IM IN LONDON, AND I ONLY GET 200METER RANGE, PLEASE TELL ME WHY??

[sergekouper]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you are allowed to fly in controlled airspace without permission if your aircraft is less than 7kg in weight.
To quote the ANO:

The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft which has a mass of more than 7 kg excluding its fuel but including any articles installed in or attached to the aircraft at the commencement of its flight, must not fly such an aircraft:

a) in Class A, C, D or E airspace unless the permission of the appropriate air traffic control unit has been obtained;

I do agree, though - flying anywhere in London is pretty much a no-go.

There are many holes in the cheese where you can fly without asking anything to CTR / ATC, when flying your phantom.
You're not concerned by A class as it starts much higher than your 400ft limit.
However you may be quite often in a class D airspace. Some but not all part of London is Class D from the ground to 2500ft. That doesn't mean no fly zone, but notifying ATS if you are going to enter an airfield/airport in the zone.

If you fly a >7Kg, you must notify that you are flying in the class D (even if you are not in the vicinity of the airport.)
Since you asked, what you need to know is quoted below:
From CAA IN2014/190:

"Under ANO 2009 Article 166, operators of SUA weighing 7 kg or less are not required to gain an NSF approval from Air Traffic Control (ATC) to operate within Class A, C, D or E airspace or within an active ATZ. However ANO Article 166 states that a person in charge of a SUA ‘may only fly the aircraft if reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made’ and that they ‘must maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft … for the purpose of avoiding collisions’. In practical terms, SUA of any weight could present a particular hazard when operating near an aerodrome or other landing site due to the presence of manned aircraft taking off and landing. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that contact with the relevant Air Traffic Services (ATS) unit is made prior to conducting such a flight. As in paragraph 5.1.6, advice and information may be provided on the local air situation that will help the operator satisfy themselves that the flight can safely be made. Such information provided by the ATS unit does not constitute or infer an approval to operate in the airspace and does not absolve the operator from the responsibility for avoiding all other aircraft. Contact details for aerodromes and ATS units can be found in the AD2 and AD3 sections of the UK AIP."

So: you need a proper chart of the zone you want to fly in, I recommend to install Skydemon light on your pc, that gives you all the details including Notam in real time.
from there you will know what to do. Check Google earth for your location for a risk assessment. Make sure first that you have permission from the land owner to take off.

 

[noiseboy72]

I think you are correct.Info on restricted areas here: http://noflydrones.co.uk/ Essentially, all of London is controlled airspace, so it is advised you do not fly there. There are also danger areas, due to high levels of RF, tall buildings and other hazards.

 

[sergekouper]

Essentially, all of London is controlled airspace, so it is advised you do not fly there. There are also danger areas, due to high levels of RF, tall buildings and other hazards.

I disagree, London is not a no-fly-zone for the UAV's, specially the <7Kg such as the phantom. Controlled airspace doesn't mean No fly zone. I don't know what are your sources, but I prefer to rely on the official CAA publications rather than X website.

 

[noiseboy72]

All of Central and the majority of Greater London is however, a congested zone - even the parks, so even for sub 7KG quads, if you have a camera that records, then you should not fly.

Put simply, for any number of reasons, flying a Phantom in London is not recommended. To be fair, I was trying to keep things simple for a newbie

 

[sergekouper]

As long as you do not spread wrong information it will be alright. You obviously don't know London correctly, nor the CAA rules for that matter. There are many places in London/ greater london where you can fly legally, and safely . If you follow the rules that include as well notifying/ asking permission to landowner and ATC to fly your quad if needed, you can fly. The proper advice to give here is: Do not fly unless you're sure you do not breach any rule and do not endanger people and property. Obviously I am not talking about Picadilly, Trafalgar square or Regent's park, but there are some places where you can fly legally under some conditions. I fly my quad legally, recreationally and professionally in London and Greater London. It is not as simple as in the middle of nowhere, but again it is not a no-fly-zone, except for the well known restricted zones. Regarding other hazards and restrictions, they have to be identified in the same way as they are anywhere else when conducting a risk assessment. Further, These rules are not specific to london but to any town in the UK. Are you advising the people here to ground their quads because they don't live in the middle of the country side? The key is, newbie or not: Knowing the rules and the by laws of theplace you are intending to fly in, and see what's left to enjoy the hobby safely and legally. Authorities, councils and regulation bodies are not there to ground you but to authorize you to fly within the established rules. That makes a difference with a broad prohibtion of flying a drone in London.
Again All these rules are clearly explained in the Notice IN 2014/190. Along with the other articles from the ANO 2009 regarding the operation of the UAV's in the UK, this is the only source of information to rely on. period.

