Drone usage in UK
 

I believe that new rules have just been introduced in the UK banning the use of drones within 5km of an airport. I think that these rules also include the use of drones that are considered toys.

If that is the case, then if I take my local airport (Southampton), a 5km range would take up most of the city.

If so, I imagine that an awful lot of people who have these toys do not appreciate that they can no longer use them and face severe penalties if they do.

Is this correct?

Yes, it is the new rule, See: Dronesafe

There is a zoomable map showing the extent of each restricted area.

Click the airfield to get the phone number of local ATC.


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So you can still fly inside the CTR of airports such as East Midlands but are restricted even outside the ATZ of Aerodromes such as Nottingham. Who flies a 5km final in a C152? At Derby airfield the restriction is imposed on a runway extended centerline that can not be used for departure or approach due to 25kv power lines.

This was not really thought out.

Yep, and it's been poorly reported / publicised, with many articles and guides still quoting a 250g lower limit to be caught by the legislation, a limit which has apparently (see e.g. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/0...miles_aiports/ ) now been removed - it appears that even a paper aeroplane would be banned now.

Kids toy copter is now locked away - too much chaos potential indoors and now illegal in the garden, until I figure out if the CAA really means that every parent just needs to phone the local airport ATC for permission to fly in their own garden a toy that weighs 50g and won't get above treetops.

Gets worse in November though, a mandatory registration process (as yet with no details - it isn't even clear if kids will be able to register at all) and fixed penalty notices which I'm sure Mr Plod will be very happy with as (as usual) it saves all the tedious mucking around with courts and having to have evidence of an offence and people being found not guilty...

No.

The restricted zone at Southampton is a circle with a radius of 3.7 km (2 nm) from the centre point of the runway, plus a 1 km x 12 km (approx) rectangle aligned with the runway heading.

So most of the city is outside that zone.