1 | DRONESReach for the sky
Lauren Scott explains UK drone flying laws
and shares handy tips to elevate your imagesrones have (ahem)
taken off in recent
years, and we know
that many readers
proudly own one.
Whether you use yours to shoot
video clips or still images, they’re a
fantastic tool to have – as long as
you’re following the rules. Here, I’ll
cover the basic laws that you need
to know, but also how to set your
drone up to create powerful content.
If your drone weighs less than
20kg and you’re not going to profit
from your content, you don’t need
a licence in the UK. However, if you
want to use your drone for business
purposes, you’ll need to attend a
PfCO course approved by the CAA
with the National Qualified Entity
(NQE). Check out the Civil AviationAuthority website (www.caa.co.uk)
if you think you fall into this category.
Many people just fly drones as
a hobby, but there are still some
elementary rules to follow to make
sure you don’t get in trouble with
the authorities. It’s mostly common-
sense stuff, such as not flying your
drone within 1km of an airport and
ensuring you keep a direct line of
sight with it at all times. You also
need to make sure your drone
stays under 120m (some models
have a height limiter built-in) and
keep a distance of at least 50m
from buildings and people.
Boring bit over – now you’re
familiar with the laws, turn over
the page for some tips on how
you can take your drone images
up a level...D
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CAMERA
DRONE
BUYING GUIDE
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