Drone Licence for the European Union

[Photobobhunt]

Wow ! lots of information and I hope you realize that in the EU and most other countries you are better off with a sub 250g drone.
The UK is the easiest and has the most freedom, however localities do have a variety of restrictions.
In the EU you don't need to register a sub 250g if it doesn't have a camera.
The overall process is really not difficult, but time consuming, so do it early and if I Remember everything is under $50.
Really consider a Sub 250, It will make the process easier. You can pick up a Mini 2 or 3 cheap these days.

 

[DarR-T]

Wow ! lots of information and I hope you realize that in the EU and most other countries you are better off with a sub 250g drone. True
The UK is the easiest and has the most freedom NOT, however localities do have a variety of restrictions.

I beg to disagree with the latter but the UK drone rules are a basket of complexity and ambiguity.
Both residents and visitors must register their sub-250g drone. How crazy is that?
You can fly over people but not crowds. What?
The UK has rules before and after 2026. What?
Only if camera equipped but not a toy. What?
...And this is just scratching the surface. Take a look here:

 

[DarR-T]

Canada has the most freedom of all for sub-250g RPA.
You don't need to register it and you don't need a license and Transport Canada does not have different rules for commercial vs recreational.

I don't believe sub-250g drones should be registered in any country.
Notwithstanding, I personally believe that every drone pilot should have a basic pilot license for knowledge and safety thereof regardless of weight. The exam should be available online for everyone and free of charge. In this respect, I applaud the FAA with their online TRUST course/exam.

 

[Kilboar]

Hey all,

I'm heading to France next week with the Mrs. and thought I would be taking the Mini 4 Pro, which I bought for just these EU trips but now I'm not so sure:-/

After watch many videos online I went on to French alphatango web site and registered the mini 4 pro, got the UAS operator and passed the Open Category test so I thought I was good. I printed out a label with the numbers and my own info and stuck them on the drone as per instructed.

I'll be staying in Reims, Burgundy, Lyon and a couple of days in Prague. The no-fly zone map is terrible so I was just keeping my finger crossed I'd be able to fly some when I got there but after reading the "France is so restrictive:-(" thread, now I'm not sure:-(

I don't want the French authorities chasing my wife and I for a stupid drone video clip for my vacation video but this is why I bought the mini 4 pro.

So should it stay or should it go now? Any clarification would be great.

Géoportail

Accédez à l'information géographique de référence : cartes, photographies aériennes, données géographiques

www.geoportail.gouv.fr

 

[Kilboar]

And why does France "Drone No-Fly Zone Map" look like it's from WWII?
No roads or cities on the map to pin point what you're looking at

 

[Brojon]

Wow ! lots of information and I hope you realize that in the EU and most other countries you are better off with a sub 250g drone.
The UK is the easiest and has the most freedom, however localities do have a variety of restrictions.
In the EU you don't need to register a sub 250g if it doesn't have a camera.
The overall process is really not difficult, but time consuming, so do it early and if I Remember everything is under $50.
Really consider a Sub 250, It will make the process easier. You can pick up a Mini 2 or 3 cheap these days.

That's a useless post given the OP's stated question. All drones we'd be interested with have a camera..

 

[Brojon]

I beg to disagree with the latter but the UK drone rules are a basket of complexity and ambiguity.
Both residents and visitors must register their sub-250g drone. How crazy is that?
You can fly over people but not crowds. What?
The UK has rules before and after 2026. What?
Only if camera equipped but not a toy. What?
...And this is just scratching the surface. Take a look here:

The EU has similar in what constitutes "people" vs "crowd".
In addition they also have some really strange privacy laws.
I've heard the UK also has some pretty serious privacy stuff.

 

[Brojon]

Thank you for the info I will look at the France drone site. As for the label I will need to take a look at the drone for its certification however according to the EASA site it indicates less then 900 grams is C1. Thanks again mate.

