UK CAA calls on drone pilots to not disrupt emergency helicopters

The UK Civil Aviation Authority is calling on all UK drone operators to fly responsibly and avoid flying their drones near emergency services helicopters that are dealing with incidents.

With Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA), the CAA has released a new video for drone operators detailing the risks of flying too close to emergency helicopters and the impact this can have on their ability to help critically ill patients.

Emergency service helicopters reported 13 cases in 2022 (nine in 2021) where the pilot felt a drone had become too close to their aircraft. Six of these incidents occurred near the Royal London Hospital helipad. In the past 12 months, Yorkshire Air Ambulance flights have been impacted five times by drones.

Jonathan Nicholson, a spokesperson for the UK CAA, said: “We are actively supporting the growth of drones in the UK to make sure we exploit their full potential, including flying as a hobby.

“But to achieve this we need everyone operating a drone to use their common sense and fly safely. This is especially the case near emergencies, where we have seen drones being used to try and film an incident cause a delay to air ambulance helicopters.”

Captain James Booth, a YAA Pilot, said: “If we are going to an emergency and a drone is spotted then it potentially delays us getting critical care to a patient while we check where the drone is and what it’s doing.

“In many cases the people we are helping need expert trauma care as soon as possible and any delay in us reaching a patient or transferring them quickly to a hospital can have a significant impact.”