Drone pilots warned after Yorkshire Air Ambulance flights disrupted

Drone pilots have been urged to fly safely after several incidents involving emergency helicopters

Drone pilots have been warned not to fly near emergency helicopters after a spate of incidents.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said five Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) flights had been disrupted by the flying gadgets in the last 12 months.

The YAA warned that flying near emergency helicopters could delay critical care for patients.

A CAA spokesperson said it supported drone flying but urged people to "use their common sense" and "fly safely".

In 2022, emergency service helicopters reported 13 cases where the pilot felt a drone was too close to their aircraft.

It is illegal to fly a drone in a way that hampers the emergency services when they are responding to an incident.

Drone operators who see or hear any helicopter flying near them are advised to land their drone and let the aircraft pass.

The CAA warned of several occasions where drones had been used to film an incident, causing a delay to air ambulance helicopters

CAA spokesman Jonathan Nicholson said: "We are actively supporting the growth of drones in the UK to make sure we exploit their full potential, including flying as a hobby.

"But to achieve this we need everyone operating a drone to use their common sense and fly safely."

Mr Nicholson said there had been several occasions where drones had been used to try and film an incident, causing a delay to air ambulance helicopters.

Captain James Booth, a Yorkshire Air Ambulance pilot, said: "If we are going to an emergency and a drone is spotted then it potentially delays us getting critical care to a patient while we check where the drone is and what it's doing.

"In many cases the people we are helping need expert trauma care as soon as possible and any delay in us reaching a patient or transferring them quickly to a hospital can have a significant impact."

The news follows last month's warning from the YAA over the dangers of targeting lasers towards air ambulance crews.