Thanks EU

[BadWolf1]

Yes. In that case soon it's going to be easier to buy guns than drones

In Switzerland perhaps, but not in the UK. The national aviation bodies work together; the national firearms bodies don't.

I think this is going off topic a little, but keeping on-point:- by the time it hits the courts & the news, it’s too late. Kate & Bob next door are shaking their heads saying “there really needs to be a law to outlaw those things.”.

This is true, however people disobey existing rules, and do dangerous and anti-social things. The extent these laws will stop people doing things which make others want drones banned is anyone's guess.

 

[zocalo]

This is true, however people disobey existing rules, and do dangerous and anti-social things. The extent these laws will stop people doing things which make others want drones banned is anyone's guess.

This got touched on in another thread a few weeks back, but my position is that a little legislation and a registration requirement - especially if it can be enforced at point of sale and definitively link a drone with its owner - here might be a good thing. The trick is to hit that sweet spot whereby if you are reasonably keen to fly then getting the permits is not *that* much of a burden, but it's enough of a deterrent to keep the overwhelming majority of people on the straight and narrow. As I noted above, having a registration and training requirement, no matter how minimal, also negates the foundation of a lot of the arguments being used to justify blanket "no drones" policies, even in open and most empty countryside.

As long as the regulations are tightened gradually and we don't get a knee-jerk reaction to something like another Gatwick, or someone having a near miss with a demo team/the US President's aircraft until we find that sweet spot, then we should be good. Yes, it would be nice if we could (mostly) self-govern as was the case previously, but clearly the lower bar to entry provided by consumer-level products has, as usual, brought the clueless and reckless with it, and we now have to accept there is going to be a price for the convenience that brings the rest of us. Driving licenses are probably a good example here: yes, most people break the law (especially on speeding), but usually only slightly and only when they think they can get away with it, which is a huge improvement over a complete free for all with the large variances in velocity that usually lead to accidents, and it's only a really tiny minority that push things to extremes. If we can get to that point, then I think we'll be much closer to the kind of public acceptance and level of freedom to operate that most of us probably want.

 

[jagraphics]

Yes. In that case soon it's going to be easier to buy guns than drones

Or a car, or a motorbike, or a pilot's license or ships masters license or a.....

Due to a few people doing silly and down right stupid things with drones all that is happening is they are harmonizing small drone laws wil all other powered craft on land, sea or air.

 

[Red_Pyro]

Or a car, or a motorbike, or a pilot's license or ships masters license or a.....

Due to a few people doing silly and down right stupid things with drones all that is happening is they are harmonizing small drone laws wil all other powered craft on land, sea or air.

So, were you trying to express an opinion on it or was it just a statement ?

 

[maelstrom]

The government already knows who you are and where you live so they’re not getting any extra information other than the fact you now also own a drone. Getting a Flyer ID in the UK is free and just a matter of passing a quick and easy open book test. Getting an Operator ID (not even required for a Mavic Mini) requires no testing and costs less than a few beers. If you seriously think that this somehow affects your freedom or civil liberties, I can only assume you also never use the Internet, social media or search on Google. There is already far (far!) more information out there about you than is collected by registering your drone. If you never do anything illegal with your drone, there will never be any reason to be the least bit concerned that the government knows you have one.

For the OP, there are already plenty of drone laws in Switzerland and the new EU legislations change these very little: Regulations and general questions relating to drones . It’s interesting to note the requirement for compulsory 3rd-part insurance in Switzerland for all drones weighing over 500g - I wonder how many drone flyers in the country comply with this?