If you are based in the UK and planning to fly drones for fun or for a living (such as covering airsoft events), then you may need to take a test if the British government pushes through its plans to require drone pilots to pass the test before they are given permits to fly their drones.

Similar to the Theory Test for drivers, the drone pilots will have to undergo a "knowledge or situational awareness test" and with the growing concerns of drones posing a threat to flying passenger planes and to people on the ground, the government wants to regulate the flying of drones as well as anyone who wants to fly certain types of drones that can be potentially dangerous when flown by an untrained or untested pilot.

Last year, there were more than 50 reports of near misses of drones flying close to commercial planes.

As part of the proposal, drone pilots are required to register their drones if they weigh more than 250 grams. In this case, if you own the latest the DJI Mavic Pro, shown in the photo above, you will need to register it as it weighs around 740 grams.

Getting tougher on careless flying of drones, the lawmakers are proposing for stiffer penalties for owners of drones who fly them to restricted zones such as airports, prisons, and other government facilities.  One way is to increase the fines from its present fine of £2,500.

The document is still in the proposal stages and the government will be inviting industry experts and drone associations to give their inputs to firm into a document that will be proposed to become a law.  If it happens, then we hope such a laws still allows for the growth of the drone industry as well as result into safer skies for drones, planes, and people.