Drones to be limited to 50m max altitude by EASA! 250g maximum for homebuilt!

[Loopdreams]

Pretty sure that will come to refer to flying at clubs and little else.

The 50M thing just makes me think that this is less to do with safety and more like a land-grab.  It's a racing certainty that Amazon and other companies have had heavy input into this.

[English Turbines]

How predictable, Europe gets involved and the dji flying at Airports and Theme Parks numpties soil the pitch for everyone....but lets see, pretty sure the "drone" manufacturers wont sit still for this.

If you do a " Launch Mode" takeoff, you will be outside the no fly zone before you get your goggles on and get cumfy in the chair.
  Just one more reason we voted to leave the EU......amongst the many,  many, others.

:vulture:

[electrotor]

I suspect there will be some serious lobbying from manufacturers as the UK is one of the largest markets outside of the USA and Germany.

Not just the UK, this is Europe wide, which is a colossal market. So in that respect our fellow model flyers in Europe will be in the same boat and will be going through the same  as we are right now.

[electrotor]

Further reading resulted in this quote:

"However, to take into account the satisfactory safety level achieved by aircraft models, measures will
be defined in the IRs. Model aircraft flying has been practised for decades with a good safety record
because it is a well-structured activity. The intention is to develop rules that will not affect model
aircraft flying. One significant element in this respect is that the pilot of an unmanned aircraft will be
required, except in the 'harmless' subcategory, to have a minimum knowledge of aviation regulations.
The education provided at model-flying associations should be accepted as sufficient."

Panic over !!!!!!           Let's get back on with some ........  :flying:

Hi wgt40w.
Where is this quote? I have searched the prototype document and cannot find it.

[Fr3nzy]

I don't think the EASA has jurisdiction here and the last time I spoke with the CAA, they were not interested in "clamping down" on hobbyists. I do think that out of the box devices like Phantoms etc should be limited in some ways as historically it's been operators of these devices that's posed a danger. Anyone who's smart enough to build their own, has largely been smart enough to know how to use it safely.

[mark1975]

Dji has introduced geo fencing across there devices now and it even flags up if your in restricted airspace too now ..

[Andy Sayle]

I don't think the EASA has jurisdiction here and the last time I spoke with the CAA, they were not interested in "clamping down" on hobbyists. I do think that out of the box devices like Phantoms etc should be limited in some ways as historically it's been operators of these devices that's posed a danger. Anyone who's smart enough to build their own, has largely been smart enough to know how to use it safely.

Do you think that out of the box devices like, say, cars, should be limited to 70mph so they don't break the speed limit?  And have geofenced speed limits where lower limits apply (like 30mph in towns, 20mph by schools etc)?

Or is that okay?

Just wondering ;)

Andy

[Loopdreams]

I'm not saying I'd like it but I have to admit that if you were starting with a blank slate as they pretty much are with drones then it would be fairly difficult to make a truly compelling argument against doing that.

Why do you need to be able to exceed the speed limit?
Erm, mostly just because it's fun.

Past schools and whatnot?
Yeah, for fun.

Oh ok then.

Wouldn't happen.

[electrotor]

I don't think the EASA has jurisdiction here and the last time I spoke with the CAA, they were not interested in "clamping down" on hobbyists. I do think that out of the box devices like Phantoms etc should be limited in some ways as historically it's been operators of these devices that's posed a danger. Anyone who's smart enough to build their own, has largely been smart enough to know how to use it safely.

Partially correct and partially incorrect.
Currently EASA has jurisdiction over civilian aviation down to a weight limit which I understand is 150kg. Therefore recreational flyers like ourselves are CURRENTLY unaffected. However EASA is continuing to expand its area of jurisdiction and will eventually seek to have jurisdiction over all civilian aviation in member states, unless it chooses to delegate certain aspects of it to the national aviation authorities. Herein of course lies an issue which must be resolved, that being the question of whether or not the UK will subscribe to EASA regulation following brexit. I rather suspect that it will because it is very much in the interests of civilian aviation to have free and unrestricted movement throughout Europe. If we take Norway for example, it is not an EU member state but does conduct civilian aviation under EASA regulation because it make a whole lot of business and commercial sense.
The other thing we should all be aware of is that this regulation is not limited to Phantoms and the like. It will affect ALL model flying so even the Luddites, nay-sayers and model flying "arseholes on a bike" will be clobbered with the same legislation as FPV bad boys.

[electrotor]

I'm not saying I'd like it but I have to admit that if you were starting with a blank slate as they pretty much are with drones then it would be fairly difficult to make a truly compelling argument against doing that.

Why do you need to be able to exceed the speed limit?
Erm, mostly just because it's fun.

Past schools and whatnot?
Yeah, for fun.

Oh ok then.

Wouldn't happen.

This will affect ALL model flying, not just Phantoms and the like. And with a long history of safe and competent model flying in Europe nobody is really starting with a blank slate. CAP 658 spells it out better than anything that anyone else has come up with. It simply needs further revising to keep up with developments. I would happily see it used as the template for EASA regulation of model flying.

[Andy Sayle]

I'm not saying I'd like it but I have to admit that if you were starting with a blank slate as they pretty much are with drones then it would be fairly difficult to make a truly compelling argument against doing that.

Why do you need to be able to exceed the speed limit?
Erm, mostly just because it's fun.

Past schools and whatnot?
Yeah, for fun.

Oh ok then.

Wouldn't happen.

Fair point, although it's not like drones are a blank slate though?  By EASA's definition, they are including almost all model aircraft, and they have been around for decades.  And, the CAA have had regulations in place (that would be reasonably effective if "newbies" were made aware of them) for years too.  So why the draconian limits?

Anyway, All that will happen here, is that people will largely ignore the rules.  It's obvious that the resources for enforcing the existing rules are very limited.  You just have to look at the number of people flying FPV without a spotter, and not getting collared, to see that.

The one good thing to come out of proposals like this, is it generates some cracking debate and discussion!

Andy

[Loopdreams]

This will affect ALL model flying, not just Phantoms and the like. And with a long history of safe and competent model flying in Europe nobody is really starting with a blank slate.

Well I would hope that they'd consider that but fear that in reality model flyers are a really tiny voice in the room and those who don't fly at clubs but a squeak in the background somewhere, one that would be ignored the moment it adds any complication at all.  I fully expect that the eventual set of options will be that you obey some very restrictive rules, break them or fly at an officially recognised club.

[Ratty]

How predictable, Europe gets involved and the dji flying at Airports and Theme Parks numpties soil the pitch for everyone....but lets see, pretty sure the "drone" manufacturers wont sit still for this.

If you do a " Launch Mode" takeoff, you will be outside the no fly zone before you get your goggles on and get cumfy in the chair.
  Just one more reason we voted to leave the EU......amongst the many,  many, others.

:vulture:

You are deluded. You realise being in or out of the EU makes no difference, like the rest of the lies you were tricked into voting for.

50m high and 100m distance i can live with. The weight and speed limits i think need to be upped.  ;D

[wgt40w]

Hi wgt40w.
Where is this quote? I have searched the prototype document and cannot find it.

Extracted from:
Introduction of a regulatory framework for the operation of unmanned aircraft

https://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/dfu/Introduction%20of%20a%20regulatory%20framework%20for%20the%20operation%20of%20unmanned%20aircraft.pdf

Section 2.3.1 second paragraph

[wgt40w]

Electrotor

Suggest you read this background to the latest developments - and click on the Links and read.

https://www.easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/civil-drones-rpas