaheight as is necessaryfor the

ordinaryuse and enjoyment of his land. This

could be interpreted as being able to use

adrone in airspace over their property and

land within the 400ft heightrule, but not in a

way to causeanuisance or infringe privacy.

Another important area to consider is

High above the GreatCentralRailway,the dronecaptures Stanier‘8F’No.48624workin gtowardsQuorn with the

13.10 goods fromLoughboroughto RothleyonMay 12.

DRS Class 66 No.66425 passes Sheet Stores Junction with 6U77, the 13.54 Mountsorrel-CreweBasfordHall

ballast train onApril 8. Inthe background the linecurves le ft to Nottingham, righttoLeicester.

Manyimages of the dramatic poppyfields next to

theSevern ValleyRailway between Kidderminster

and Bewdleyhavebeen taken, this high-level

viewprobably one of the most vivid.Hawksworth

0-6-0PT No.1501 works the 10.30 from

Bridgnorthto Kidderminster on June 24.

36 •TheRailway Magazine•August2019

PHOTOGRAPHYFEATURE