CAA rules and flying
Firstly I have to say that the guy flying that quadcopter (NOT A DRONE) is an idiot and is not a typical pilot of quadcopters.
I agree there are some now that have seen how easy it is to fly these quadcopters as they have compass, gps, computer stabilation and even 'return to base' facility if your transmitter runs out of battery, or you fly too far away, and since they are robust and dont break the bank, people just go out and fly them without experience, care or common sense
I'm from a traditional model helicopter background and these guys are very annoying, and dont understand how dangerous 1.5kg of material at a height can be.
but that is not why I'm posting here, I just want to make it clear what the rules are in the UK.
Firstly we have a ceiling of 400ft if you are flying FPV (First person video, ie goggles), but that increases to 1000ft (CAA increased this in April) if you have spotters and they can clearly see the copter whilst you are flying it.
Also we cannot legally flying within 50 meters (approx 200ft) of a structure or people without prior permission.
I have spoken to reps In the CAA regarding licensing and becoming properly CAA qualified as I can see that the bad apples will everntually spoil it for everyone, this can be done but at a cost of about £2000.00 for the formal training, qualifications and certifications, so I'd imagine at some point we will be forced down that route to reduce stupidity
Just don't judge all quadcopter pilots the same, there are some muppets out there, but these devices are are actually bloody good fun and the quality of video is amazing, and I've had a lot of friends ask if I can take aerial shots of their house / street, as well as having a couple of National Heritage sites asking if I would be interested in doing some overhead video of thier land. I have actually been thinking of doing it as a side business but that brings a whole new world of public liability and insurance issues.