 

[Trumple]

As long as you do not spread wrong information it will be alright. You obviously don't know London correctly, nor the CAA rules for that matter. There are many places in London/ greater london where you can fly legally, and safely . If you follow the rules that include as well notifying/ asking permission to landowner and ATC to fly your quad if needed, you can fly. The proper advice to give here is: Do not fly unless you're sure you do not breach any rule and do not endanger people and property. Obviously I am not talking about Picadilly, Trafalgar square or Regent's park, but there are some places where you can fly legally under some conditions. I fly my quad legally, recreationally and professionally in London and Greater London. It is not as simple as in the middle of nowhere, but again it is not a no-fly-zone, except for the well known restricted zones. Regarding other hazards and restrictions, they have to be identified in the same way as they are anywhere else when conducting a risk assessment. Further, These rules are not specific to london but to any town in the UK. Are you advising the people here to ground their quads because they don't live in the middle of the country side? The key is, newbie or not: Knowing the rules and the by laws of theplace you are intending to fly in, and see what's left to enjoy the hobby safely and legally. Authorities, councils and regulation bodies are not there to ground you but to authorize you to fly within the established rules. That makes a difference with a broad prohibtion of flying a drone in London.
Again All these rules are clearly explained in the Notice IN 2014/190. Along with the other articles from the ANO 2009 regarding the operation of the UAV's in the UK, this is the only source of information to rely on. period.

How much success have you had with asking the land owner for permission to take off?

 

[Trumple]

What's the website shown in your screenshot please?

http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search

 

[sergekouper]

How much success have you had with asking the land owner for permission to take off?

Usually the client ask permission if needed, I don't. For recreational, I have a choice of 3 places at 10/15mn from my place where I can fly. After checking the area for restrictions, you can ask the council about your local park .
You can also check with the BMFA to see where you can go to fly your phantom, there are clubs and fields all over the place.
http://clubmap.bmfa.org/

 

[Trumple]

Usually the client ask permission if needed, I don't. For recreational, I have a choice of 3 places at 10/15mn from my place where I can fly. After checking the area for restrictions, you can ask the council about your local park .
You can also check with the BMFA to see where you can go to fly your phantom, there are clubs and fields all over the place.
http://clubmap.bmfa.org/

It's very limiting isn't it. Can't hope to get any good shots flying at a club. I might try my hand at asking local farmers if I can take off there.

 

[sergekouper]

It's very limiting isn't it. Can't hope to get any good shots flying at a club. I might try my hand at asking local farmers if I can take off there.

Yes it is, I understand, but flying at a club is quite beneficial. No worries about being legal, plenty of space to practice with peace of mind, dog walkers will not ask you what you are doing there... Personally I don't need to fly very far, I am only interested in filming close range aerial video, so I'm ok with the rules. I have never flown further than 500m away. That said, if you still can see your phantom at that distance, you have an eagle eye .

 

[ianwood]

200m in the city is far! The RF environment is congested with competing signals. City use is close proximity flying only (i.e. <200m and usually a lot less) and obviously in accordance with applicable rules.

 

[Dronebow]

What is the definition of a "congested area" exactly? Just curious because in Texas there are wide open spaces and neighborhoods within those spaces. So is a neighborhood considered congested??

 

[landmannnn]

What is the definition of a "congested area" exactly? Just curious because in Texas there are wide open spaces and neighborhoods within those spaces. So is a neighborhood considered congested??

According to the UK's CAA, yes, towns, villages, roads etc are considered congested.