Drone Legislation

[chrisuk013]

Can someone tell me what the legislation is around ‘interrupting a drone pilot mid flight’ Is this allowed or is an offence being committed?

[Gromit]

Not sure what you mean by interrupting?

If someone is flying a drone legally, and you go and talk to them, what offence do you think you are committing.

[davebro]

Probably a public order offence if the interruption is unwarranted. Behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace?

[chrisuk013]

Well, you wouldn’t interrupt a pilot whilst he was flying a plane? Flying a drone is in many ways like flying an aircraft isn’t it?

[douglas9401]

Not many, no.

[THECORBYLOON]

Are there hundreds of fatalities when a drone crashes?

[Buenchico]

There is no specific offence of '‘interrupting a drone pilot mid flight’ (or similar).

Article 240 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 does NOT apply to the flying of drones. "A person must not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, or any person in an aircraft". That's because 'small unmanned aircraft are exempted from the provisions of Regulation 240 by those of Regulation 23. So distracting a drone operator in a way that results in damage to his drone alone is NOT a criminal offence.

However Regulation 23 does NOT exempt 'small unmanned aircraft' from the provisions of Article 240, which therefore DOES apply to drone operation: "A person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property".

So someone who 'recklessly or negligently' distracts a drone operator in a way that subsequently endangers people or property IS guilty of a criminal offence.

Civil liability is, of course, a separate matter. Anyone whose actions result in damage to someone else's property, or to their person, can be required to pay compensation.

[Buenchico]

^^^ Minor typo: 'Article 240' in my third paragraph should read 'Article 241'.

[Peter Pedant]

I think it depends on the fact as usual
I hope people have spotted that if the air navigation order makes no mention of it, then you could still be caught by something else
Clearly knocking a seven year old around whilst he is flying his shiny new drone isnt going to do much

but if it is a police officer, monitoring a shot gun incident wivviz drone and you do your - "what ya doing mate?" bit - then there might

shooting down a drone is criminal damage

run out of ideas