I have used drones occasionally for a few years - ones I borrowed from other people for particular tasks. But now own my own little spark. I thought I knew the regs but it never hurts to reread them so had another look.

I always thought the regs were always in line of sight; no higher than 120m; no further than 500m from you; and if it is equiped with a camera no closer the 150m to crowds, build up areas and events and no closer than 50m to people and property. Looking at the diagrams in the drone code 9http://dronesafe.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Dronecode.pdf) my understanding of the last one (no closer than 50m to people and property) might have been wrong. I always thought the 50m was along the ground with a total exclusion at any height above but looking at the diagrams it appears to suggest you can overfly people and property between 50m above the building and a total of 120m from the ground without breaking the regs. Is that your understanding too? That makes quite a difference.

Of course there is a debate as to what counts as a built up area. An urban street in a small town, a small village, a hamlet of houses, a little outcrop of 2 or 3 houses in the middle of no where?

Much of what I want to film is in the middle of nowhere when out kayaking, mountain biking or walking and the like or very low level a few feet off the ground using the drone like a camera on a dolly so it's not really that relvant to me but it's good to know just in case (and to pass any test that might be coming!). Interested to here the thoughts of others.

I have used drones occasionally for a few years - ones I borrowed from other people for particular tasks. But now own my own little spark. I thought I knew the regs but it never hurts to reread them so had another look.

I always thought the regs were always in line of sight; no higher than 120m; no further than 500m from you; and if it is equiped with a camera no closer the 150m to crowds, build up areas and events and no closer than 50m to people and property. Looking at the diagrams in the drone code 9http://dronesafe.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Dronecode.pdf) my understanding of the last one (no closer than 50m to people and property) might have been wrong. I always thought the 50m was along the ground with a total exclusion at any height above but looking at the diagrams it appears to suggest you can overfly people and property between 50m above the building and a total of 120m from the ground without breaking the regs. Is that your understanding too? That makes quite a difference.

Of course there is a debate as to what counts as a built up area. An urban street in a small town, a small village, a hamlet of houses, a little outcrop of 2 or 3 houses in the middle of no where?

Much of what I want to film is in the middle of nowhere when out kayaking, mountain biking or walking and the like or very low level a few feet off the ground using the drone like a camera on a dolly so it's not really that relvant to me but it's good to know just in case (and to pass any test that might be coming!). Interested to here the thoughts of others.