A drone flying above Saddleworth Moor in North West England captured a devastating fire that caused more than 50 families to evacuate their homes. The destruction currently spans over 7 square miles (18km) with the active blaze only stretching 2.5 miles (4km). It was originally under control as of Monday but reignited on Thursday due to the high winds.
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Earlier today SenSat, the UK’s largest drone data provider, broke the country’s record for the longest beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flight as their fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle flew more than 7.5 miles (12km’s) over land. The UK’s Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) had created a temporary danger zone, which is an airspace that other aircraft are not allowed to enter, to safely conduct this record-breaking test.
UK drone pilots have been expecting new laws for some time now and today was the day that the British government presented new laws in Parliament. However, it is was not the long-awaited Drones Bill that many of us had expected.
In England, ten people, all from the West Midlands, have been charged with using drones on a large scale to smuggle drugs and phones into prisons. The eight men and two women have been charged with three counts of conspiracy to supply drugs, psychoactive substances and banned items.
The UK’s National Air Traffic Control Service (NATS) is planning to scrap the rule that prevents drone pilots to fly their unmanned aerial vehicles beyond line-of-sight. This would open up the opportunity for companies like Amazon to start making deliveries by drone to customers as early as 2019.
The British Civil Aviation Agency CAA said that drones had become one of the most wanted Christmas gifts under the tree this year. Two million drones are already in the air in the U.K. but the CAA expects 1.5 million could be added after the Holiday season is over.
It may come as a surprise for such a new technology but apparently, in The United Kingdom, it is not the youngsters who are the biggest group of drone fliers. No, the biggest group of drone enthusiasts in the UK is “Males of 55 years and older”.
According to a Drone Usage Report, research done by online drone retailer Drones Direct, the single largest age group of drone owners, is the group older than 55. This group represents 31% of all the drone owners, whereas the “Youngsters” group (18-24 years old) only represents 10%.
