2023
December 2023 published amendments
Point 7: Stay well away from airports, airfields, spaceports and aircraft
Updated content to provide link to CAA page on airspace restrictions apps.
Updated content to note that inbuilt drone software may not always be up to date.
Point 8: Follow any flying restrictions and check for hazards
Updated content to provide link to CAA page on airspace restrictions apps.
June 2023 published amendments
Point 4: Do not fly closer to people than 50m
Updated content to clarify requirements for flying in the Open A2 category.
January 2023 published amendments
Point 8: Follow any restrictions and check for hazards
NOTAM term updated to Notices to Aviation to reflect update to term made in CAP 1430, September 2021.
2022
December 2022 published amendments
Code updated to reflect the Department for Transport’s decisions to:
- extend the transition and legacy provisions in the Open category to 1st January 2026
- remove the automatic recognition of class marks issued within the EU, as equivalent to UK Class marks, from the 23rd December 2022, in The Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
Getting what you need to fly legally
References to class marks removed.
Content updated to include the requirement to be able to see which way your drone or model aircraft is facing.
Point 4: Do not fly closer to people than 50m
References to class marks removed.
Point 6: Keep at least 150m away from residential, recreational, commercial and industrial sites
References to class marks removed.
Content added to examples of residential sites to clarify that the point applies to individual and small groups of buildings.
Terms ‘areas’ changed to ‘sites’ to help with clarification.
Point 8: Follow any restrictions and check for hazards
Emergency incidents: content updated to enhance the details on not flying at or near incidents.
Point 10: Make sure you know what your drone or model aircraft can and cannot do
Content on modifying drones or model aircraft removed to reflect the removal of class marks.
Point 12: Never drop, lower or fire anything from your drone or model aircraft while it's flying
‘Lower or fire’ added to point.
Point 30: Label all your drones and model aircraft with your operator ID
Content on how to label your drone or model aircraft added.
References to class marks removed.
Point 33: Maintain your drone or model aircraft so that it’s safe to fly
References to class marks removed.
July 2022 published amendments
Point 34: You must renew your operator ID every year
Note added on legal requirement to keep operator registration details up to date.
2021
November 2021 published amendments
Categories of drone and model aircraft operations
Update to improve wording of links to categories.
Flying using first-person view (FPV)
Details added on the requirements for flying using first-person view (FPV).
Point 3: Fly below 120m (400ft)
Low-flying military aircraft added to examples of types of aircraft to look and listen out for.
Point 7: Stay well away from airports, airfields, spaceports and aircraft
Spaceports added to content.
New image added to show spaceport flight restriction zone.
Link updated to reflect new website address for the CAA’s map of airspace restrictions.
Point 8: Follow any flying restrictions and check for hazards
Detail added for sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Apps and other resources with details of restrictions: drone app point revised following closure of dronesafe.uk website.
Point 9: Get the right authorisation before flying outside this code
Updated links to reflect revised website addresses.
Point 18: Report any dangerous incidents, near misses or suspicious activity
Link to CAA guidance on what must be reported added.
Point 33: Maintain your drone or model aircraft so that it’s safe to fly
Detail added on the requirement that class marks must not be removed.
Point 34: You must renew your operator ID every year
Update to improve wording.
June 2021 published amendments
Point 18: Report any dangerous incidents, near misses or suspicious activity
Incident reporting link updated to reflect new website address for the reporting service.
Background: Drones and model aircraft in the law
Link updated to reflect new website address for the Civil Aviation Authority copy of Air Navigation Order with amendments inserted.
May 2021 published amendments
Minor content corrections and amendments.
January 2021 published amendments
Getting what you need to fly legally
Content related to flyers under 12 removed to reflect revised regulations.
2020
December 2020 published amendments
Code updated to reflect implementation of the revised UAS Regulatory Package, which became applicable in its entirety in the UK from 31 December 2020.
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