Further to our previous update of 11th September (https://bmfa.org/News/News-Page/ArticleID/2610/An-update-on-the-UK-regulations-for-model-flyers-a-bit-of-good-news-at-last ). There is no real change to the situation as published.  All parties are currently awaiting the outcome of the Secretary of State’s deliberations on the matter and there is little we can add until we receive this. What we can confirm however is that the DRES scheme will not be rolled out on the 1st October (it seems unli...

I published an update on the BMFA website on 23rd August (https://bmfa.org/News/News-Page/ArticleID/2608/An-update-on-the-UK-regulations-for-model-flyers ) which provided a summary of our position at that time. This was also going to be the basis of my article for the forthcoming issue of the BMFA NEWS. However, the very next day I received a telephone call to tell me that the new Secretary of State for Transport (the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP) had picked up the case for us and would ‘be in touch...

We would like to record our thanks to all those members who responded to our ‘Call to Action’ in response to CAP1775, the CAA’s consultation of the Drone Registration and Education Scheme (DRES) for which they are expecting our members to contribute a significant element of the annual £2.8 million running costs. The response from our members was fantastic, with the CAA receiving over 11,000 responses to the consultation – the biggest ever response they have ever received to anything.  Despi...

The British F3C team started off well with Steve Roberts and Mark Christy making it through the Preliminary Round to the Finals Rounds.

A terrific medal haul for the British team in the F3N (Freestyle Helicopter) at the World Championships in Ballenstedt, Germany that finished today.

The Science and Technology Committee holds its third evidence session on its Commercial and recreational drone use in the UK inquiry on Tuesday 9th July.  Watch it online at Parliament TV. Witnesses: At 9.30 am Gemma Alcock, Founder, SkyBound Rescuer Professor David Dunn, International Politics, University of Birmingham David Phipps, Chief Executive, British Model Flying Association  At 10.30 am Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Depart...

BMFA members have been expressing their deep concern and criticism of the BBC Two documentary, ‘Britain’s Next Air Disaster? Drones?’, which sensationalised the potential risks from ‘drones’ and grossly mis-represented the entirely safe activities routinely undertaken by thousands of lawful ‘drone’ operators. The BMFA and other UK Associations acknowledge that unlawful operation of unmanned aircraft could potentially result in unacceptable conflict with manned aviation, but the risk shou...

We have this morning registered our concern with Martin Rolfe, the CEO of NATS regarding the comments made by their representative at the Select Committee evidence hearing which took place on the 26th June, where 'drone' operators were categorised as either 'clueless, careless or criminal'. We have received assurances that NATS would never categorise operators in the inappropriate manner described by their representative and they will be taking steps to make sure that the Select Committee under...

The EU regulations for Unmanned Aircraft were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on the 11th June and the Implementing Regulation will become applicable on 1st July, 2020. The CAA have recently published CAP1789 which provides a detailed guide to the EU regulations which you can find here: http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1789%20EU%20UAS%20Regulations-Guidance.pdf CAP1789 includes a paragraph specifically relating to model aircraft which states: Additional provision...