Do I need a licence to fly a drone in public?

Question

If I practice flying a drone in a public park not over gardens or using the camera for looking into windows do I need a licence?

Andrew Leach · Accepted Answer · 2023-04-11 06:08:51Z

Skykam has provided a summary of UK regulations for 2023:

Drone operators must be at least 12 years old to fly independently
Drones are not permitted to fly higher than 400 feet (120 meters)
Operators must maintain a line of sight with their drone at all times
Permission is required before flying in restricted airspace
Do not fly your drone within a 5-kilometer radius of airports.
A minimum distance of 50 meters must be maintained from uninvolved persons (Drones below 250 grams are permitted to fly closer and over people)
Drones weighing 250 grams or more must be operated at least 150 meters away from parks, industrial areas, residential zones, and other built-up locations.
If a drone is equipped with a camera, the operator must register for an Operator ID with the CAA.
Insurance is mandatory for commercial drone use.
Compliance with these regulations is required during both daytime and nighttime operations.

So...

If your drone has a camera, then Yes, you will need a flyer ID. This isn't a licence as such, and is free, but does involve a theory test.
If your drone weighs 250g or more, then you can't use it in a park.

Unless the park is empty. Also, in reality most park-goers won't care if someone is using a drone as long as they're not dive-bombing people — Richard, Apr 10 at 22:35
I guess I would care if an inexperienced drone operator lost control of their drone, resulting in the drone falling on my head - so "practicing" your drone flying skills close to park-goers might not be a good idea even if legally allowed. — Guntram Blohm, Apr 11 at 5:41
@Richard No, even if the park is empty, you can't fly a drone less than 150m from it. See point 6 of the CAA guidance. — Andrew Leach, Apr 11 at 6:10

1 Answer 1