UK drone guides
Learn to fly drones, safely and legally.
Plain-English guides to the UK rules, your first flights, FPV, batteries and filming. With drone videos from the JD Quad channel.
Get legal
Flyer ID, Operator ID and what they cost.
Pick a drone
What actually matters in your first drone.
Learn to fly
A ten-flight plan from hover to figure eights.
Find a spot
Airspace, parks, beaches and landowners.
Latest guides
-
Where can you fly a drone in the UK?
Airports, parks, beaches, National Trust land and military sites. How to work out whether you can fly somewhere, and how to check…
-
Drone batteries: charging, storage and safety
How to charge, store and travel with drone batteries safely, and how to make them last longer.
-
Your first ten flights: a simple practice plan
A step-by-step practice plan for new pilots, from your first hover to flying smooth figure eights.
-
Buying your first drone: what actually matters
Weight, GPS, motors, flight time and spare batteries. What to look for in a first drone, and what to ignore.
-
How to get your Flyer ID and Operator ID
A step-by-step guide to the free Flyer ID test and the yearly Operator ID, and how to label your drone properly.
-
UK drone rules in 2026: a plain-English guide
The UK drone rules changed on 1 January 2026. Here is what applies to you, in plain English, whatever you fly.
From the JD Quad channel
Rules and law
-
Where can you fly a drone in the UK?
Airports, parks, beaches, National Trust land and military sites. How to work out whether you can fly somewhere, and how to check…
-
How to get your Flyer ID and Operator ID
A step-by-step guide to the free Flyer ID test and the yearly Operator ID, and how to label your drone properly.
-
UK drone rules in 2026: a plain-English guide
The UK drone rules changed on 1 January 2026. Here is what applies to you, in plain English, whatever you fly.
Batteries and maintenance
-
Drone batteries: charging, storage and safety
How to charge, store and travel with drone batteries safely, and how to make them last longer.