A tethered drone or other tethered unmanned aircraft is one that's securely attached via a physical link at all times while flying.
It may be tethered to:
- a person
- the ground
- any suitable object
The tether is normally a flexible wire or cable that may also include the aircraft's power supply.
Tethered flying can be an efficient approach in several cases, for example:
- where your operating area is restricted
- when you want to fly for longer than would be possible for an untethered aircraft that would have to rely on its onboard fuel supply.
How the regulations apply to tethered drones and other tethered unmanned aircraft
Tethered unmanned aircraft that are powered and have a mass greater than 1kg are subject to the same regulatory framework as all other unmanned aircraft.
Tethered unmanned aircraft with a mass of 1kg or less are not subject to the requirements of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947 but are instead addressed within article 265E of the ANO as ‘tethered small, unmanned aircraft’.
Tethering as a risk mitigation
If you want to apply for an Operational Authorisation in the Specific Category, you may find that proposing to use a tethered aircraft provides a significant risk mitigation.