Hello Fellow Yuneec Pilot!
Join our free Yuneec community and remove this annoying banner!
Sign up

New UK Drone Registration

Took the test today, although I probably won't be flying until well into next year now.... But you never know! Took about 3 minutes max (although they said allow for it to take 20 minutes)! Got 20 out of 20. Being a previous PFCO holder I would've been disappointed with myself if I'd got anything less. Didn't look at the drone code, didn't do any research first. I'm now 9 quid lighter.... Easy money CAA...
Though I'm a PfCO holder and am exempt from taking the test I decided 'what the heck' and took the test this morning to eliminate any future confusion with any enforcement officer/entity that is not up to full speed in this matter. Took only a few minutes and 20/20 without any reference to the learning material though I do admit that one question did make me think a while.

Like you, £9.00 lighter. Not a great amount but since I'm a PfCO holder I consider myself to be already registered so, in my view, that £9.00 was robbed from me: I've already paid through the nose to renew my PfCO. However, no matter how much I object to registering when I'm already registered, the law is the law. Bit the bullet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ren57
Though I'm a PfCO holder and am exempt from taking the test I decided 'what the heck' and took the test this morning to eliminate any future confusion with any enforcement officer/entity that is not up to full speed in this matter. Took only a few minutes and 20/20 without any reference to the learning material though I do admit that one question did make me think a while.

Like you, £9.00 lighter. Not a great amount but since I'm a PfCO holder I consider myself to be already registered so, in my view, that £9.00 was robbed from me: I've already paid through the nose to renew my PfCO. However, no matter how much I object to registering when I'm already registered, the law is the law. Bit the bullet.
Yes, in the great scheme of things, £9 is neither here not there. I wonder what's going to happen next year when the new EASA rules take effect? We'll have to wait and see.

Anyway, I have other things on my mind at the present time. There's a brand new Royal Enfield Interceptor sitting in my shed! All I need now is for it to warm up a bit and stay dry for 5 minutes so that I can put a few more miles on it...
 
Did the test got 19/20. Didn't look at the guide, didn't proceed any further, so will have to do it again, it sent me a Flyer ID which is free, I'll do the operator ID in the next few days. I thought people said it didn't ask for your address,? Wanted all that info.
 
Did the test got 19/20. Didn't look at the guide, didn't proceed any further, so will have to do it again, it sent me a Flyer ID which is free, I'll do the operator ID in the next few days. I thought people said it didn't ask for your address,? Wanted all that info.
Yes. Full name and address including postcode and email address. But that's my b'itch: They already have all of that as well as the serial numbers of my aircraft through my PfCO. Indeed, because of my PfCO they already hold more information about me than is demanded by this new registration thingy. I'm not pleased about it: yes, £9.00 is not a great deal but added to what I've already paid them it's like salt being rubbed into a wound.

But, as I've said, the law is the law.

It would be interesting to see how many don't bother with registration. last I heard a few days ago was that uptake was below the CAA's expectations...well, there's a surprise (not).
 
Did the test got 19/20. Didn't look at the guide, didn't proceed any further, so will have to do it again, it sent me a Flyer ID which is free, I'll do the operator ID in the next few days. I thought people said it didn't ask for your address,? Wanted all that info.
No, you don't have to take the test again. 16 out of 20 is a pass, so you've passed. Why didn't you click operator and flyer ID at the beginning? If you own the drone and you are going to be flying it, you need both ID's. Just seemed better to get it all over in one go to me, doesn't cost any more...

As for having your name and address, that's the whole idea of it. I don't know in what part of the UK you live but if some idiot flies a drone illegally somewhere in your local, the authorities will come knocking on your door. The person who actually flew the drone illegally however, will not have a worry in the world, as they will not have registered and the authorities will have no clue of who they are!

As for the number of people who have/or will not register. That depends on what you think the actual number of people who own a drone in the UK are. According to the CAA, they reckon it's upwards of 150k. I think that's a massive overestimation but let's go with their estimate just for the sake of it. So far around 50k have registered. So according to the CAA, 100k have not registered! Whether more people will register next year when the weather (hopefully) will start to get better remains to be seen. But as of now, according to the CAA's own figures, 2 thirds or 66% (however you want to spin it) have not registered! That's a massive slap in the face for the CAA!
 
Last edited:
No, you don't have to take the test again. 16 out of 20 is a pass, so you've passed. Why didn't you click operator and flyer ID at the beginning? If you own the drone and you are going to be flying it, you need both ID's. Just seemed better to get it all over in one go to me, doesn't cost any more...

As for having your name and address, that's the whole idea of it. I don't know in what part of the UK you live but if some idiot flies a drone illegally somewhere in your local, the authorities will come knocking on your door. The person who actually flew the drone illegally however, will not have a worry in the world, as they will not have registered and the authorities will have no clue of who they are!

As for the number of people who have/or will not register. That depends on what you think the actual number of people who own a drone in the UK are. According to the CAA, they reckon it's upwards of 150k. I think that's a massive overestimation but let's go with their estimate just for the sake of it. So far around 50k have registered. So according to the CAA, 100k have not registered! Whether more people will register next year when the weather (hopefully) will start to get better remains to be seen. But as of now, according to the CAA's own figures, 2 thirds or 66% (however you want to spin it) have not registered! That's a massive slap in the face for the CAA!
 
No, you don't have to take the test again. 16 out of 20 is a pass, so you've passed. Why didn't you click operator and flyer ID at the beginning? If you own the drone and you are going to be flying it, you need both ID's. Just seemed better to get it all over in one go to me, doesn't cost any more...

