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www.southgatearc.org
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Unlicensed Merseyside Police drone groundedBBC News reports that police on Merseyside have had to ground their new drone over concerns it was being used illegally without a licence. Merseyside Police said they had been unaware they needed a licence to fly the £40,000 remote control helicopter fitted with CCTV. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it needed to be consulted over any use of the drones, that can fly up to 400ft and reach speeds of 30mph. The force's new drone was used last week to catch a car thief in thick fog. All unmanned aircraft, not just ones that weigh 15lb (7kg) or more, now have to be licensed to conduct aerial surveillance work after the law changed at the start of the year. They need CAA permission to fly within 164ft (50m) of people and within 492ft (150m) of buildings. The CAA said any breach in regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2010, would be "treated seriously". A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Since the force has known of the change in regulations all Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) flights have been suspended and will remain so until the appropriate licence has been granted." He added that the CAA had been invited to inspect the drone and see how they used it. Read the full BBC News article at:
Our thanks to Practical Wireless editor Rob Mannion, G3XFD for spotting this item
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