Breaches so many of the CAA's legal height and distance limits too, aside from the obvious trespass breaches. -
https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/drone-code/where-you-can-fly
Any sort of filming on property that you don't own must always be undertaken with permission from the owner. I love the internet for the vast amount of insightful content it's given us. I hate the internet for the reward of views and cred over sensibilities. It's not clever journalism, or documenting, it's getting some cool shots at the expense of other people's health and safety, and another company's capital investments (without permission).
I don't condone this behaviour, not only because it is frowned upon for obvious reasons. It is not showing the enthusiast community in a good light to parks and attraction operators in my opinion.
That said, I cannot see what regulations he's broken and I am registered for the "Drone and Model Aircraft Registration and Education Service" (DAMARES) with the CAA. It appears all the regulations have been adhered to from what I can see with a partially trained eye. There are no real crowds, it's a very quiet day. Furthermore, he's way further than 50m from people. Even so, if he's under 250g, that's not an issue.
There is no trespassing what so ever either. They are not on Alton Towers' land. You have to be on the land the trespass, you cannot trespass from the sky. Exactly the same applies for the filming too. Alton Towers do not own or have any control over the airspace above the park, something that applies for the vast majority if not all civilian / public / private places here in the UK. Infact, unless there is a pre defined no fly zone set out, you can usually fly there. Something which is not above the Alton Towers estate and something the park would more than likely not be able to get. Alton Towers can ban you from taking off, landing and controlling a drone from within their land. They have absolutely no say or even a legal right to say anything about someone flying a drone over that has taken off, landed and been controlled from somewhere outside of the parks boundaries. When you see signs in a park saying no drones, they specifically refer to the legal remit the park operate in, as in the ban of taking off, landing and controlling a drone from within the park grounds. How good or bad these rules are is a debate for another time. But those are the rules and facts to how it stands now in the UK, irrelevant of if someone thinks they are right or wrong. Facts are facts.
That said, it is very important to point out that just because you can legally do something (as is the case here) it does not mean that you should. This being a good example in my opinion.
Flying while the park is open is fine, but I would draw the line at doing it over operating attractions, specfically coasters. The argument could be made the same could apply for light GA aviation. GA pilots are usually more comprehensively trained than your average drone operator, they fly much higher too, making it a very unfair comparison. It is unlikely a drone would fall on a coaster, but if it did, consequences could be severe and it would without a doubt result in major overhauls of the current rules and regs, not to forget potential serious injury.
Fly close, but not over them. Don't put people in situations where there is potential for totally avoidable risk of harm, with a tiny bit of compassion and common sense, you can get just as great shots being close to, but not over the rides.
Went slightly off topic here apologies, but it is important to clear up the legality of drone flying, there is alot of mis information out there. I don't know the person but he's essentially being accused of breaking the law across Youtube and what not, when in actual fact, he's done nothing wrong from a legal standpoint, he's just clearly videoed his passion, Alton Towers / Theme Parks.
All that aside, from the air, Alton Towers does look spectacular, don't you think?
