Drone rules: Everything you need to know to fly domestic drones legally

The Civil Aviation Authority have drawn up a ‘dronecode’.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reminded drone pilots they must follow specific rules after it was reported that a suspected drone collided with a passenger plane on Sunday.

A British Airways pilot believes the plane was struck by a drone as it came in to land at Heathrow Airport.

Flight BA727 landed safety with 132 passengers and five crew on board.

The Civil Aviation Authority called the incident “totally unacceptable”.

“Anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment."

The rules are as follows:

• The drone should be visible at all times and no further than 500m from view.
• It should not fly higher than 400 feet (122m).
• The aircraft should never fly within 50m of people, vehicles and buildings.
• It is forbidden to fly within 150m of gatherings larger than 1,000 people.
• Using drones for professional purposes requires permission from the CAA and a licence granted after completed a training programme.