The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Ashton Park, Bristol) Regulations 2026

Published: Thu 30th Jul 26

Restricted unmanned aircraft flights near Ashton Park, Bristol, during a three-day public event in August 2026.

These Regulations prohibit the flight of unmanned aircraft below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within a specified area of Ashton Park, Bristol, between 7 August and 9 August 2026.

The restriction applies daily from 0300 to 2100 hours UTC to protect a large public gathering.

The mandate exempts aircraft operated by police air support units or those possessing written permission from the Bristol Balloon Fiesta organizers.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that the restrictions are necessary in the public interest due to an intended gathering of a large number of persons in the area.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport state that these measures are required for reasons of public safety and security.
The document notes that permissions may be granted by the event organizers, providing a mechanism for authorized aerial activity.
The legislation establishes clear geographical boundaries and timeframes (UTC) to ensure flight operators are aware of the specific limits of the restriction.

Arguments Against

Unmanned aircraft operators may argue that the 1,500-feet altitude limit constitutes a significant restriction on recreational or commercial airspace use in the Bristol area.
The use of Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) rather than British Summer Time (BST) in the text could lead to confusion for operators not familiar with aviation time standards.
Commercial drone operators not affiliated with the Bristol Balloon Fiesta may face economic or logistical disruption due to the three-day prohibition.
Privacy or civil liberties advocates might question the necessity of flight restrictions for public gatherings as a standard security measure.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Ashton Park, Bristol) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 7th August 2026.

This section establishes the official name of the regulations.

It sets the legal start date for these rules as 7 August 2026.

Interpretation

The times referred to in regulation 3(1) are Co-ordinated Universal Time( b ).

( b ) Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).

This section defines the time standard used throughout the document.

It specifies that all listed times are in Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), noting that this is one hour behind British Summer Time.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), during the period beginning with 0300 hours and ending with 2100 hours on each of the three days beginning with 7th and ending with 9th August 2026 no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points-

(a) 512644N 0023944W,
(b) 512717N 0023843W,
(c) 512704N 0023814W,
(d) 512702N 0023745W,
(e) 512653N 0023737W,
(f) 512642N 0023743W,
(g) 512635N 0023744W,
(h) 512627N 0023739W,
(i) 512602N 0023836W, and
(j) 512644N 0023944W.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any unmanned aircraft-

(a) flying in accordance with a permission issued by the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, or
(b) operated by, or on behalf of a police air support unit.

This section prohibits unmanned aircraft from flying below 1,500 feet within a specific geographic area defined by ten sets of coordinates near Bristol.

The restriction is active daily from 0300 to 2100 UTC between 7 August and 9 August 2026.

It grants exceptions to two specific groups: aircraft with permission from the Bristol Balloon Fiesta and aircraft operated by police air support.

All other unmanned aircraft are legally barred from the airspace during the specified times.

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