The CAA have launched a consultation on proposals to make it easier for drone users to fly safely and meet regulatory requirements. This is a follow-up to the Call for Input that took place in October – our responses were made available via the bulleting and the website.
The responses are due on January 10 2024, and we encourage all members to respond with their own views. The primary audience are the hundreds of thousands of Flyer and Operator ID holders and the Open Category operators, but the proposals also reach operators in the Specific category. A quick skim through the document indicates that it is going in the right direction, with among other proposals:
- Proposal to implement a UK version of Class Marking, which will bring to life the real intended benefits of the Open category and its subcategories
- Proposal that C1/UK1 (<900g) drones may fly over uninvolved people, like C0/UK0 drones
- Gradual phase out of the CAP722 series and the merger of key content into a revised Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material AMC & GM. To avoid duplication of documentation and contradictions between documents.
Proposals also include the extension of Flyer ID training to users of drones under 250g, and the extension of time period to adopt class-marked drones by 2 years.
The most challenging proposal is most likely the introduction Remote ID. We know that there is no consensus among our members, based on your feedback collected in October for the Call for Input . Our position as an Organisation is in favour of Remote ID, with caveats, for the reasons outlined in our response at the time. You can read it again by clicking Here (password protected). We will also make our response to this formal consultation available to members once we’ve reviewed it within the Regulation Special Interest Group REGSIG.
We will share our thoughts and our response with members, in the meantime we encourage all members to respond with their own views:
Consultation Opened: 22 November 2023
Consultation Closes: 10 January 2024