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TechDrones

Drones Can’t Fly In London While Obama’s In Town

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
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By
David Meyer
David Meyer
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April 20, 2016, 4:05 AM ET
Photograph by Bruce Bennett

Fancy flying your drone over central London later this week? Forget about it: Barack Obama is coming to town.

The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority has issued a ban on flights below 2,500 feet over much of central London and Windsor, where the Queen will dine with the U.S president on Friday. The prohibition runs from Thursday to Sunday.

The ban’s definition of “aircraft” includes not only drones but “any small balloon” and “any kite weighing not more than two kilograms.” Regular flights coming in to land at the area’s airports are not affected.

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A drone recently struck the front of a plane that was coming in to land at Heathrow, according to the pilot of the jet.

It is now becoming common for drone flights to be banned when major state visits or sporting events are happening. In January, the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority issued a similar prohibition for the Super Bowl.

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