Doesn't take long to realise that the 238 pages of this tome relating to flying radio-control models of one size or another is designed to exclude most people who might still wish to do so in the UK, so far as is possible. The requirements now barely differ between models, in fact, and full-sized aircraft up to and including airliners... at least from the pilot-operators point of view. In fact, somewhat more complex as there'd be more paperwork required of me doing this than, say, flying an Airbus on a daily basis.
Much of this has come about because of the UK CAA's piss-poor oversight of Alauda's appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, resulting in a roasting by the AAIB. As a consequence it is now altogether easier to develop personal air mobility in Australia, from where Alauda came in order to shit on our doorstep, than it is here. The video commented upon yesterday...
... is something you'd be waiting a long time to see here in the UK.
Which is of course exactly how they'd like it. The Large Model Association ~ to whom responsibility for much of this is delegated, they knowing more about it than the CAA ~ recently complained (!) that one member had written to the Transport Secretary to say that he was effectively destroying radio-controlled modelling in the UK.
Truth to power I'd say, though not that power ever worried.
