Upcoming Drone Registration - What You Need To Know

Coming 1^st October 2019^[6] the CAA will need to comply with the Government's legislation to implement a drone registration system, it will be mandatory for all people with small unmanned aircraft (SUA) over 250 g to register by the end of November, currently this is set to cost £16.50^[1] and will involve an online test, this cost will be finalised in July.

Have a look below for common questions and answers.

I only fly model aeroplanes, does this new drone law apply to me?
Yes, any SUA user, whether it be a model or drone will need to have their SUA registered, and all drone retailers will need to have the drones they sell registered at time of selling with the CAA.^[13]

There are a few exceptions to this, these are:
any small balloon^[4] (under 2 m in any length ^[3])
any kite under 2 kg
Any parachute
Any drone under 250 g

What will this CAA registration scheme entail?
The SUA user will be required to view a web page with the rules, what is and what isn't permitted when flying a drone, and then they will need to do an online test regarding what they have read, there will be no manual tests on actually flying the drone.^[5] The SUA user will also need to display their registration number on all drones they own.

Why did they choose SUA weight of 250g?
It is in line with what are countries are implementing and "generally regarded as the point at which a drone is so small and so light that the risks are incredibly small"
For reference Mavic 2 weighs 907g, a Mantis Q weights 480g, a Spark weighs 300g, a Tello weighs 80g and the Fat Shark 101 weighs 54g.

Will I need to re-apply for the registration for each new drone I buy, spending another £16.50?
No, once you have done it it will be applicable to all drones you own or will own in the future.^[7]

How many drone users are estimated to be in the UK?
Approximately 170,000 as of June 2019.

If I want to let my friend fly my drone will they also need to pay and do the test?
This is unclear, your friend won’t need to pay the money but technically may need to do the online test before flying.^[8]

If I own a company that uses drones what do I need to do?
The person who is responsible for the drone pilots and drones will need to pay the £16.50 fee, and every operator in the company who will be flying the drones will need to take the online test.^[9]

What is the punishment for not registering?
Up to £1000 fine.^[10] The police will be responsible for enforcing this requirement to register. At time of writing there are no plans for a team to be set up to go out and check drone pilots.

Can a group of people sign up under 1 registration to save money?
Yes, but this is ill advised as the person that the registration is under will then be legally responsible for all the others whenever any of them are flying.^[11]

What will likely be coming in the next few years for drone regulation?
Strengthening education and awareness of rules.
A unified air traffic management system – every flying object will need to be electronically visible (electronic conspicuity) to every other flying object, this will allow officers to see which flying objects are permitted and which are flying illegally. Electronic Conspicuity may lead to the rule of “Ensure your drone is always in sight” being removed once the air traffic management system is fully set up.^[12]

This information is still fluid, we will need to wait for the CAA to release official information which they are likely doing in July, but looking to Europe's upcoming rules there are a few things that could be added to the UK’s rules that haven't been mentioned by the CAA yet for example: Europe will have a rule that any drone under 250 g, BUT with a sensor (camera, microphone etc) will also be required to register ^[2]

If you need any more information or help and support when the Registration arrives don't hesitate to contact Leicester Drones on
chris@leicesterdrones.com
0116 2677454
We will publish new information when it becomes available in July.
Leicester Drones is committed to supporting commercial operators and hobbyists.

sources
^[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0005t9t
^[2] https://www.easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/civil-drones-rpas
^[3] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/765/pdfs/uksi_20160765_en.pdf#page=135&zoom=auto,-216,169
^[4] http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1763%20New%20UAS%20guidance%20Feb%202019.pdf#page=11&zoom=auto,-215,739
^[5] https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5a8783e9-e676-4b03-9aa8-e4681491b5d1?in=09:55:03&out=09:55:25
^[6] https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5a8783e9-e676-4b03-9aa8-e4681491b5d1?in=09:59:57&out=10:00:09
^[7] https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5a8783e9-e676-4b03-9aa8-e4681491b5d1?in=10:07:49&out=10:08:06
^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]} https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/5a8783e9-e676-4b03-9aa8-e4681491b5d1
^[13] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2017-2019/0325/19325.pdf#page=2&zoom=auto,-215,436