Drones

Drones/Model Planes / Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA)

Important Information for Drone Operators

⚠️ Please note: Flying a drone, model aircraft or other Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) within the restricted zone around White Waltham Airfield without permission is illegal.

Drones, Model Aircraft and Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA)

White Waltham Airfield is a busy, active airfield, and we need to keep the surrounding airspace safe for aircraft using it every day. If you’re planning to fly a drone or model aircraft nearby, please help us keep everyone safe by following the guidance below.

Flying Restrictions

Because White Waltham is a protected aerodrome, special restrictions apply to drone flying in the area. You must not fly any drone or remotely piloted aircraft of any size within the Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) unless you have permission from the airfield.

The FRZ is made up of two parts:

  • Aerodrome Traffic Zone: A circular area with a radius of 2 nautical miles centred on the airfield, extending up to 2,000 feet above the ground.
  • Runway Protection Zones: Rectangles stretching 5 km from each end of the runways, 500 metres either side of the extended centreline, and up to 2,000 feet high.

Flying a drone or model aircraft inside these zones without permission is illegal.

Getting Permission to Fly

If you’d like to fly a drone within the restricted area, please contact White Waltham Operations using this online form as early as you can.

Drone Flying Application

Every request needs to be checked and risk assessed by our team before we can say yes. As this process takes a bit of time—especially when the airfield is busy—we ask that you send your request at least 72 hours in advance. This helps us fit in the necessary safety checks without disrupting normal flying.

Drone Approval Fees

  • Recreational flights: No charge
  • Commercial (3 Day Response Time): £12 per approval
  • Commercial (Next Day Response): £24 per approval

Flight Heights and Locations

Many drone users automatically ask to fly up to 400 feet, but most filming or photography can be done much lower than that. If you can keep your drone below 150 feet, particularly near the runway ends or on the south side of the airfield, we’d be grateful as this helps us maintain a better separation between yourself and aircraft..

For more information on UK drone laws and safe flying, visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s drone safety website.