CAA Leafelet to be issued to all UK model shops.

[Jumpy07]

This is a leaflet that is being given to all model shops in UK to be issued with any RTF kit etc..

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There is a suggestion that CAA are also going to start commenting on YouTube videos that show dangerous or illegal flying.. with a link to the leaflet and ANO';s  etc

The drone flying in this video may be breaking the safety rules which are in place to protect the public. Under these rules,
the ';pilot'; cannot fly a drone within 50m of people, vehicles, buildings or structures or over an urban area or large group of
people at any height. If you lose control, or it malfunctions, it will cause serious injuries or damage if the device is flying
within these limits. Don';t take risks with your drone, be safe, be legal

[Paulham]

I just had a quick read and nothing seems unreasonable there! At least they aren';t sanctioning silly no FPV rules ect..

[kilby]

The only complaint that I would make is that they don';t specify a suitable distance in the case of an airport.

As for the commenting on videos, well I think that';s fair enough as long as they actually cite the problems

[ashutchy]

A thumbs up from me!

I see it as a good and positive move by the CAA. It will stop some users pleading ignorance if caught flouting the rules and put more of the onus on them to know and understand the laws that binds them.

[turkuss]

Its been long over due and i welcome it.
The only problem I can see is the numptys that it is aimed at
Will just drop the leafelet on the way out of the shop...

[teslahed]

I';ve just read the leaflet - looks fine to me. A bit short on details regarding flying near airports perhaps (as kilby pointed out) but the stuff that';s there all looks pretty sensible.

Something like this makes a lot of sense - model shops selling RTF kit to people with more money than knowledge or sense is going to cause problems if it gets popular enough and at least someone in charge is trying to improve the situation rather than going the way of the FAA and just banning everything they can.

There will be a lot of new fliers out there now who just don';t know the basics and an easy to digest simple intro to safe flying like this should help. Not everyone who flies dangerously does so knowingly or because they are an idiot. Some just don';t realise.

[Andy7]

Yup, certainly add something to do with avoiding airports and other aircraft... well, all vehicles TBH.

I like that it';s pretty simple and doesn';t go into ALL the details which would wither confuse or provide reasons for people to mistakenly think the list was conclusive. "Well, the leaflet said keep clear of people and cars - it didn';t say anything about trains..." 

Worth having a link to a web page with the FULLEST explanation of the laws and guidelines with a note to keep checking for updates.

Sure, numpties are gonna drop the leaflet outside the shop and go flying down train tracks with their DJI the moment they open the box. But now they have been TOLD and there';s NO EXCUSE for being an idiot.

I';m FULLY behind this! 

[Andy7]

... oh, and it would be sweet if online retailers also put this leaflet in the box.

How about it all you vendors?

[ashutchy]

+1 to the link to rules and regs. No point in linking to a document like the CAP393 or the CAP722 as I can imagine lots of users simply wouldn';t read it and even if they did, probably wouldn';t take it all in. If the CAA could create a simplified yet comprehensive list of do';s and don';t';s I reckon it would of good use to many out there.

[SeamusOD]

These are things established modellers and BMFA members already know, the problem is this section of the RC hobby has now probably more non "modellers" for want of a better term.
In the past is would be fairly strange for someone to flying a RC model especially IC powered without being part of a club.
Now with so  many online retailers, ebay etc more and more people are buying RC stuff and just going flying in there local park, field across the road etc.

Sending out flyers to the model shops is a good idea, but probably not where most people buy this stuff unless again you are a seasoned modeller.

It is the toystores and online shops that need to make people aware of this, if each of them could add this flyer in the box with each RTF quad sold it would be a good start.

[nub]

its a good idea and hopefully it will make new users more aware, the people selling RTF products are part of the problem too (not so much online) but from what i';ve seen its all about pushing that product and making the sale other than anything else.

[guest325]

Good call by the CAA, pitched at about the right level except as already stated no mention of proximity to airfields. It would be nice to see this printed on the cartons that contain the models - it would then show some cooperation by the manufacturers of these rtf model and an air of responsibility.

[turkuss]

Maby the best thing to do is to make the manufacturer';s a bit more responsible and print it on the box or in the case of rtf on the back of the tx .
you will always have a disruptive percentage to any activity ,just the world we live in I am afraid . 

[Marty McFly]

A great step forward,but as stated its buying stuff from abroad where the problem lies, and its going to be very difficult to police,yes watch e-bay then report there activities,Marty and the borrowed doggie :scotland:

[flybywire]

Sure, numpties are gonna drop the leaflet outside the shop and go flying down train tracks with their DJI the moment they open the box. But now they have been TOLD and there';s NO EXCUSE for being an idiot.

That';s actually quite offensive.  I think you';ll find that DJI are not the only manufacturers of RTF models, but you';ve chosen to lambast users of DJI products seemingly?

[flybywire]

The worst thing i find, is some folk on this forum berate the activities of others, then post video footage of themselves clearly breaking the caa rules, whilst engaging in a little covert DJI kicking.  It just sucks!

I';m also a little confused by the reaction to the caa';s latest missive.  They are the self appointed dictators of our airspace, who have for decades ';tolerated'; model aircraft, probably because they have to, as they are not the lawmakers, just the enforcers. I find it difficult to see logic in a system that allows a free flight model aircraft up to around 12kg to be flown (obviously with no control) but disallows the flying of fpv beyond visible range with modern reliable control equipment!

Bizarre in the extreme.

Go figure.

