UK Government Destroys UAVs' Value Proposition

The UK Government has just ammended the Air Navigation Order of 2016 to ban the use of small Unmanned Automated Vehicle (UAV) aircraft and Remote Piloted Vehicle (RPV) aircaft (sometimes referred to as "drones") near people, private buildings, airports and large public events. Additionally, there's a height restriction of 400 feet. It is also pproposing to introduce a registration and licensing scheme, backed up by "safety tests" for operators or in effect the intrduction of a driving licence.

Whilst one can understand the need to assure safety around airports and large public events, this appears to have totally destroyed any means of usefully using the technology for valid reasons.

Firstly, Amazon, there's no chance that "drone based delivery can now be introduced into the UK.

Then, the police and border security people should give up because it cannot be used for any kind of patrol and surveillance work which helicopters often use.

If you are in mountain rescue, give up, you cannot fly the aircraft over 400 feet. Even if you did and were searching for someone to rescue, you risk breaching the 50 metre proximity rule when finding the people you are looking to rescue.

Use in many applications of building and engineering surveying now risks being outlawed.

Hobbyists should give up. If the aircraft takes off or lands within 50 metres of you, its a breach and there is a risk that someone will wander into whatever remote field that you have found and create a breach of he law.

Kids who have been given small flying helicopters with remote controls, are not even allowed to fly them in their own gardens or within their bedrooms without causing a breach.

At the same time, there does not appear to be any concern about privacy in the arrangements or regulation of what is an acceptable or safe design.

Note, for heavier aircraft, the rules become more onerous...

So, this looks like a well intended piece of legislation has largely hashed the issue and broken the value proposition for everyone. this can only be due to the lack of public awareness and therefore participation in any consultation process before the regulations were formulated.