France and Spain rules and regs

[Ralphco]

Looking for advice please. I have my UK drone pilot registration and my MP platinum registered with CAA. I have also obtained my pilot “licence” for flying recreationally in France as I will be travelling from UK through France to Spain after Christmas. I also have PL insurance. My questions are:
1/ Do I need to register my drone in France and Spain or is there simply one global CAA registration?
2/ I don’t think I need a licence for Spain but not 100% sure, can anyone confirm?

Any other hints/tips re flying in these countries would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[paul242]

Hi there, I'm looking into this as well as I plan to be in Germany, UK, Italy and Spain next summer with my Mavic Pro. I've registered and taken the UK CAA exam and believe this currently is good enough for the EU. The EASA website EU wide rules on drones published | Safe, secure and sustainable operation of drones | EASA says the following:

The common rules will help drone operators, whether professional or recreational, to have a clear understanding of what is allowed or not. At the same time it enables them to operate across borders. Once drone operators have received an authorisation in the state of registration, they are allowed to freely circulate in the European Union. This means that they can operate their drones seamlessly when travelling across the EU or when developing a business involving drones around Europe.

 

[Jclosada]

You don't need a license to fly recreationally in Spain, but your drone and remote must have a fireproof tag that shows Drone model, what kind of drone it is (Quad, exa...) drone S/N, operator name and a phone number or an email address. Also you have to be really careful about where you fly, I'll attach a link to the spanish air security map showing forbidden and regulated areas with NOTAMS. Also you have to fly in VLOS under 400ft, FPV is forbidden without an observer.

ENAIRE Drones

drones.enaire.es

 

[wco81]

Hi there, I'm looking into this as well as I plan to be in Germany, UK, Italy and Spain next summer with my Mavic Pro. I've registered and taken the UK CAA exam and believe this currently is good enough for the EU. The EASA website EU wide rules on drones published | Safe, secure and sustainable operation of drones | EASA says the following:

The common rules will help drone operators, whether professional or recreational, to have a clear understanding of what is allowed or not. At the same time it enables them to operate across borders. Once drone operators have received an authorisation in the state of registration, they are allowed to freely circulate in the European Union. This means that they can operate their drones seamlessly when travelling across the EU or when developing a business involving drones around Europe.

EU is implementing a standard set of drone rules for all the countries.

If your register in one country, it's valid in all other EU countries. Registration for recreational fliers is mandator for over 250 gram drone or drone with camera.

But the EU-wide rules start in July.

Meanwhile, UK may no longer be in the EU.

 

[paul242]

EU is implementing a standard set of drone rules for all the countries.

If your register in one country, it's valid in all other EU countries. Registration for recreational fliers is mandator for over 250 gram drone or drone with camera.

But the EU-wide rules start in July.

Meanwhile, UK may no longer be in the EU.

The current understanding from the CAA is that the UK will not be an EU member from Jan 31st this year. Having a UK drone licence will not let you operate in EU countries.

 

[wco81]

Yeah I've registered with Portugal, which I'm visiting this year but before July.

May take other trips to the EU so I have to see which of the countries have online registration set up by then.

Italy refers to registering a drone and getting a QR code for it:

https://www.d-flight.it/portal/en/pagamenti/

Not clear if this is to comply with the new EASA regulations taking effect in July but it does say:

2) Thomas has a 650gr drone that he uses only for recreational purposes.
Tommaso can register for free on d-flight as a SAPR operator (free subscription fee - BASE). Tommaso, as well as taking advantage of geoconsciousness services, will soon be able to obtain, against payment of a fee, the QR code to be able to correctly use his drone for recreational purposes only.
D-flight registration as an operator and obtaining the QR Code of your drone will become mandatory for Tommaso starting from 1 July 2020.

 

[paul242]

Yeah I've registered with Portugal, which I'm visiting this year but before July.

May take other trips to the EU so I have to see which of the countries have online registration set up by then.

Italy refers to registering a drone and getting a QR code for it:

https://www.d-flight.it/portal/en/pagamenti/

Not clear if this is to comply with the new EASA regulations taking effect in July but it does say:

I've registered with Ireland for the EU. It's hard working out what regs countries currently have, are bring in, or are changing to with the EASA umbrella in July.

 

[paul242]

It sounds like that any registration or authorization you've obtained in an EU member state will be valid in all EU countries until 1 July 2021, when it must be converted to an EASA authorization.

Article 21 sets out how authorisations issued by EU member states under the respective national regulations can be transferred to new authorisations issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

The authorisations issued to unmanned aircraft system operators, certificates of remote pilot competency and unmanned aircraft system operator authorisations or declarations or equivalent documents issued on the basis of national law will remain in force until 1 July 2021. As of 1 July 2021, EU member states must convert nationally issued certificates in accordance with EU legislation.

 

[wco81]

Yeah there is definitely a 2-year period starting this July before the rules all become permanent.

But it may still be an improvement over the current situation. For instance, you can't fly in Austria with anything that has a camera unless you pay some license fee which is like 200-300 Euros.

In Portugal, they want you to submit coordinates of where you plan to fly and have them approved in advance.

Once the EU rules take effect, these kinds of country-specific requirements are suppose to be replaced.

 

[paul242]

If you're not living in an EU country in July, and want to fly your drone in one, you'll need to deal with the country you want to fly in, regarding any registration and authorization requirements. That country may recognize any qualifications you may have from your own country, if they've been confirmed as meeting the intent of the EU regulations.

From the EU regulation 2019/945:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0945
Article 41

Third-country UAS operators

1. UAS operators that have their principal place of business, are established, or reside in a third country, shall comply with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 for the purpose of UAS operations within the single European sky airspace.
2. The competent authority for the third-country UAS operator shall be the competent authority of the first Member State where the UAS operator intends to operate.
3. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, a certificate of the remote pilot competency or UAS operator in accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, or an equivalent document, may be recognised by the competent authority for the purpose of operation within, to, and out of the Union provided that:

(a)	the third country asked for such recognition;

(b)	the certificate of the remote pilot competency or the UAS operator's certificate are valid documents of the State of issue; and

(c)	the Commission, after consultation of EASA, has ensured that the requirements on the basis of which such certificates have been issued provide the same level of safety as this Regulation does.

 

[wco81]

Hmm, I would guess it would be just easier to try to register with one of the EU countries, rather than hoping they will accept a non-EU country registration.

 

[paul242]

That's what I'm still hoping. I've also started seeing that the registration markings on your drone need to be fireproof.
I guess we'll know more over the coming months.

 

[Deleted member 117111]

Can anyone tell me where it is possible to get certification for my Mavic Pro to fly in Spain (Murcia) at the lowest cost possible with the new 1st January 2021 EU regulations?

 

[RogerMav]

Hi Everyone,

Glad to be back. I also need some help or an update in drone flying regulations in France.

I registered my drone in March 2019 and did the online formation. Both certificates I have from DGCA done in the AlphaTango application indicated that are valid until March 2024. I have my Mavic 2 Pro registered and with the label attached to the drone as requested. This was when I was going to do some flying in the French Riviera but my travel got cut off due to some family emergency.

This time I traveling to the other coast. I will be in the area around Biarritz and I noticed an open area to fly in Saint Jean de Luz.

Can anyone tell me if my certificates are still valid? or regulation has changed and I have to update something?

Any help would be great. Thanks.