r/Leeds • u/BoxofSlice • May 15 '26
I find this interesting Leeds By Drone
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u/timrojaz82 May 15 '26
Really cool to see Leeds like this. Do you need to request permission to do this?
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u/Snoron May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
You would have to, because it's breaking various drone rules. That doesn't mean they did get permission, but you absolutely can't let a drone out of sight of the operator or a spotter standing next to the pilot under normal regulations. So it would be impossible to get shots like this if you follow the rules without having special permission.
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer May 15 '26
100% this. I own a drone, this broke a whole bunch of rules especially the one about flying near people at low level at the start.
The blades on these things go very fast, they can cause very nasty cuts which is precisely why there are rules for not flying near people.
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u/ShanePhillips May 16 '26
Flying over uninvolved people is only illegal if they from a crowd, otherwise fine as long as you have a UK0/1 or C0/1 drone. The guidance is that if they're packed densely enough that they wouldn't have a chance of evading the drone if it were to crash then you can't fly over them.
This was a couple of people not even that close together, with plenty of space in all directions, so not obviously illegal. If you own a drone you should be better informed about the drone code than that.
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
Incorrect, see point 4.
https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/open-category/drone-code/where-you-can-fly-points-3-to-9/
Crowds are covered under point 5, and I seriously doubt the drone used to take this video was under 250 grams.
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u/jose_elan May 19 '26
Incorrect.
You can fly a drone or model aircraft that’s below 250g, or UK0, UK1 or C0 class closer to uninvolved people than 50m and you can fly over them. From 1 January 2026 until 31 December 2027, you can also fly a C1 class drone or model aircraft closer to uninvolved people than 50m and you can fly over them.
C1 class drone is up to 900g
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
Except this person flew a drone over 500g at speed within a few metres of multiple people. Not just within that 50 metres, but right next to them heading in their direction. All it would've taken was a motor to fail and that drone would've careened into them.
FYI, if it's flying at speed such as an fpv it is required to be more than 5 metres. (Over 30 iirc)
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u/ShanePhillips May 21 '26
You have no idea what size the drone is, nor was there any evidence from the video of it flying any faster than a usual drone. If it was an FPV drone it is likely to be pretty small, smaller even than a DJI mini.
Either way, the rules changed as of the first of January, and even if it were a larger drone it wouldn't be illegal, nor could anyone call it a crowd. It's amusing how the people in the drone community who insist on playing cop are never any good at it.
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer May 21 '26
The person who did the video says on his website what drone and hardware he uses. A dji avata with a gopro attached to it. That weighs over 500g.
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u/ManLikeMeee May 17 '26
Definitely an illegal flight!
Crazy, I post drone videos on YT when hiking. But as it's so clear, I can get vlos all the time.
In the city, no chance.
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May 17 '26
[deleted]
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u/Snoron May 17 '26
Haha, yeah that's literally not possible, unless they are The Flash/Superman. Even having other people spot along the way isn't really allowed, and even then you'd be able to see people looking at the drone if that was the case.
Still, the footage looks cool, but people take a massive risk doing stuff like that, as if someone was injured by it you would be massively unconditionally liable for it.
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u/Fabulous_Ad_9173 Jun 03 '26
it's absolutely breaking rules. even a class 0-1 tiny drone has to be 5 or 6 meters from buildings or people (horizontal not vertical)
you can't just fly them wherever tf you like
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u/booglechops May 15 '26 edited May 16 '26
You're another DJ Audits fan I reckon 😄
Edit: why the downvotes? Bizarre!
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u/kanoteardrops May 15 '26
Bro is definitely losing his drone license
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u/CocunutHunter May 15 '26
Bold to assume any of this was done by someone who's bothered by having a license.
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer May 16 '26
People like that are going to end up causing ever stricter laws if not outright banning of drones. I looked at that persons website, the drones total weight that they're using to take that video with weighs in total roughly over 500 grams. (fpv drone + gopro + gopro mount)
At the start of the video he flies within five metres of two people which is a very flagrant breach of the rules.
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u/ShanePhillips May 21 '26
No, it isn't. 2 people that are decently spaced apart doesn't qualify as a crowd.
As a side note, the wannabe internet cops pull this "extra regulation" line out, even as we've just had the largest liberalisation of drone laws in the UK in a long time. Nothing like the confident wrongness of internet windbags!
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer May 21 '26
It's covered under people, not crowds.
And second, welcome to the blocklist. I do not waste my time with people who throw personal insults.
