What you need to fly a drone – They will fly with certified operator and flight rules

For idiosyncratic who had ne'er imagined themselves arsenic an amateur drone operator, signaling abbreviated flights—even connected a regular basis—of the operation enactment of a peculiar gathering was thing wholly practical, astir unworthy of mention. After all, the drone they utilized was the simplest and cheapest of the “good” ones (that is, 1 measurement supra artifact drones), the photos and videos concerned exclusively the gathering nether construction, and signaling stopped instantly whenever a quality beingness appeared successful the frame.

For months, the drone captured each measurement of the construction, from the foundations to the concreting of the apical floors, past however the bare factual skeleton was clad with masonry, however the elevator shaft was raised respective twelve meters supra the crushed to beryllium placed successful the shaft, and truthful on. The worldly was intended from the outset for idiosyncratic use, arsenic a keepsake, successful the signifier of a tiny documentary, similar a timelapse, with a gathering arsenic the protagonist.

Suddenly, however, arsenic the hundredth changeable approached, the distant control’s surface went black. The drone responded to the remote’s commands, the propellers functioned normally, and thing prevented it from taking disconnected and flying—except for 1 message: “Athens Prefecture. 1. Operator Certification. 2. Aircraft Identification.”

Excluding the notation to “prefecture,” a conception agelong replaced by “region,” the drone’s camera was wholly blocked. Some supervisory authority, perchance the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, intervened remotely, preventing the drone from functioning arsenic a mean for signaling inactive and moving images. Requiring relation certification and instrumentality recognition arsenic a binding prerequisite for releasing the camera.

At least, that was what the drone relation assumed. They tried restarting some the drone and the remote, logged successful and retired of the mobile exertion that serves arsenic the power screen, but each successful vain. The days of escaped usage were over, and it was clip for authoritative licensing, adjacent though the instrumentality was hardly supra artifact level.

Certification oregon End

The incidental is neither a parable nor portion of a fictional, hypothetical scenario. The idiosyncratic successful question, 1 of thousands of amateur drone operators successful Greece, abruptly faced a dilemma they thought had been silently bypassed, fixed that the usage was truthful circumstantial and truthful limited.

So, nether the caller conditions, the anonymous drone relation would either statesman the process of obtaining the required relation license, certified by the HCAA, etc., oregon wantonness the reflection of the gathering that funny them. However, determination was an further origin that had not been accounted for: the sheer fascination of engaging with drones. Indeed, drones are an admirable invention successful galore respects, hence their planetary popularity. Only successful EASA subordinate states (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) bash certified drone operators transcend 2 million.

It is practically intolerable to estimation however galore are users of artifact drones (“from Jumbo/Temu,” etc., arsenic the modular look denotes the applicable distinction). Moreover, successful existent life, the transportation betwixt the words “user” and “toy drone” is somewhat ironic, since drones successful this category, costing astir 50 to 150 euros, thin to alert beyond the controller’s scope and enactment autonomously, flying successful chartless directions until their artillery runs out.

The New Legislation

Drones successful Greece—and successful the EU and astir the full world—are governed by a regulatory framework, which successful Europe was established successful 2021. Until 2024, determination was immoderate flexibility, successful the signifier of an accommodation period, but this ended connected January 1, 2024. Since then, the legally defined “operator” of a drone—that is, the earthy oregon ineligible idiosyncratic who owns, rents, oregon intends to get specified an unmanned aerial vehicle—is required to registry successful the accusation strategy of the competent home authority. In Greece, this strategy is the peculiar drone level of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA). The captious constituent lies successful who is genuinely obliged by instrumentality to registry connected the HCAA platform.

First, the instrumentality itself, nether European regulations, does not request to beryllium registered. The operator/user is obliged, unless: a) the drone weighs little than 250 grams and is not equipped with a camera oregon different sensor susceptible of detecting idiosyncratic data, oregon b) it has a camera oregon signaling sensor, weighs little than 250 grams, but is classified arsenic a toy. All different drone users indispensable compulsorily beryllium certified connected the HCAA platform, which requires obtaining a licence corresponding to the class of instrumentality they mean to operate.

And which drones does the regularisation see toys? The applicable proviso is somewhat vague and specifically states: “Products designed and intended—exclusively oregon not—to beryllium utilized arsenic toys by children nether 14 years of property shall beryllium considered toys and indispensable comply with Directive 2009/48/EC connected the information of toys.”

The drone of the idiosyncratic mentioned earlier, a basal flying instrumentality purchased for a precise circumstantial purpose—the surveillance of the building—practically does not disagree from a toy. However, owed to its physique prime and method characteristics, this drone perfectly meets the operator’s requirements, astir with nonrecreational results. The instrumentality manual states that it “is a 4-rotor craft (quadcopter).

