Scale Soaring UK

Cliff Evans wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 09:59 I have forwarded this to the BMFA.

wookman wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 09:16 It hasn't happened yet. But it will unless we take action.

The Dartmoor National Park Authority are in the process of updating the bylaws which govern the activities allowed within the National Park. They are for the most part just common sense written into a legal document, BUT...

Here is the current bylaw governing kite and model glider flying on the moor.



18 Kites and Model Aircraft

(i) No person shall fly a kite or model glider from the access land in such a manner as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to any other person or in such a manner as is likely to startle or disturb stock on the land.

(ii)No person shall release any power-driven model aircraft for flight or control the flight of such an aircraft on or over the access land unless he is authorised to do so by the Authority.

(iii) For the purpose of this byelaw “model aircraft” means an aircraft which either weighs not more than 5 kilograms without its fuel or is for the time being exempted (as a model aircraft) from provisions of the Air Navigation Order and “power driven” means driven by the combustion of petrol vapour or other combustible vapour or other combustible substances or by one or more electric motors.



I think it is safe to say that we all support this position.

Here are the proposed new bylaws that might come into force soon.



20 Kites, model aircraft and drones

(i) No person shall fly a kite from or over the Access Land in such a manner as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to any other person or in such a manner as is likely to startle or disturb stock or wildlife on the land.

(ii) No person shall launch any model aircraft or drone from the Access Land unless authorised to do so by the owner of the land and the Authority.

(iii) No person shall operate any model aircraft or drone over the Access Land at a height or location that may disturb stock or wildlife or cause a nuisance to another person.



Please note that model glider has been removed from clause (i) and that power driven has been removed from clause (ii).

This is effectively going to ban model gliding on Dartmoor as the process of obtaining permission from the land owner and the authority is going to be virtually impossible.

We need to act now. If we do not, slope soaring on Dartmoor could be banned by next spring.

There is a consultancy document out now https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/wh ... nsultation

Please take the time to look at it and fill it in.

If Dartmoor National Park Authority get away with this, how long will it be before all the other national parks follow suit and then the National Trust too?