After reading a post about flying in the Elan Valley and the ownership (or not) of the airspace above,I got to wondering about SSSIs.
I was thinking of taking off from the promenade or just below the promenade on the beach at Weston Super Mare to fly over and around the Grand Pier but looking at the drone map,pretty much all of the Severn Estuary is an SSSI.
I do understand the regulations about wildlife,disturbance or interference etc but do permissions have to be sought to fly? Does an SSSI designation just cover the land surface or does it also encompass the airspace above?
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In general SSSI’s can be flown over unless there are flight restrictions in place ( see Drone Map). Not all SSSI’s are about wildlife, geologic for example, and drone flights will have no effect.
Here’s what the CAA say:
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Flying may be restricted at some Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) where that flight
may disturb animals or wildlife. Check on the web for byelaws or look out for local signs and
then follow any restrictions that apply.
Animals and wildlife
Do not fly where you’ll disturb or endanger animals and wildlife
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That’s the thing, according to the drone map there are several species of non nesting birds. I did look at what the CAA say but it’s just a little ambiguous as to what constitutes disturbing wildlife, hence the airspace question. I suppose it’s best to contact the authorities if I want to fly there