Drone Beginner’s Guide
What is drone
The drone is a layman terminology for Unmanned Aircraft (UA).
Unmanned Aircraft is any aircraft designed to operate autonomously or to be piloted remotely without a pilot on board.
An aircraft and its associated elements, which are operated with no pilot onboard are called an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) is a subcategory of UAS, which includes both RPAS and fully autonomous UAS. Fully autonomous UAS fly completely by themselves without the need for any pilot intervention.
Drones are:
- UA – Unmanned Aircraft
- UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
- UAS – Unmanned Aircraft System
- sUAS – Small Unmanned Aircraft System
- RPAS – Remotely Piloted Aircraft System
Categories of drone operations
NAA set the framework for the safe operation of drones. They adopt a risk-based approach, and as such, do not distinguish between leisure or commercial activities. They take into account the weight and specifications of the drone and the operation it is intended to undertake.
Three categories of operations: the ‘open’, ‘specific’ and ‘certified’ categories.
1. Open Categories
The ‘open’ category addresses operations in the lower risk bracket, where safety is ensured provided the drone operator complies with the relevant requirements for its intended operation. Operational risks in the ‘open’ category are considered low, and therefore no authorisation is required before starting a flight.
2. Specific Categories
The ‘specific’ category covers riskier operations, where safety is ensured by the drone operator obtaining an operational authorization from the national competent authority before starting the operation. To obtain the authorization, the drone operator is required to conduct a safety risk assessment, which will determine the requirements necessary for the safe operation of the drone.
3. Certified Categories
In the ‘certified’ category, the safety risk is so high that certification of the drone operator and the aircraft is required to ensure safety, as well as the licensing of the remote pilot.
Autonomous vs automatic drone
An autonomous drone is able to conduct a safe flight without the intervention of a pilot. It does so with the help of artificial intelligence, enabling it to cope with all kinds of unforeseen and unpredictable emergency situations. Autonomous operation is different from automatic operations.
An Automatic drone flies pre-determined routes defined by the drone operator before starting the flight. For this type of drone, it is essential for the remote pilot to take control of the drone to intervene in unforeseen events for which the drone has not been programmed.
Automatic drones are allowed in all categories, while autonomous drones are not allowed in the ’open’ category.
Autonomous drones need a level of verification of compliance with the technical requirements that are not compatible with the system put in place for the ’open’ category. Autonomous operations are, instead, allowed in the ’specific’ category, where the Regulation includes a tool flexible enough to verify requirements with the appropriate level of robustness.
Autonomous operations are also allowed in the ’certified’ category.
Drone Operator vs Remote Pilot
A drone operator is any person, whether natural or an organization, who owns the drone or rents the drone. You can be both a drone operator and a remote pilot if you are also the person who actually flies the drone. However, you could be a remote pilot without being a drone operator, if, for example, you are a pilot working for a company that provides services with drones. In that case, the company is the drone operator and you are the remote pilot.
If you bought a drone to fly it in your leisure time, you are both the drone operator and remote pilot.
If you bought a drone to give away as a gift, the person who will receive the gift and then fly the drone will be the drone operator and the remote pilot.
Now let’s summarize, the drone operator is the person who is registered and is responsible for the operation. The remote pilot is the person that actually controls the drone. A drone operator may also be a remote pilot or he/she may employ one or more remote pilots.
Do you need to register
Unless they are certified, drones do not need to be registered, but you, as a drone operator/owner, must register yourself.
You do so with the National Aviation Authority of the state. You register once, independently of how many drones you have operating in the ’open’ or the ’specific’ category. Your registration will be valid for a period defined by your National Aviation Authority, after which you need to renew it.
However, you do not need to register yourself if your drone:
- weighs less than 250g and has no camera or other sensor able to detect personal data; or
- even with a camera or other sensor, weighs less than 250g, but is a toy.
A drone is certified when it has a certificate of airworthiness (or a restricted certificate of airworthiness) issued by the National Aviation Authority. In this case, it requires registration. A certified drone is needed only when the risk of the operation requires it. So certification is never needed for drones operated in the ’open’ category.
Studies have demonstrated that unmanned aircraft with a take-off mass of 250 g or more would present risks to security and therefore UAS operators of such unmanned aircraft should be required to register themselves when operating such aircraft in the ‘open’ category.
Considering the risks to privacy and protection of personal data, operators of unmanned aircraft should be registered if they operate an unmanned aircraft that is equipped with a sensor able to capture personal data. However, this should not be the case when the Unmanned Aircraft is considered to be a toy.
Once registered, you receive a ‘drone operator registration number’ that needs to be displayed with a sticker on all the drones you own, including those privately built. You must also, upload it into the ‘Drone’s remote identification system’.
Now the next question which will come to your mind is that when is a drone considered to be a toy?
Drone as a toy
A drone is considered as a toy when it could be attractive to a child. More precisely, products designed or intended whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age should be considered as a toy.
Permission To Fly
Find out if you need permission from your Civil Aviation Authority –
I use my Drone for work or research (anything beyond the fun of flying)
If Yes
- It weighs less than 25 kg and it flies VLOS, day only.
- If Yes – You must apply for a Special Authorization Low Risk category.
- If No – Contact your Civil Aviation Authorization (CAA) regarding Special Authorization Regulated Minimal Risk category.
If No
- It weighs more than 25 kg
- If Yes – You must apply for a Special Authorization Low Risk.
- If No – You don’t need permission, but you do have to fly safely.
- Tips to fly safely
- I flew below 120 meters.
- I always fly within visual line of sight (VLOS).
- I never fly over groups of people.
- I never fly over stadiums and sports events.
- I never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports.
- I never fly near emergency response efforts such as fires.
- I never fly under the influence.
- Tips to fly safely
Note: This is a common approach but may not be applicable in your State. Please contact your Civil Aviation Authority for their Drone guidelines and regulations.
Where to fly your drone
Each Country or State will determine drone geographical zones, which are areas where drones may not fly (e.g. national parks, city centers, or near airports) or may fly only under certain conditions, or where they need a flight authorization. Therefore, it is important for you to consult your National Aviation Authority to check where you can and cannot fly your drone.
These geographical zones apply to all categories.
In addition, you are not allowed to fly a drone close to or inside an area where there is an ongoing emergency response.
Ready To Fly
Once you registered, your second step is to ensure that you, as a drone operator or remote pilot are aware of the rules and risks connected with the drone operation.
The remote pilot must have the appropriate training for the operation to be conducted.
You will also need to ensure that you have acquired the right insurance for your drone. We recommend buying public liability insurance for your drone.
Check with your NAA where you are authorized to fly and where you need to have a flight authorization before entering the zone (geographical zone).
Report back to your NAA any incident or accident you witness or are part of, when it caused an injury to a person or when it involved an aircraft with a pilot on board.