Dear Mr Ridley,

I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding the extremely late notice and dissemination of the Restriction of Flying Regulations (UAS only) for Brecon, Powys on 04 March 2026, circulated via CAA SkyWise (SW2026/057) and set out in Briefing Sheet BFS 011/2026 (published 03 March 2026 at approx 1600hrs GMT).

1) Summary of the issue (timeliness and impact)

According to BFS 011/2026, a Restricted Area (Temporary) is established in connection with a Royal Visit on 04 March 2026 and applies to unmanned aircraft only (explicitly not to manned aircraft). The restriction states that, between 0800 and 1800 UTC on 04 March 2026, no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 2000 ft AMSL within a 1 NM radius circle centred at 515705N 0032331W, subject only to limited exceptions (police permission via Dyfed-Powys Police or emergency services response).

I received/observed the SkyWise notification on 03 March 2026, and the briefing sheet itself is dated 03 March 2026, meaning the regulated community received, in practice, less than one working day’s notice for an all-day restriction.

This is unacceptable and operationally disruptive. Responsible UAS operations are planned and risk-assessed well in advance, often involving client commitments, site access permissions, staffing, travel, equipment allocation, and compliance checks. A restriction of this scope issued at such short notice forces cancellations and rescheduling, generates avoidable costs, and undermines confidence in the predictability of the regulatory notification process.

2) Why this is especially concerning in this case

BFS 011/2026 states that the restriction is due to a Royal Visit. Such events are, by their nature, planned well in advance. While I fully acknowledge the need for safety and security measures, and that the Secretary of State has powers under Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016, the publication timeline strongly suggests that the affected community was notified at the last practicable moment, despite the underlying event being foreseeable.

Moreover, late publication is arguably counterproductive from a safety-and-compliance perspective:

• Compliant operators are the ones checking SkyWise/NOTAMs and will bear the disruption.
• Non-compliant or malicious actors are least likely to be deterred by a last-minute notice.

In short, late notification tends to penalise compliance rather than improve security outcomes.

3) Pattern of late-notice restrictions

This appears not to be an isolated occurrence. There has been a wider pattern of restrictions (including UAS-only restrictions) being promulgated with very short lead times. That pattern creates a systemic planning risk for lawful operators and weakens SkyWise’s value as a safety tool rather than a last-minute disruption mechanism.

4) What I am requesting from the CAA

I request that the CAA provides a substantive response covering the following:

1. Explanation of the timeline for this specific RA(T), including:
   • when the proposal/request for the restriction was initiated and by whom;
   • when the decision was taken to proceed under Article 239;
   • why publication and SkyWise dissemination occurred only on 03 March 2026 for a restriction active on 04 March 2026.
2. Process improvements to prevent recurrence for planned events, including:
   • adoption and publication of a minimum notice period for planned UAS-only RA(T)s (for example 7–14 days, except where genuinely emergent);
   • where sensitivity exists, a two-stage approach: early “advance warning” (even if details are provisional) followed by final NOTAM/BFS once cleared;
   • where exemptions require police permission, a process that includes realistic application lead times rather than a de facto overnight permission expectation.
3. Confirmation of the formal complaints route and any service standard/KPI relating to timeliness of RA(T)/SkyWise dissemination, so operators can understand expectations and escalation routes.

Please treat this email as a formal complaint and acknowledge receipt. I would appreciate either a full response within 10 working days, or a holding reply confirming when a substantive response will be provided.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Ryan

Barrister, Mediator & International Arbitrator

+447867807008

[email protected]