Have BTP Changed The Use of Drones Forever?
- May 7
- 3 min read
British Transport Police become first police force to launch remote 'drone in a box' capability, flying far, far away from the operators.
Our View
Not too far in the future, we will likely see a proliferation of traditional CCTV camera system providers racing to replicate this technology (possibly through strategic partnerships) to install drones on high-points in town & city centres that will have their own 120m drone air traffic route maps secured for drone operations within their area.
The BTP Press Release said this:
"BTP has launched its groundbreaking new remote 'drone in a box' capability, becoming the first police force to operationalise this advanced drone technology to better keep the public safe and reduce disruption.
The new capability will enhance our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to incidents on the railway network, helping to improve safety, reduce disruption, and support frontline operations as they happen.
The drones will be based at key locations across the network where we know there are spikes in trespass and other disruption incidents, and flown remotely from our control room in London - allowing us to respond to incidents quicker, make more informed decisions, and also free up BTP officers to respond to other offences.
The majority of typical drone operations are conducted within the Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) of the pilot, which is around 500 meters for a small drone. However, the police are able to operate beyond this distance (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) using State Aircraft legislation.
BTP are the first force to obtain legal advice and use Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) routinely and regularly in support of policing, rather than just for emergencies.
As well as the relevant legal advice, our dedicated team have carried out significant work behind the scenes to ensure they are operating under a robust framework in which to fly safely."
However, VLOS or 'Visual Line Of Sight' Rules don't allow these operations everywhere, or by everyone. Why not? Read on.
As many will know, the use of drones for surveillance purposes has been on the horizon for a long time. At the 2014 CCTV User Group Conference, I presented an American military drone as my new 'Town Centre Camera' (yes, it was tongue-in-cheek), but there was more to it than that. Up until now, this has been impossible due to the CAA rules requiring visual line of sight of the drone by the operator. This is impossible beyond what is reasonably 500m (unless you are flying a military drone 2000 miles away).
So what has changed that allows BTP to do this?
BTP Declared every flight “State aircraft” under Article 3 of the Chicago Convention, which covers police aviation. State aircraft sit outside the Civil Aviation Rules that force civil pilots to keep the drone in view. They still owe “due regard” for other traffic but can ask for special operating conditions.
BTP Secured legal advice and a policy sign‑off from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA accepted that BTP can run routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) policing flights, not just one‑off emergencies. The BTP press note spells this out (kind of).
BTP Framed each rail corridor as an “Atypical Air Environment” (AAE). AAEs are bits of airspace the CAA agrees are rarely used by other aircraft (e.g. within 15 m of a railway). In an AAE the CAA can grant a standing BVLOS Operational Authorisation.
BTP Filed an Operating Safety Case showing “due regard”. Key points: • altitude capped at ≤ 120 m AGL• flights stick to the rail alignment• remote pilot monitors ADS‑B traffic and NOTAMs• geofencing and an emergency kill/termination system• parachute or controlled landing if the link drops. These mitigations satisfy the CAA that the drone won’t mix with normal [air] traffic and that the pilot can avoid collisions even though the aircraft is out of sight.
(ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, is an aviation surveillance technology that relies on aircraft broadcasting their position and other data, allowing for real-time tracking and improved situational awareness)
More info about this here
The BTP launch video can be seen here
© BTP
The system we believe BTP are using
DJI Dock 3
Equipped with Matrice 4D or Matrice 4TD high-performance drones, DJI Dock 3 empowers 24/7 remote operations and, for the first time, supports mobile vehicle-mounted deployment, effortlessly adapting to various environments. The drones utilize the same cameras as the Matrice 4 Series but offer improved flight and protection performance.Built to withstand extreme heat, DJI Dock 3 operates and charges seamlessly even in temperatures soaring up to 122º F (50° C), ensuring efficient operations.
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