Curacao drone regulations

[FlashNC]

Checking the few sites that list international drone laws, they each say that Curacao doesn't have any, but going to the CCAA website (Their version of the FAA). I find this:

Drones entering the country will be held by customs until the owner/operator has submitted the RPA Registration Form (download here) and has visited both the CCAA and BTP offices for a briefing.
Local vendors of RPA have been informed of the procedure and are instructed to direct their customers to the appropriate authorities.

But the only list of regulations is a draft version dated in 2016, has anyone taken a UAS through Curacao customs lately?

 

[we9v]

I have a friend who has traveled to Curacao (from USA) dozens of times, and his most recent trips have included his Mavic Pros. I'm not sure if he's a forum member, but I'd be happy to relay some questions, if you have specific ones. In a recent email exchange between he and I regarding drone travel, he mentioned this: "For Curacao, it can be done online, getting authorization from the Curacao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) and Bureau Telecommunications en Posts (BTP) and not requiring any fee."

 

[jmaass]

I am the friend mentioned by WE9V above.

I registered my drone and flew on Curacao prior to my most recent trip in January. I was unable to make the right connections on a previous trip last July: they are now set up to do this efficiently and quickly by email. They now have the registration form (PDF) online, but my blank form was sent by email along with a No-Fly Zone map (airport approaches, industrial sites, and wildlife areas) and a single-page document of rules to be followed, none unreasonable (see below).

Contacts: Michael Llanes, Aviation Safety Inspector Operations, Curacao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), [email protected], telephone 011-5999-839-3319. He will send you the application form (now also available online - see below), which you can complete and send back by email. There is no fee.

Mr. Glennert Riedel, BTP (Bureau Telecommunicatie en Posts): Mr. Llanes will provide contact information for him, and will coordinate your application with him. BTP is, of course, concerned with the radio frequencies and powers used, this information available from the Drone specs and included on your application form when you fill it out. I'm expecting that they will some day soon add 'check-boxes' instead for the common commercial drones.

The entire process took ~24 hours for me, an amazement as I have some experience with dealing with normal Curacao bureaucracy! They emailed me a PDF copy of the signed, stamped document.
The registration is by drone type, so one application for my two DJI Mavic Pro. If I had a Phantom or Inspire, each would require a separate application/registration.

Registration form: http://www.ccaa.cw/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/88133_RPA-001_RPARegistration-JAN-2017-2.pdf

NOTE: the wind on Curacao is often a problem for drone flying. I waited days for a wind of less than 25-35 MPH at my oceanside location, and finally decided to fly my Mavic Pro anyway. I had one slightly-scary case of the drone being blown away from where I put it, but dropped down and flew home with Sport Mode. Generally, the Mavic handles high winds well, and I flew more than a dozen times always over the 23 MPH "limit" in the Mavic specs. YMMV.

 

[jmaass]

Concerning my wind warning in the replay above, I've been watching wind conditions at my Curacao site near Santa Martha Bay, and they have not gotten any better since I returned in February. Gusts at 400-feet often are exceeding 50 MPH. This is the sustained wind at 400 feet data from the 'UAV Forecast' app, and was typical of what I saw in January/February.

 

[evil4dmin]

Hi,

thanks again for your information. We wrote earlier on facebook about this topic! I finally managed to get my BTP approval for the mavic by mail!

View media item 1755
but all my attempts to get in touch with Mr. Llanes or anyone else at CCAA for their were unsuccessful so far (now even their website seems to be down). I will arrive on Curacao on Sunday and will bring my Mavic as well as the BTP approval and all the other paperwork with me...so if anyone asks i will have everything available.

Hoping for an opportunity to fly but will keep the winds in mind and wont risk too much.

Cheers
Jan

 

[jmaass]

Darn, I thought that they had defined an efficient process for the full approval procedure! I would not worry about it,a nd fly. They are mostly concerned that you know the No-Fly Zones and guidelines, and they already know that the Mavic Pro type drone has been previously registered and acceptable to both CCAA and BTP for use on Curacao.

When I last came down with my two Mavic Pro drones, the X-ray guy at Customs asked what was in the bag, and I told him drones and started to dig my registration information from my pocket. He asked how big it was, and when I held my hands a Mavic's-width apart, and he said "OK, no problem" and waved me through!

