Yahoo News You'll soon have to register a drone before using it
Drones seem like more trouble than they're worth, don't they? There are legitimate concerns over privacy, security and, worst of all, colliding into aeroplanes.
It's the latter that has caused the government to introduce new measures to try and make the use of drones safer.
Related: The UK's updated drone code
As reported by The Guardian, users will need to register their drones and take an awareness test before they are able to fly their kit.
Research has shown that drones that weight 400g and above can cause serious damage to the windscreens on helicopters while 2kg or more ones can do the same for airliners.
The regulations regarding licensing and testing only apply to drones that weigh over 250g.
At the moment, the majority of drones available on the high street weigh less than that, but you know how technology likes to get bigger and bigger, so it's better for the government to get the safety measures in place now rather than later.
Having said that, the people in charge of the pilots union, Balpa, have said that even the smallest of drones could cause damage on collision.
"Pilots have been warning about the rise in the number of cases of drones being flown irresponsibly close to aircraft and airports for some time," said Brian Strutton, the Balpa general secretary.
"This report clearly shows that readily available drones which can be flown by anyone can shatter or go straight through an aircraft windshield or shatter a helicopter rotor. And those impacts would have catastrophic consequences."
Currently, people who use drones for commercial purposes have to take a test and adhere to a set of rules regarding how far it can go out of sight, how high it can go and where it can fly.
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