Epsom Downs

Epsom Downs is a huge expanse of open chalk grassland on the London fringe, famous for the Derby and used year-round by walkers, kite flyers and model enthusiasts. Away from the grandstand and racecourse it offers rare open space in busy northeast Surrey, with long views north over London on a clear day. It is a caution site on several counts. The racecourse, gallops and grandstand are private and horses are trained on the Downs from dawn keep well away from the training tracks and any horses, which are easily spooked by a drone, and never fly on a race day or event day. The wider common is managed by the Epsom Downs Conservators; there is no blanket drone ban on the open downland, but courtesy and distance from people are essential given the crowds. Airspace needs care too you sit under the London TMA and roughly 16km from both Heathrow and Gatwick, well outside their zones and the central London FRZ, but this is dense, busy sky, so check a map and keep low. The chalk turf and viewpoint car park by Tattenham Corner make take-off easy. Choose a quiet early weekday, avoid the horses, and you have a legal, spacious flight within reach of the capital.