As for having your name and address, that's the whole idea of it. I don't know in what part of the UK you live but if some idiot flies a drone illegally somewhere in your local, the authorities will come knocking on your door. The person who actually flew the drone illegally however, will not have a worry in the world, as they will not have registered and the authorities will have no clue of who they are!

As for the number of people who have/or will not register. That depends on what you think the actual number of people who own a drone in the UK are. According to the CAA, they reckon it's upwards of 150k. I think that's a massive overestimation but let's go with their estimate just for the sake of it. So far around 50k have registered. So according to the CAA, 100k have not registered! Whether more people will register next year when the weather (hopefully) will start to get better remains to be seen. But as of now, according to the CAA's own figures, 2 thirds or 66% (however you want to spin it) have not registered! That's a massive slap in the face for the CAA!
I wanted to see what the experience was like, if it was too much hassle I would of sold my stuff and the Authortiies go jump, I will have to start again because when you get to payment section, if you don't proceed then you lose it. I will get another number to input into system at the start I suspect. Not 100% sure I want to do it or just bow out.
 
Ha! That sounds about right. Incompetent doesn't even start to describe how the CAA have approached the whole issue. Having started out from a quite enlightened point of view as regards drones, they soon adopted the media hype and have now tried to lock the door after the horse has well and truly bolted.

Please don't bow out and sell your stuff. That means the authorities will have won. Take the test again and get your ID. Yes, it's another part of BIG BROTHER spying on and keeping track of our lives but don't let them grind you down...!:)
 
That Telegraph article is misleading in that it is implying that all drone operators who fail to register by midnight Friday will be fined £1000. The actual deadline was 30th November but even then if you don't fly your drone until next spring, say, there is no law to say you must be registered until you decide to bring your drone out of it's winter hibernation...register then before your first spring flight. The £1000 fine only applies if you are caught flying a drone that hasn't been registered.

I think there could be an element of this in the lack of uptake seen by the CAA. A good few pilots may have shelved their drones for the winter so see little point in registering until next spring. Why waste several months of your registration fee when you ain't gonna be flying? Indeed, in this respect, I think the CAA effecting this law at the end of November is a clear gunshot in the foot.
 
That Telegraph article is misleading in that it is implying that all drone operators who fail to register by midnight Friday will be fined £1000. The actual deadline was 30th November but even then if you don't fly your drone until next spring, say, there is no law to say you must be registered until you decide to bring your drone out of it's winter hibernation...register then before your first spring flight. The £1000 fine only applies if you are caught flying a drone that hasn't been registered.

I think there could be an element of this in the lack of uptake seen by the CAA. A good few pilots may have shelved their drones for the winter so see little point in registering until next spring. Why waste several months of your registration fee when you ain't gonna be flying? Indeed, in this respect, I think the CAA effecting this law at the end of November is a clear gunshot in the foot.
It's always been about sensational headlines when it comes to drones, we're all incompetent, and need reigning in, public are victims. Perhaps the CAA got them to run the article as a warning shot.
 
That Telegraph article is misleading in that it is implying that all drone operators who fail to register by midnight Friday will be fined £1000. The actual deadline was 30th November but even then if you don't fly your drone until next spring, say, there is no law to say you must be registered until you decide to bring your drone out of it's winter hibernation...register then before your first spring flight. The £1000 fine only applies if you are caught flying a drone that hasn't been registered.

I think there could be an element of this in the lack of uptake seen by the CAA. A good few pilots may have shelved their drones for the winter so see little point in registering until next spring. Why waste several months of your registration fee when you ain't gonna be flying? Indeed, in this respect, I think the CAA effecting this law at the end of November is a clear gunshot in the foot.
I really wasn't going to bother until next year. Like you say, little point in registering if you aren't going to be flying... Then a mate of mine living in Australia sent me an e-mail asking me to send some aerial shots of my locale should we have some snowfall.... So I registered just on the off-chance that: 1. We might actually get some snow and 2. If we do get some snow, there's a weather window long enough for me to charge up a battery and get in the air!

Yes, that article was very misleading. They did the same on the TV and radio news as well, made it out that if you didn't register by the 29th Nov, you'd get a 1k fine. I was thinking, Oh yeah, and how are they going to know where you are if you haven't registered?!!!
 
When I person decides to register in a week, month next year, it's seems quick, in the time it takes to charge your batteries your good to go, then you don't wait weeks or months of downtime already paid for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FlushVision
I really wasn't going to bother until next year. Like you say, little point in registering if you aren't going to be flying... Then a mate of mine living in Australia sent me an e-mail asking me to send some aerial shots of my locale should we have some snowfall.... So I registered just on the off-chance that: 1. We might actually get some snow and 2. If we do get some snow, there's a weather window long enough for me to charge up a battery and get in the air!

Yes, that article was very misleading. They did the same on the TV and radio news as well, made it out that if you didn't register by the 29th Nov, you'd get a 1k fine. I was thinking, Oh yeah, and how are they going to know where you are if you haven't registered?!!!
Well this last several weeks I've had little opportunity to fly what with the weather and such, though I did manage to put my H in the air late last week. However, since I have no prior knowledge as to when a commercial job is gonna land on my doormat I have to be ready to fly within the time it takes to charge up batteries (weather permitting) so the way I saw it was that I didn't have the luxury of deferring registration as I'm sure many other pilots have.

OK, registration doesn't take that long. 10 or 15 minutes if you take the test as well. But prepping for a commercial job needs paperwork to be done. A flight plan and at least a Google Earth site survey. Registering the other day, then, even though it only took a few minutes was one job less that I'll have to do. So now (weather permitting) I can still be on a commercial job in just the time it takes to charge up batteries and do all the pre flight stuff.
 

New Posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
20,941
Messages
241,489
Members
27,246
Latest member
bj8me