The Mavic handles the wind pretty well, but keep Sport Mode enabled in case you need to switch to it to battle the winds. I've been watching 'UAV Forecast' for the Soto area, and they've been close to what I experienced when I was flying in January and as shown in my post above.

 

[rexmaster]

Darn, I thought that they had defined an efficient process for the full approval procedure! I would not worry about it,a nd fly. They are mostly concerned that you know the No-Fly Zones and guidelines, and they already know that the Mavic Pro type drone has been previously registered and acceptable to both CCAA and BTP for use on Curacao.

When I last came down with my two Mavic Pro drones, the X-ray guy at Customs asked what was in the bag, and I told him drones and started to dig my registration information from my pocket. He asked how big it was, and when I held my hands a Mavic's-width apart, and he said "OK, no problem" and waved me through!.

Are you implying that I don't need to register Mavic Pro when visiting Curacao? We will be visiting Curacao in early June. I sent email to Michael LLanes and CCAA, but no respond yet. I would love to take care of this beforehand instead of running around while on vacation.

 

[jmaass]

Are you implying that I don't need to register Mavic Pro when visiting Curacao? We will be visiting Curacao in early June. I sent email to Michael LLanes and CCAA, but no respond yet. I would love to take care of this beforehand instead of running around while on vacation.

No, they still expect you to register with CCAA, and it is very definitely best to accomplish it before you travel! Have you telephoned CCAA at the number I gave above? The CCAA operator seemed nice and helpful when I was originally tracking down Mr. Llanes. Keep trying! Things are not always predictable when dealing with government and companies on Curacao. It is no easier to accomplish registration on the island than from your home: you cannot just walk-in to CCAA and submit it out at a public counter in my experience: the CCAA offices are in a secure area with a tall fence and a guardhouse.

Failing registration before you travel, and if you have made your best efforts to get registered, I would still take it and fly (but I am not authorized to grant absolution if your experience goes awry). Keep copies of the two documents shown above with you, follow the recommendations on the one sheet and stay away from the marked No Fly Zones shown on the other. It is unlikely that anyone official will question your activity.

I'm going down at the end of June and staying for two weeks, and I'll take my two Mavic Pros again: one as a spare if the wind blows away #1! I'm looking at one day getting an Inspire 2 to better deal with the constant winds with more margin!

 

[Carlomavicair]

Hi,

thanks again for your information. We wrote earlier on facebook about this topic! I finally managed to get my BTP approval for the mavic by mail!

View media item 1755
but all my attempts to get in touch with Mr. Llanes or anyone else at CCAA for their were unsuccessful so far (now even their website seems to be down). I will arrive on Curacao on Sunday and will bring my Mavic as well as the BTP approval and all the other paperwork with me...so if anyone asks i will have everything available.

Hoping for an opportunity to fly but will keep the winds in mind and wont risk too much.

Cheers
Jan

Did you make it through the airport with only the BTP approval? I will arrive on Curacao on monday but the BTP and the CCAA both have not responded to my request for registering my mavic air. I already have contact information to message Mr. Llanes but not from anyone at the BTP. Can you maybe help me with this?

Thanks.

 

[rexmaster]

Any update on progress anyone? Still, no response from CCAA nor Mr. Llanes

 

[rexmaster]

I managed to obtain BTP issued permission document today by email. I emailed [email protected] and [email protected] with a completed registration form from above link. Then, BTP emailed a signed and stamped pdf copy to me and Michael Llanes. It looks like Michael Llanes' role is to provide registration form and regulations documents and BTP actually issues the permission document.

I did not receive any email from Michael Llanes for my 06 May request, but below is his response to someone else:

Thanks for your email inquiry. Indeed I can inform you that drone flight operations are allowed here on the island, i.a.w. the drone operating rules and of course outside of the no-fly-zones.
We have established a system based on an agreement between the Minister of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning, the Curacao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), the Telecommunications Bureau (BTP) and the Customs Service, whereby drone owners/operators are required to handle with the BTP and the CCAA for the registration of the drone. Afterward the owner/operator of the drone can collect the drone again at the Customs office at the airport.

The BTP is of course interested in the radio frequencies used by the drone and it controller as well as the camera and its controller. The registration at the CCAA was put in place actually as a means for the CCAA to reach out to the drone flying public to inform them on the rules and requirements for Curacao regarding drone flight operations.

