The Use Of Drones In The Countryside

Drones are used extensively by farmers and surveyors, for example to map and monitor crops. However, they are also used by other people for recreation, particularly for aerial photography: stately homes, sites of natural beauty, historic sites and unique landmarks are all popular targets. This creates a new incarnation of a problem that has existed for centuries – how to balance rural landowners' rights to protect their property with the rights of other people to access that land. The law is evolving rapidly.

The starting point is that, as with any tool or vehicle, the person controlling it must do so responsibly. This article looks at six aspects of that obligation: safety, distance, licensing, insurance, privacy and trespass.