ARE THE CAA GOOD OR EVIL - MY OPINION

Thank you Paul, I totally agree with you, sadly regardless of what the hobby is, there will be folk that take things to the extreme and ruin it for the majority of those that simply want to enjoy their hobby. As for the police, I'm afraid they can't even tackle the real nasty crimes we hear of all the time, even though they do waste their time threatening drone users without having any knowledge of drone law at all.

I've just seen another video that has ramifications for the CAA and drone users whereby the police admit to not checking whether its safe to fly theirs or not. Basically saying that they tell nobody so that they remain covert. This is quite disappointing considering the police are the only body making sure WE are flying legally. It's on you tube.

Nice...👍.

Tricky area. We all need to follow the law, but expect proportionality at the point of enforcement. The CAA is a branch of the DoT, so its relationship to enforcement resembles the DoT's status regarding the Road Traffic Act and the Highway Code, so they draw on great experience in handling the public - at arm's length through the Police for crimes, while leaving torts to private prosecution under Civil Law. Out of that, we in the UK have ended up with relatively liberal drone laws and regulations when compared with the rest if the world. That established practice in drafting and apying regulations works well with motorists, but the Drone Code is new, so people will be feeling their way around it until it becomes culturally embedded. There will always be people who will try to bend the rules, or like the "Auditors" push the boundary to its limit to provoke a reaction or even for the satisfaction kr monetisation they get from harassment. They are being human. Most of the time, offences and torts will seem to be inconsequential, being only weakly or occasionally enforced - as is creeping over the speed limit by a few miles an hour, parking for a bit longer than the allowed period on a single yellow line, leaving your car in the church car park while you walk the dog, or parking your car where its dashcam records the antisocial behaviour of yobs hanging around by your local chippie. But when push comes to shove and things go to court, you will be judged by the law according to the standards set out under the Air Navigation Order, The Drone Code, General Data Protection Regulations, the laws of trespass, and contract, and stalking, and so on. At that stage, the law will prevail. The Black Belt Barrister covered the principles in a recent video on whether the Highway Code is law, which I reccommend. We just have to screw the nut on how we fly drones, just as we do on how we drive cars or ride bicycles. It's not difficult to stick to a speed limit, just a mindset of not being antisocial, after all. Well done for raising the issue Paul. Flack incoming, I expect.

I'll say what's on my mind here but that doesn't mean we aren't on the same page 👍 Laws and rules are never liberating! By their nature they are restrictive. That's not to say we don't need to elaborate on basic reasoning in some activities like road use and air use. I believe the yanks banned the dji drones because they are Chinese (could be wrong) I also think that the majority of the drone rules that applies to the average user are there for voyeuristic purposes 🤔 The ability to become a peeping Tom and not be caught is a thigh rubbing wonder to be sure. Most drone use for us is the wonder of it all from a different angle, and for the photographer in us to use a long lens...a very long lense to get that 'just so' shot! The government have a habit of sticking it's fingers in pies that they don't bake! It has little to do with them how I use a car, but we now have to be licenced! How to use medication but they won't allow homeopathic remedies to be recognised! How to fly but they DONT own the skies. The sky above me IS mine purly by me being below it, I defy anyone to say it isnt on my own land, however I also don't mind planes above me as long as they aren't too low and aren't full of peeping Tom's. So where do I, or we, draw the line? If I don't know, I don't care! If I DO know it may happen then I stop folk from flying over low if I can. This IS my airspace. Not the governments or the CAA. Can of worms opened. Cheers for your content by the way. I work in Morden, close to where you have flown.

I think with regards to the caa we have done ok yes some sticky areas but compared to America ?? i worry that some high powered drones can fall into the hands of idiots i will admit im getting more educated in drone law "ahem" and behaving better lol...most of the time.

I didn't find your video useful , you can't expect the police to know every law in the book . It's down to the individual to follow the laws in every area these days ,if you break the law and cause injury then it's down to you get a solicitor or lawyer involved to look deeper .

an odd video and full of contradictions.... are you basing your facts on a few nonsulent 'auditors' ? I've never had an issue with asking and getting a reply from the CAA or police.