BMFA-UPDATE ON EASA REGULATIONS FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

Good News item on the BMFA website

See extract :-

There remained some confusion regarding the extent to which model flying would remain within the scope of the regulations, compounded by the retention of a reference to model flying within UAS.SPEC.010 (General provisions).  However, we have just had confirmation from EASA that this reference to model flying was left in the regulations in error and will be removed.

On this basis, the current draft regulations essentially remove model flying conducted within Associations/Clubs from the scope of the EASA regulations.  EASA have also confirmed our interpretation that a Member State’s Competent Authority (in our case the CAA) can define a complete national regulatory framework for model flying (which may or may not define requirements for age limits, operator registration and competency requirements etc) and that model associations may operate to the resulting national authorisation.  This is exactly what we have today!

However, this still leaves model flying conducted by those operating outside of an Association/Club within the scope of the EASA ‘Open Category’ which imposes height restrictions, age restrictions and also registration and competency requirements to almost all model aircraft up to 25Kg (the maximum limit within the ‘Open Category’).

The facility for a Member State to define areas/zones where model aircraft can operate with exemptions from ‘Open Category’ requirements has also been retained in Article 15 and could potentially help some countries where the requirement to join an Association/Club will be an unwelcome/unworkable imposition.

You can read the whole thing on the BMFA website BMFA – EASA