Article 16 Explained – Model Aircraft Clubs & Association Flying

The CAA’s Article 16 authorisation is a special route in the Specific Category that lets recognised model aircraft clubs and associations keep flying in a similar way to traditional model flying.

Instead of every pilot writing their own risk assessment under UK SORA, the CAA agrees a standard set of rules with each association. Members who follow that association’s handbook and procedures can then use those privileges for sport, recreation, education and demonstration flights. Commercial use is deliberately kept outside Article 16.

At-a-Glance Facts

An Article 16 athorisation is not one single document or set of rules. The CAA issues separate Article 16 Operational Authorisations (OAs) to organisations such as the BMFA, British Drone Flyers, FPV UK, SAA and LMA. Privileges and conditions differ slightly between them, but the core pattern is very similar.

Always check the exact wording of your own association’s Article 16 OA and handbook. This article explains the common concepts so you can understand how it fits alongside the Open and Specific categories.

What Article 16 Actually Is

Article 16 itself lives in UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947. It lets the CAA approve alternative rules for model aircraft clubs and associations where there is a strong safety record and a robust handbook and training structure.

The CAA does not issue Article 16 authorisations to individual pilots. Instead, it works directly with a recognised organisation. The association first develops its rules, procedures and safety framework and submits them to the CAA for assessment. If the CAA is satisfied that these measures meet the required safety standard, it issues an Operational Authorisation to the association.

Once granted, the association:

1. Publishes the approved rules in its handbook and supporting guidance.
2. Ensures its clubs and members understand and follow those requirements.
3. Monitors safety, incident reporting and compliance across its membership.

If you are a member of that association and follow its handbook and procedures, you may operate under the privileges of its Article 16 OA instead of the normal Open Category rules.

In practice there are two layers:

• Article 16 (the regulation) – the legal mechanism that allows the CAA to do this.
• Article 16 Operational Authorisation – the specific, named document issued to each association that sets your day to day rules.

What Article 16 OAs Usually Allow

Exact details vary between associations, but most Article 16 OAs share some headline benefits compared with the normal Open Category rules. Using the BMFA and FPV UK documents as examples:

1. Model aircraft up to 25 kg
   Operations typically cover radio controlled, free-flight and physically constrained model aircraft up to 25 kg MTOM, with larger models handled under separate LMA arrangements. This is broader than the Open Category where higher mass aircraft quickly push you into the Specific Category.

2. Club sites and risk-assessed flying fields
   You can fly at established club sites, at suitable non built-up locations, and at some recreational sites inside built-up areas (for example playing fields) where the club or association has done a risk assessment and put field rules in place.

3. Higher altitudes for traditional model flying
   While the general drone limit is 400 ft, many Article 16 OAs allow:

   • Certain non-automated fixed-wing aircraft up to 400 ft above the pilot on slopes.
   • Fixed-wing models up to 7.5 kg to exceed 400 ft in some circumstances.
   • Heavier models up to 25 kg above 400 ft when a club site permit or flying display permit is in place.

4. Practical separation distances
   Instead of the Open A3 Category default of 50 m from people, Article 16 OAs use a risk based split by weight. A common pattern is:

   • No formal minimum distance for models under 250 g.
   • From 250 g to 7.5 kg, at least 30 m horizontally from uninvolved persons, reducible to 15 m for take-off and landing if you have suitable mitigations.
   • From 7.5 kg to 25 kg, at least 30 m from uninvolved persons and 50 m from assemblies of people, with some flexibility at take-off and landing where a risk assessment justifies it.

5. Controlled dropping of articles
   While the general rules prohibit dropping materials, Article 16 OAs often allow dropping (for example streamers, parachute men, sweets) as long as it is done in a controlled way that does not endanger people or property.

6. Structured FPV and display flying
   Article 16 OAs usually include specific sections on FPV and flying displays. These typically allow:

   • FPV flying with a competent observer who keeps the aircraft in sight.
   • FPV or display flying in cordoned-off areas with clear crowd separation and trained marshals at larger events.

The overall idea is simple: keep doing traditional model flying, but inside a modern risk and safety framework that the CAA has already accepted.

What Article 16 OAs Do Not Cover

Article 16 is generous in some ways, but very strict in others. Some activities are completely outside its scope.

1. Commercial operations

Article 16 is not a commercial authorisation. Most association OAs explicitly state that they only apply to flights for:

• Sport
• Recreation
• Education
• Demonstration

If you are being paid, or the work is clearly commercial, you are no longer inside Article 16. You must operate either in the Open Category or under a separate Specific Category OA such as UKPDRA-01.

You can still use your model flying experience, but you are now following different rules rather than your club’s Article 16 handbook.

2. Automation and autonomous modes

Article 16 is written around the idea of direct control by the remote pilot. Stabilisation modes are fine, but as soon as you use automation that changes the aircraft’s position (for example waypoint navigation, automatic orbits, active tracking, complex auto missions) you have left the definition of a model aircraft operation in most association OAs.