The maximum takeoff value is 246 g, including a microSD information retention card. It has a foldable plan and highly airy weight, downward imaginativeness strategy and infrared detection system. It tin hover and alert indoors and outdoors, and automatically instrumentality to its starting point. With a afloat stabilized 3-axis gimbal and 1/2.3” sensor camera, it records 2.7K video and 12 MP photos. The maximum awesome transmission scope from the distant to the craft is 10 km, with video prime up to 720p from the craft to the smartphone application. The distant operates connected some 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz and tin automatically prime the champion transmission transmission without delay. The maximum formation velocity is 57.6 km/h, and the maximum formation clip is 31 minutes.”

Consequently, connected the surface, specified a drone, costing 350–400 euros, could beryllium considered an costly toy. But its method characteristics and capabilities explicate wherefore its relation is obliged to beryllium certified with the HCAA.

Up to 120 m Height

Although this is simply a spoiler for the story’s ending, the connection that locked the mobile surface and called connected our illustration relation to beryllium certified according to EU authorities for UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) was not sent by a nationalist authority. It was apt a reminder from the exertion that turns the smartphone into a show truthful that the relation sees precisely what the drone camera records, on with each utile navigation information, specified arsenic orientation, formation height, remaining artillery power, etc.

After a fewer days, the connection disappeared, and the surface returned to mean operation. However, this mattered little, arsenic the relation had already successfully passed the exam and was present a ineligible and certified drone idiosyncratic astatine the lowest amateur level A1/A3. Something they realized they could person done from the precise beginning.

The candidate’s exam is conducted remotely, via the Internet, astatine immoderate clip of day, and done the level of 1 of the authorized drone schools. The examinee indispensable reply 40 multiple-choice questions. The questions are finite overall, but each exam presents them successful a random order.

They are categorized arsenic follows: formation information for drones, aerial traffic, aviation regulations, operational procedures, extortion against unlawful acts, privateness and information protection, insurance, quality factors, wide knowledge.

Briefly, during preparation, the campaigner learns, for example, that the maximum allowed tallness for “civil” commercialized drones is 120 meters, arsenic supra this limit, manned craft operate.

Licenses by Category

The superior classification of drones is into Open, Specific, and Certified categories. The second 2 are nonrecreational and, regarding formation protocols, intimately lucifer manned aviation. Therefore, the main involvement for amateur operators focuses connected the Open category, which is further divided into A1, A2, and A3 subcategories.

A1 includes drones weighing little than 900 g with Class C0 and C1 markings, with the quality to alert implicit people—naturally nether conditions. In A2, devices indispensable person a maximum takeoff value supra 900 g and beneath 4 kg, with C2 marking and support to alert adjacent people. A3 concerns adjacent larger drones, from 4 to 25 kg, with C3 and C4 markings.

Obtaining a licence for categories A1 and A3 costs 45 euros, and the process is handled by the respective drone school. Once the exam is passed, the relation submits a bid of documents to the HCAA, on with the required fees, and is guided measurement by measurement successful registering their details connected the HCAA level via Taxis. They indispensable besides affix the “drone relation registration number” successful a disposable spot connected the drone.

The Fascination of the Drone

The full certification process is neither achy nor time- oregon cost-intensive—in immoderate case, not capable to deter obtaining the ineligible license. Compliance with the instrumentality is not optional, and it is definite that, on with the multiplication of drones successful existent life, the scope for arbitrary usage volition inevitably shrink. The assemblage of commercialized oregon “civil” drones—flying machines not intended for subject use—has been successful explosive maturation successful caller years.

Aside from specialized DIY builds, mass-produced drones—mostly from China—often astonishment with their continually improving capabilities, attracting, beyond gadget maniacs, anyone who discovers the easiness of usage and enjoyment provided by their operation.

People successful the Greek market, specified arsenic Mr. Giannis Koutsoulas (Greek Rotors, Drone Pilot School), with implicit a decennary of acquisition successful sales, method support, and relation training, enactment some the deficiency of reliable statistic connected drone owners and the increasing nationalist interest, which exceeds the superficial tendency of children to ain a drone, often arsenic a schoolhouse reward oregon festive gift.

“Today, anyone tin bargain a drone of immoderate kind, from thing simple, nether 250 grams costing 300–400 euros, to specialized models costing, for example, 30,000 euros, susceptible of carrying loads up to 30 kg. Usually, these precise ample and almighty drones are utilized by nationalist authorities, specified arsenic the Fire Service, to transport hoses to distant areas wherever a occurrence has breached out. But determination are besides drones that transportation dense high-resolution cameras, others utilized by surveyors oregon successful agriculture (spraying, harvest inspection with peculiar cameras, etc.), oregon transporting components for upwind turbines from highest to peak. I judge we volition spot galore absorbing developments successful Search and Rescue, oregon adjacent however drones of the aboriginal volition transport america from constituent A to constituent B.”