Drone legislation and rules

This blog is brought to you by Drone Class, your drone trainer for flying in the open and specific category.

As a private individual or operator you will fly in the open category as standard. We explain the most important rules for flying in this blog.

Vertical height

You can fly up to 120 metres.

VLOS

Always keep your drone in sight. There is no maximum horizontal distance as long as you can see it.

Keep your distance from people

Do not fly above people and crowds. If this happens, move away immediately and safely. Except your flight crew, everyone is considered as uninvolved persons.

Subcategories

Depending on the weight of your drone you will fly in one of the subcategories (A1, A2 or A3). This includes additional restrictions on keeping your distance.

No-fly zones

You are not allowed to fly in no-fly zones (like CTR, ATZ, P / R / D, TSA, TRA, TGB). Use information from the national aviation authority to plan your flight. You can check NOTAM messages for temporary restrictions that are not displayed in national guides (e-AIP), ICAO charts or local flight apps.

Recap

It's really easy to comply with the requirements:

  • Keep your drone below 120 metres
  • Keep your drone in visual line of sight
  • Don't fly above uninvolved persons and crowds
  • Don't fly in restricted areas
  • Prepare your flight by checking local information

Sem van Geffen

Co-owner Drone Class B.V.

About the author

Sem is an experienced trainer/developer, with drones as his main interest. He holds the Dutch RPA-L license and the EASA STS theory certificate. His specialism is EU aviation law and he enjoys flying the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise.

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