At that point the flight has to be treated as a normal unmanned aircraft operation under Open or Specific rules.

3. Ignoring airspace or local restrictions

Article 16 does not give any right to ignore:

• Flight Restriction Zones (FRZs)
• Restricted, Prohibited or Danger Areas
• Temporary airspace restrictions such as RA(T)s

If an FRZ or other restriction covers your club field you still need the relevant permission, for example a standing agreement with the aerodrome or a specific clearance.

4. BVLOS and high-risk operations

Article 16 is fundamentally VLOS only, with limited and carefully controlled FPV options. It is not a route to Beyond Visual Line of Sight, heavy payload carriage or high-risk operations over uninvolved people. Those types of operations belong firmly in UK SORA and bespoke Specific Category OAs.

Membership, Registration and Competence

Because the OA is issued to the association, there are some extra expectations on members.

1. You must be a current member
   To rely on an association’s Article 16 OA you must be a current member, following that association’s handbook and any club rules. If your membership expires you cannot keep using those privileges.

2. Operator registration still applies
   Article 16 does not remove the usual Operator ID rules. You normally still need a valid registration unless your aircraft falls into one of the very limited exemptions (for example a sub 100 g model without a camera). Some associations can process Operator registration on your behalf.

3. Remote pilot competence is mandatory
   Associations set their own acceptable evidence of competence, usually one of:

   • Association-specific online test or certificate.
   • CAA DMARES test and Flyer ID.
   • Legacy achievement certificates combined with a declaration that you understand the Article 16 conditions.

4. You still owe a duty of care
   The OA spells out familiar responsibilities: be fit to fly, maintain your aircraft in a safe condition, follow club rules, keep a lookout and stop a flight if it could endanger people, animals, the environment or other airspace users.

5. Occurrence reporting still matters
   Serious incidents, especially those involving manned aircraft, higher altitude operations, close proximity to uninvolved people or display flying, have to be reported through association channels and, where required, to the CAA or AAIB.

Article 16 vs Open Category

If you are a club member you can often choose whether to fly under:

• Your association’s Article 16 OA, or
• The general Open Category rules in the Drone Code.

A quick comparison:

• Article 16 is usually better when you are flying at a club field or organised site with other model flyers, and you want the extra flexibility on altitudes, separation distances and traditional model activities such as displays and streamer dropping.
• The Open Category is usually better when you are:
  • Flying a camera drone off-site (for example a DJI quadcopter).
  • Doing commercial work.
  • Using complex automation or advanced flight modes.

You do not have to use Article 16 simply because you are a member of a club. You can pick whichever framework best fits that particular flight, as long as you follow all of the relevant conditions.

Typical Article 16 Use-Cases

Some common scenarios where Article 16 is a natural fit:

• Club Sunday flying
  Members flying a mix of fixed-wing models, helicopters and multirotors from a long-established club field, with a flightline, pits area and a written field safety briefing.

• Thermal and slope soaring events
  Glider pilots operating above 400 ft on a remote hillside within line of sight, using the higher altitude allowances and separation distances that Article 16 provides.

• FPV race meets and fun-fly events
  FPV racing or freestyle flying at a club or event site, using cordoned areas, marshals and strict course layouts as described in the association’s handbook.

• Educational demonstrations
  A club providing a model flying demonstration for a school or youth group, where the activity is educational or demonstrative rather than a commercial job.

In each of these cases Article 16 gives a set of rules that matches how model flyers have traditionally operated, while still sitting within the modern UAS regulatory framework.

When Article 16 Is Not Enough

Use Article 16 for club-based, non-commercial model flying. It is not the right choice when:

• You are flying for hire or reward, even if it is at your usual club site.
• You want to use autonomous missions, waypoints or active tracking that move the aircraft without continuous stick input.
• You need BVLOS, significant operations near uninvolved people or complex airspace interactions.

In those cases you should be looking at:

• Open Category A1/A2/A3 operations, or
• A Specific Category OA such as UKPDRA-01 or a full UK SORA-based authorisation.

Key Takeaways

1. Article 16 sits inside the Specific Category, but it is designed to preserve traditional model flying for club and association members.
2. You must be a member of an association that holds an Article 16 OA, and you must follow its handbook and any club field rules.
3. Flights must be for sport, recreation, education or demonstration. Commercial work is outside Article 16 and must use Open or Specific rules instead.
4. Article 16 usually gives more flexible altitudes and separation distances than the Open Category, especially for fixed-wing models at established sites.
5. Automation that alters the aircraft’s position, BVLOS and high-risk operations move you out of Article 16 and into the standard UAS regulatory pathways.

Used correctly, an Article 16 OA is a powerful tool for UK model flying clubs. It rewards good safety culture and strong association procedures with a more flexible, familiar way to keep enjoying the hobby.