Doesn't matter - as of this year it has to have the sticker.
I was able to get DJI to cough one up since they promised but it was an uphill battle until one DJI rep took ownership.
Even so I have to wait until I'm in the EU and go through a procedure t register teh label with DJI.
Now, I have the label on my bird (Air 2S) so I'm not convinced I have to bother with DJI since it's to satisfy EU requirements.

 

[Brojon]

DJI isn't distributing those labels, despite spending money and time to certify their drones, to regions outside the EU.

So for instance, Americans have to jump through hoops to try to get those labels if they also plan to fly in Europe.

I have a post on my journey to get mine.
I got it but you aren't wrong about the hassle.

 

[wco81]

I have a post on my journey to get mine.
I got it but you aren't wrong about the hassle.

Supposedly now the drones shipping have the CE mark etched on the bottom of the aircraft, even those sold in the US.

At least on the newer models like the 3S and maybe the 3 as well.

Not sure about older models like the Mini 4.

 

[wco81]

Hey all,

I'm heading to France next week with the Mrs. and thought I would be taking the Mini 4 Pro, which I bought for just these EU trips but now I'm not so sure:-/

After watch many videos online I went on to French alphatango web site and registered the mini 4 pro, got the UAS operator and passed the Open Category test so I thought I was good. I printed out a label with the numbers and my own info and stuck them on the drone as per instructed.

I'll be staying in Reims, Burgundy, Lyon and a couple of days in Prague. The no-fly zone map is terrible so I was just keeping my finger crossed I'd be able to fly some when I got there but after reading the "France is so restrictive:-(" thread, now I'm not sure:-(

I don't want the French authorities chasing my wife and I for a stupid drone video clip for my vacation video but this is why I bought the mini 4 pro.

So should it stay or should it go now? Any clarification would be great.

Géoportail

Accédez à l'information géographique de référence : cartes, photographies aériennes, données géographiques

www.geoportail.gouv.fr

In general, you wouldn't be able to fly within the center of any sizable town.

You'd have to go out to the countryside, where you might get pictures of towns in the distance, not below or right next to where the drone would fly.

I just looked up Reims on Geoportail, the center is all red, NFZ. You'd have to get well outside, maybe there's some scenic landscapes between towns.

 

[Kilboar]

In general, you wouldn't be able to fly within the center of any sizable town.

You'd have to go out to the countryside, where you might get pictures of towns in the distance, not below or right next to where the drone would fly.

I just looked up Reims on Geoportail, the center is all red, NFZ. You'd have to get well outside, maybe there's some scenic landscapes between towns.

Thank you much.

I’m cool with that. I get people not wanting our drones flying around them or airports.

We’ll have a car and traveling so I’ll fly where I can.

What about the plus batteries in the mini 4 pro. Do they send a signal stating the drone is now over 250g?

I’m asking for a friend.

 

[wco81]

What about the plus batteries in the mini 4 pro. Do they send a signal stating the drone is now over 250g?

I’m asking for a friend.

I flew my Mavic 2 Pro last year in a couple of different EU countries and just retired from Portugal where I flew a couple of times.

I see no evidence that they're enforcing drone weight classes and making sure you're complying with the A1, A2, A3 category of flights, which requires being some distance away from people and built-up areas.

I'm not saying that there isn't any kind of enforcement, just that I haven't encountered it.

For my trip to Portugal, I registered with their civil aviation authority, requesting permission to fly in several locations. They require registration of my drone so they know the weight of my drone.

They approved all but 1 out of maybe 15-20 different locations. The one they rejected was in a sizable city on the island of Madeira.

Otherwise, most of the locations were sides of roads, though all scenic places which draw a lot of tourists and people going out for walks. But I requested to take off near a lot of these pedestrian paths and flying away to shoot from over the water.


I've heard claims though that some countries had police scanning in Aeroscope for unauthorized flights. Don't know if this is true but as long as you're not flying near stadiums or other special events, like politicians or dignitaries making public appearances which would draw big crowds, it seems unlikely that they'd proactively be looking for drone hobbyists.