Flying Here Is Allowed

  See our English Heritage and Natural England sections to learn about flying over their properties.

As you know - from the CAA Drone Code - you can fly small drones and model aircraft that are lighter than 250g at residential, recreational, commercial and industrial sites. However, many people won't realise that you are legally allowed to fly over and/or film such sites as demonstrated in these videos.

According to the National Trust, you can NOT fly a drone over National Trust land without specific permission, as all aerial activity above their sites is prohibited by an existing byelaw. This is true to an extent. It only applies however to those wishing to take off and land on their property. To fly a drone over National Trust land, you must take off and land from outside the land and operate the drone from outside the land as well.

A recent UK Defence Journal FOI request shows The National Trust hasn't exactly been honest when it comes to flying drones over their properties. Read that article here.

CAA (and international) law prohibits land owners from owning the airspace above their land so you are free to fly providing there are no Airspace Restrictions covering the site. Apps like Drone Assist will confirm this for you and help you make the right decision as to whether or not it's safe - or sensible - to fly.

Avoid flying over visitors to the National Trust, respect the privacy of tenants or donor families who cherish their privacy and above all else, make sure that under no circumstances you disturb or interfere with wildlife on site.

Have a backup plan for an emergency landing, even if it means landing your drone inside the National Trust land.

Above all, be a responsible and considerate pilot. Some people visiting those National Trust sites might not be too keen on drones being overhead. Your drone fun depends on showing respect for others and Mother Nature.

Attempts To Ban Flights

The National Trust has made efforts to use outdated byelaws to discourage drone flights, but this method has proven to be largely ineffective because

1. Enforcing the byelaws to regulate airspace is usually a challenge.
2. The National Trust's authority is confined to the land itself and doesn't encompass the airspace above it.
3. Airspace regulations, as established by the CAA, take precedence over any efforts to curtail drone operations.

Instead of centering their attention on claiming airspace ownership, the National Trust's recent policies place a stronger emphasis on permissions for takeoff and landing, privacy concerns, and minimising disturbances. These areas fall under the Trust's legal jurisdiction. This change in policy demonstrates the National Trust's acknowledgment of the limitations regarding airspace control and a more practical approach to managing drone activity.

In summary, while you must obtain permission to launch your drone from National Trust land, you are within your rights (as per the UK drone regulations) to take off and land outside of their property and to fly over their properties. You must of course still adhere to standard CAA drone regulations regarding altitude, separation distances from uninvolved persons and structures, and other applicable guidelines.

Despite knowing they can not ban flights over their land, and despite this admission in a recent FOI request, they still tell people drone flights are not allowed, as seen in an email I sent on 4th October 2024.