Registration of UK drone operators expanded in scope.

[pilotmike]

Originally Posted by ShyTorque

Correct - all explained on the CAA website, link here: https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft/Our-role/Drone-and-model-aircraft-registration/?mc_cid=ef3fce4f1f&mc_eid=b65c38c183

Interestingly, there appears to be no way of taking the online test at the moment - it's apparently not yet online!

The CAA were mandated to issue registrations to applicants from 1st October by the Air Navigation Order:

=left"Citation and commencement. 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Minimum Age for Operators of Small Unmanned Aircraft) Regulations 2019 and come into force on 1st October 2019.... Article 94C of the 2016 Order sets out the circumstances in which the Civil Aviation Authority (“the CAA”) must issue a certificate of registration as an SUA operator to a person, or renew that person’s certificate of registration"

They failed to do this, so I wrote to the CAA on numerous occasions asking when they were intending to comply with the ANO. They completely ignored my enquiries.

I then wrote to Richard Moriarty, CEO of the CAA, informing him that I was asking my MP to make enquiries of the Secretary of State for Transport as to when the CAA would be complying with the ANO, and the response from the CEO's office of the CAA was spectacularly quick. They apologised for breaking the 1st October deadline, and have since told me the application process will be live from 5th November, giving less than 4 working weeks time to pass tests and to apply, compared to the almost 9 weeks we were assured would be available from the mandated 1st October opening date.

It appears to be spectacular incompetence by the CAA, who now appear almost incapable of providing the required means to take money from people who just want to fly toys with their kids etc.