As the whole island falls within the Control Zone of the Airport, all flying machines (including drones) are supposed to be under the control of the Air Traffic Control Service Provider (DC ANSP) at the airport. Drone operations are exempted from that requirement, when operated below 400 feet (120 meters). So if you need to fly higher than that, please let me know, so we assess whether it should be arranged with DC ANSP.

I have attached two (2) documents to this email. One is the 'Drone Registration Form' which I request you to fill out and email back to me and the other is a flyer with the operating rules for the drones and the no-fly-zones as well.

Even though I have copied (in this email) my colleagues at the BTP who handles the drone stuff there, I urge you to get in contact with them (via email), and they will issue you the document that you will need to present to the Customs Official. With that document, you can actually go thru the Customs with your drone without any fuss.

Bureau Telecommunicatie & Post
Beatrixlaan 9
Curacao
Phone: +599 9 463 1700
Fax: +599 9 736 5265
Email: [email protected]

Should you have any question on any of the above-mentioned, do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

ML


Michael A.N. LLanes
Aviation Safety Inspector Operations

Curacao Civil Aviation Authority
Kaya Afido z/n, Mahuma
Curacao

T (+5999) 839-3309 / F (+5999) 868-9924 / C (+5999) 516-6376

 

[Signs]

Just follow above suggestions. I just registered and it couldn’t have. Been easier or faster. You need 2 papers one from Mr Llanes From aviation and one from a lady named Mrs Kroonstadt in communications. I would e mail me Llanes first if you can’t find Mrs Kroonstadt’s info. He sent it to me. I’m going Thursday but 20-25 mph winds forecasted. Always breezy there but nice.not really going to fly but for a wedding

Checking the few sites that list international drone laws, they each say that Curacao doesn't have any, but going to the CCAA website (Their version of the FAA). I find this:

Drones entering the country will be held by customs until the owner/operator has submitted the RPA Registration Form (download here) and has visited both the CCAA and BTP offices for a briefing.
Local vendors of RPA have been informed of the procedure and are instructed to direct their customers to the appropriate authorities.

But the only list of regulations is a draft version dated in 2016, has anyone taken a UAS through Curacao customs lately?

 

[evil4dmin]

Sorry, i missed your replies somehow...i went to Curacao only with the BTP approval but took also all Emails to Mr. Llanes with me. I was not checked by Customs at the Airport so bringing the Mavic was no issue at all for me. Flying there bothers nobody! However it was a bit scary because of the winds but the Mavic surprised me once again in dealing with such situations! Most fun was flying on Klein Curacao, took some of the best pics i´ve ever shot! If you visit Curacao you should book the trip to Klein Curacao at any cost...it simply is like paradise! ^^

View media item 1910View media item 1909
Maybe i will come back next year...hopefully my CCAA registration will be completed by then!

Cheers
Jan

 

[rexmaster]

As far as I know, the BTP issued document is what you need to go through customs. I guess they don't even bother to check it.

I'll pass on Klein Curacao....I would not survive ~2hrs on a boat.

 

[Signs]

Just got back...had all the paperwork with me but was never asked for it at airport..20-25 MPH winds all 5 days but because of small size and weight the Air worked really well in the wind. I would get paperwork before you go. It was very easy

 

[Signs]

Anyone done Italy and Greece ...going in september

 

[rexmaster]

Just went through customs yesterday and needed to show the BTP issued document. Then, thumbs up!

 

[vjsra]

Just returned from Curaçao, I had the BTP issued document, but customs did not ask anything about the drone after it went through xrays. 20-25 mph winds the whole time. The Mavic Pro performed brilliantly in high winds there.

 

[FlashNC]

Ok great, I go next week. I have the proper paperwork. So you didn’t declare the drone at customs - just kept it in your bag?

Just returned from Curaçao, I had the BTP issued document, but customs did not ask anything about the drone after it went through xrays. 20-25 mph winds the whole time. The Mavic Pro performed brilliantly in high winds there.

 

[MrsTreat]

I fly quite often in Aruba in similar windy conditions and my MP has always handled it flawlessly. Just need to be smarter about battery management, wind direction and debris at takeoff like sand.