[guest325]

Freeflight......
http://youtu.be/hdk4RgbZK6s
Looks fun ::) ::) ::)
But irresponsible!!!

[flybywire]

Nice footage darrell!

Please don';t misunderstand me here, i';m not attacking free flighter';s (my dad was one) in any way, it';s a sublime and ingenious branch of aeromodelling, i just find dogmatic and draconian ';laws'; to be flawed at best, so have difficulty in respecting them as such.

[richardg6paj]

That is appalling, a BMFA event as well. Plenty of booze lots of children about.
An accident waiting to happen.

I';ll stick with my highly dangerous so called drone in an empty field in the middle of nowhere.

[Biffa]

That is appalling, a BMFA event as well. Plenty of booze lots of children about.
An accident waiting to happen.

Do as we say not as we do...

I suppose being free flight models they have different rules, not entirely sure if I would take my little ones to an event like that.

[miniconverter]

That is appalling, a BMFA event as well.

I think you misunderstand the BMFA only tell you what to do whilst doing as they please. Went to the nationals this year a BMFA organised event and saw plenty of dangerous things even on the show flight line. The only section that appeared to ensure all flights where safe was IMAC but the BMFA put them well away from the rest of the event like they where leper';s.

[nub]

wtf that guy at 4:05 is cheating?

never seen free flight before looks pretty mad/daft in a good way.

[Biffa]

wtf that guy at 4:05 is cheating?

never seen free flight before looks pretty mad/daft in a good way.

Looks like great fun, but not exactly what you would expect from an organisation that won';t let you fly at a club without passing an ';exam';.

[guest325]

Looks like great fun, but not exactly what you would expect from an organisation that won';t let you fly at a club without passing an ';exam';.

Yes it';s bizarre isn';t it?  In the words of.........if you can';t beat ';em join ';em..... looks like good fun!!!! No need for the walk of shame either,  it';s perfectly normal for your model to come down of its own accord!

[Andy7]

That';s actually quite offensive.  I think you';ll find that DJI are not the only manufacturers of RTF models, but you';ve chosen to lambast users of DJI products seemingly?

Sorry about that mate. I wasn';t having a pop at any particular RTF, just the goons that go out, buy a complex and dangerous  piece of machinery and think they are hoe heroes of the sky without even taking the time to learn how to use it properly like you, I and the rest of the good folk here do.

[Hands0n]

I absolutely love this move by the CAA. It shows them in a very positive light, doing something using carrot and not stick to get the point across. Although we';ve already seen them prepared to use the stick at least twice this year.

Is this leaflet available as a PDF?  And also linkable?  I';m thinking that perhaps the hobbyists would consider commenting on YouTube videos with a copy of the link in the comment.  Maybe simply pasting the CAA';s own comment with a little prefix like "Nice video but you could be falling foul of UK CAA regulations...".  So we';re not being police or anything like that, more just passing helpful advice to be taken or left as the flier wishes. 

As others have said, I am also in complete favour of this kind of winning hearts and minds.  Its a start. Its not perfect. But its most definitely a good start.  And I support it wholeheartedly.

[Biffa]

You can';t beat a good lambasting I always say...

I always find it funny how people who possess something take offence when someone takes the p*ss out of said possession.

I drive a battered old Rover, I wouldn';t take offence because someone made a jibe like ';only old bastards and idiots drive them'; etc etc.

I like my Rover

[Hands0n]

Re that BMFA Free Flight video.

Given the angst that many of us go through on here once we learn of the CAA';s regulations and the consequences of breaching them. Also that we debate robustly the pros and cons (and still remain friends).  I found that video quite shocking inasmuch as launching the free flight aircraft directly towards the crowd of spectators (and other fliers). 

I am not sure that any of us would take off into the direction of a crowd of spectators. Cripes! we even critique each other for flying overhead at altitude!  Yet here are aircraft that may or may not perform to the flier';s intentions, completely loose, being sent over people.

Forgive me if I am missing anything here but that reeks of complete disregard for safety in our modern day regime.

[flybywire]

You can';t beat a good lambasting I always say...

I always find it funny how people who possess something take offence when someone takes the p*ss out of said possession.

I drive a battered old Rover, I wouldn';t take offence because someone made a jibe like ';only old bastards and idiots drive them'; etc etc.

I like my Rover

But old bastards and idiots do drive them...

[flybywire]

Re that BMFA Free Flight video.

Given the angst that many of us go through on here once we learn of the CAA';s regulations and the consequences of breaching them. Also that we debate robustly the pros and cons (and still remain friends).  I found that video quite shocking inasmuch as launching the free flight aircraft directly towards the crowd of spectators (and other fliers). 

I am not sure that any of us would take off into the direction of a crowd of spectators. Cripes! we even critique each other for flying overhead at altitude!  Yet here are aircraft that may or may not perform to the flier';s intentions, completely loose, being sent over people.

Forgive me if I am missing anything here but that reeks of complete disregard for safety in our modern day regime.

Danny, you';ve obviously never been to a free  flight meet, and i';m disappointed that you make such a judgement simply based on a spewtube video.
Free flight is just that, ';free';.  It relies heavily on the builder';s skills and is always going to have an element of risk (hey, does that sound familiar?).
If folk want to watch it, they must accept the attendant risks.  I';ve been around long enough to see these things go wrong, but that';s life, no need for knee jerk reactions.
Spaniards run the gauntlet in Pamplona every year, it';s a great spectacle, i guess you';ll want that banning as well.