Below is a copy from Heli guys site:
After November 2020 (Transitional Period)
Where Can I Fly?
There can be no uninvolved people present within the area of flight; and there can be no flight within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial, or recreational areas (
A3 subcategory of Open category).
Want more freedom? Complete an
A2 Certificate of Competency (
A2 C of C) and you can fly as close as 50m horizontally of uninvolved people (
A2 subcategory). There is no limitation on proximity to buildings.
The CAA CAP1789 doc' provides the following in its Q&A section:
13. What are the separation requirements from uninvolved people in the
A3 subcategory?
There should not be any uninvolved persons “endangered within the range where the UA is flown during the entire time of the UAS operation”. This means that there should not be anyone that is not part of the flight in any part of the area that the aircraft is planned to be flown, and people should be at least 50m away from the ‘boundary’ of the flying area. If an uninvolved person ‘strays’ into the flying area, then the aircraft must be moved away from that uninvolved person immediately.
The 1:1 rule (see Q 14 below) allows remote pilots to make a quick and simple assessment of the relative risk. However, if the person stays in the operating area (as opposed to just ‘passing through’), then the flight would need to be stopped.
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To me, it looks like the new documentation is simply trying to further define what is currently termed as 'Built-up area' and/or 'Congested area'. There was a requirement for a 150m exclusion zone around them in the Drone Code, and it seems that there's the same for a; "residential, commercial, industrial, or recreational area" - all of which at various times, CAA have confirmed that they consider those areas as 'built-up'. Note that none of those 'terms' apply to the on-its-own type country cottage - or to cars, trains or boats - as is defined for the 50-metre exclusion rule in the current Drone Code.
The answer to question 13 above tells me that there is still a need to maintain a 50m separation from uninvolved persons - but the big difference now, is the answer to question 1 in the Q&A:
1. Are the Open category separation distances from uninvolved persons still based on a ‘bubble’ around the person, so we can fly over the top of them?
No, the separation distances are all based on ‘horizontal separation’ (i.e. like a ‘cylinder around the person) and they must not be overflown at any height.
I must admit to some confusion however, that in the absence of any 'equivalent' to the current "Never fly closer than 50m to buildings, cars, trains or boats - you could perhaps take this two ways;
1) either the 50m clearance rule no longer exists, and you can fly closer to [lone] buildings, cars, trains or boats ...
2) Or - the presence of people overrides everything i.e. as soon as people are involved in the flying area (near those buildings, cars, trains or boats), you need to get 50m away from them horizontally.
In regard to more freedom - you'd not only need to get the
A2 cert' - but wouldn't you also need to have a drone that's got the EASA Class label on it too? If you stay with your 'Legacy' drone, is the
A2 cert' going to be of any use to you??
www.easa.europa.eu
