British Agency Partners with Drone Community to Promote Safety

England’s Civil Aviation Authority is teaming up with top drone manufacturers to promote safety at the grassroots level.

As part of its DroneSafe campaign, the CAA presented the inaugural Share the Air community event last week at Compton Abbas airfield to educate consumer drone users about best UAV safety and operational practices.

“Drones being the latest ‘must have’ in tech, we’ve seen a huge spike in drone ownership across the country,” CAA spokesperson Jonathan Nicholson said in a press release.

“What’s vital now is that we ensure both drone users and the general-aviation communities are equipped to share the air in a safe, yet enjoyable way that benefits both parties. By enlisting the help of the general aviation community, drone enthusiasts have a fantastic chance to be welcomed to the fold of flying, whilst simultaneously learning more about the environment they operate in. It might even inspire them to follow in the footsteps of the pilots they will be speaking to.”

Experts in the drone field – including DJI Phantom Flight School, drone company Yuneec, VR specialists V-Mach Media and local drone vendor UAVision – provided tips, photography seminars, maintenance checks and training simulations.

The event also gave the CAA a venue to share the centerpiece of the DroneSafe campaign – the DroneCode:

Don’t fly near airports or airfields

Remember to stay below 400ft (120m) and at least 150ft (50m) away from buildings and people

Observe your drone at all times

Never fly near aircraft

Enjoy responsibly

In July, the CAA advocated a registry of drone users to allow “real-time tracking and tracing of drones,” calling such a measure an “aid to the police and others involved in enforcing drone regulations.” The agency also hopes to introduce no-fly zones around key government facilities.

“Fitting geofencing to drones, automatically stopping them flying close to airports and other key infrastructure, is also a key element of helping to make sure drones fly safely,” a CAA spokesperson said.