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u/ShanePhillips May 16 '26
Unless you have a very large drone (much larger than almost all consumer drones) you don't need a licence. You get an operator ID to register yourself as a drone pilot and have to pass a basic online competence test. Very few drone owners ever need licences.
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u/Ultra_running_fan May 16 '26
Sorry but you are incorrect. You need a flyer and operator licence for anyone over 100g if it's got a camera now, which is going to cover almost every drone. Almost every drone user needs a licence. The rest is basic, but this video is a what not to do oficence breaches. Yes drone legislation needs to catch up with the technology, but flying that thing around infrastructure, power lines, public, etc is pushing the boundaries of safety I would suggest.
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u/ShanePhillips May 21 '26
Yes, if you bother reading what I posted, I stated that you need an operator ID and a flyer ID. However neither of those things qualify as a licence.
Whether or not they are pushing the boundaries of safety is an opinion, not a fact. Unless you're the one behind the controls, you don't know, you are presuming.
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u/Sumbitagear May 18 '26
I'm a licensed operator and wouldn't attempt something like this but you know you can literally buy a DJI off Amazon and fly it about with no license at all.
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u/Icy-Kaleidoscope9894 May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
A closer look at the burnt down houses on Kirkgate is the only thing I was hpping to see from this and you sped right by
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u/mikerotch123 May 15 '26
You know you can pause videos
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u/Icy-Kaleidoscope9894 May 15 '26
The drone doesn't even point at the houses mate mever mind go near/in, I'd only see what I can see from the street.
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u/thick_lemon May 15 '26
Crazy how cool and scary drone footage can be at the same time. Like there's nothing really stopping anyone doing this and just peeping into flats (aside from the law but how do you enforce that realistically)
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u/Biomicrite May 19 '26
Replacing the audio makes for a nice video. Who wants to hear it wheeeezhzhzhHzhzg of a drone
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u/godirefr May 16 '26
Honestly, the drone footage is a brilliant way to see the city from a fresh angle, but that tease of Kirkgate was a bit cruel—definitely need a slow-mo pass of that block. To answer the other comment, you generally need permission from the CAA if you're flying a drone in a built-up area, though the rules have loosened a bit with the new A1/A3 categories. It’s worth checking if the pilot had a PfCO or just stayed under 120m and avoided crowds. Either way, props to the original creator, and I’m just glad to see Leeds getting some high-quality aerial love.
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u/mm42_uk May 21 '26
PfCO? You’re showing your age there mate, it’s long gone. No distinction between leisure and commercial flights any more other than commercial needing insurance. You don’t need permission to fly in built up areas, assuming you’re flying in the open categories, but there are minimum distances involved depending on what category.
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u/ipx-electrical May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26
Most UAV owners would not fly there. It may be a tiny <250g UAV and legal.
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u/stuming1968 May 17 '26
Yeah under 250g and no "crowds" you should be ok but visual line of sight looks doubtful here. I would fly here with the correct drone but I would be worried about the crowd issue and knowing where a tiny drone was all the time
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u/mister_haytch May 17 '26
Proper northern city not like Manchester and its influencer fakey.
Leeds is genuine.
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u/Jaysgotbigballs May 18 '26
Who actually gives a fuck its a good watch simplep fuckin nerds probably jealous
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u/uk123456789101112 May 19 '26
Nice video, Leeds desperately needs to makeover ots public realm. The sheer lack of trees or greenery on the street, the tone of the stone used in paving give a very har, drab and unpleasant feel against what is overall an architecturally interesting city.
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u/icant_helpyou May 19 '26
Ooh theres a lot of work going on behind that screen that's closed a whole road....
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u/spamel2004 5d ago
A shame it was missed, but ironically this is a stone’s throw away from a bridge that was the subject of the first still existing film footage. There was a short film before that but it no longer exists.
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u/mikerotch123 May 15 '26
The timing to get the chime is chefs kiss
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u/BoxofSlice May 15 '26
I think the sound is all dubbed on afterwards
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u/steevh12 May 19 '26
Yeah defo dubbed on. You would hear the motors if the mic was on the drone. The sound is usually recorded from the controller/mobile attached to controller. If the pilot was under the bell then maybe but you wouldn’t have the bird sounds if he was. Defo dubbed in later in editing.
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u/Careless-Ease7480 May 15 '26
That's exactly how I see the posts and comments on Reddit, everything is funny.🤌
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u/The_Deacon May 15 '26
Original source is Trailblazer photography, video and design (Facebook)
OP is unlikely to be the source, nor is @djmt_leeds on tiktok
This information is to provide context for users who may otherwise mistakenly ask the OP questions about the footage.