Legal and Regulatory

The main legislation affecting kite flyers is the Air Navigation Order dated July 2016. The Order, combined with other Regulations, is included in CAP 393 (currently with amendments to June 2017) published by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) details all the appropriate Regulations. The Order is very complex, and it can be quite difficult to extract the sections relevant to kite fliers!

Copyright restrictions prevent us putting the Order directly on this site, but if you follow the “CAP393” link on the right you can see the Order on the CAA site.

To try and make life a little easier, we have carried out an extensive analysis and examined any aspects which do, or could affect kite flying. In some cases, there may be some ambiguity in how a section or order may affect kiting. We are currently trying to clarify these aspects with the CAA. For details of the current situation, follow the “CAP393” link on the right.

For other questions regarding rules and regulations for kite flying, the key contact at the Civil Aviation Authority is:

Tom Gratton
Airspace Regulator (Utilisation)
Airspace, ATM & Aerodromes
Civil Aviation Authority

Tel. 0207 453 6590
Email: Tom.Gratton@caa.co.uk

He can advise on such things as:

  • Captive balloon, kite and toy balloon flying
  • Issue of Permissions and Exemptions from the ANO [Air Navigation Order] for balloons and kites, where necessary
  • Providing specialist advice on ATC aspects of captive balloon and kite flying
  • Reviewing and issuing annual Airspace Co-ordination Notices

[Link to CAA website]

Other regulatory issues for clubs

Two issues which kite clubs, like any other clubs, face are those concerned with (i) data protection and (ii) liability for corporation tax. Most (perhaps all) clubs probably ignore the legal requirements in these areas, but that does not mean that they do not apply. BKFA has investigated what these requirements are and how they apply to clubs. To read our conclusions, follow the links in the right sidebar above.