Modern-Aviation

People involved in what you’re doing
The rule on minimum distances is different for people involved in what you’re doing.

You can fly closer than 50m to people who are with you and who are involved in what you’re doing, such as friends, family or colleagues out flying with you. But always remember, you must never put anyone in danger.

Small drones and model aircraft: below 250g, C0 or C1 class
The rule on minimum distances to people is different when flying small drones and model aircraft that are below 250g, or in C0 or C1 class.

If you’re flying a drone or model aircraft that’s lighter than 250g or is C0 class, you can fly closer to people than 50m and you can fly over them.

When you’re thinking about how close you can fly, remember, you must never put people in danger. Even small drones and model aircraft could injure people if you don’t fly them safely.

If you’re flying a drone or model aircraft that’s between 250g and 500g, or is C1 class, you can fly closer to people than 50m, but you must not intentionally fly over them.

Always keep a safe distance
Sometimes, you’ll need to increase the 50m minimum distance from people to make sure that your flight remains safe.

Follow these general rules:

If you fly higher than 50m, you should keep the same distance horizontally. For example, keep 80m away if you fly at a height of 80m.
If poor weather conditions mean that there could be a greater risk to people, fly further away from them. For example if it’s very windy, you should fly further away from people.
If you fly at high speeds, fly further away to give yourself more time to react.