Best Guide On Weight Restrictions On Flying A Drone

If you plan to give a drone as a gift, you should know that Can you fly it in the city? And in a park or beach with people? Did you know that it has to carry “registration”?

Depending on the size of the drone and its weight, the flight conditions, or the places where you can fly it without breaking the regulations may vary. Take note of the most current regulations on drones, the conditions to use it and above all, where you can fly your new drone according to its weight

Regulations applicable to drones

Since the end of 2017, the law that applies to the civil use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in Spain is Royal Decree 1036/2017. It includes the regulation on the use of aircraft for both professional and recreational use.

One of the most common questions about drones has to do with the need or not to have a pilot license. The law indicates that for recreational use of drones it is not necessary to have a pilot license, but it is advisable to know how to fly it safely.

And although it is not mandatory, it is also advisable to have civil liability insurance because, in the event of an incident, the owner/pilot of the drone is responsible for the damage caused.

General conditions to fly all types of drones

Regardless of the weight and size of a drone, as indicated in current regulations, users of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) intended for recreational use ” must refrain from taking actions that may jeopardize the safety, regularity, and continuity of aeronautical operations “, in addition to meeting a series of conditions.

• The drone must always be in sight (VLOS or visual range of the pilot). If it is an FPV flight, you are obliged to be accompanied and that person or you have direct visual contact with the drone at all times.
• The maximum flight height will be 120 meters above the ground or the highest obstacle located within a 150-meter radius of the drone.
• The drone flight must be during the day and under suitable weather conditions (no wind, rain or fog)

In any case, the drone flight must be carried out maintaining an adequate distance from obstacles and without putting the safety of people and goods on the surface at risk.

As for the areas where a drone can be flown in general, there are a series of conditions that must always be met by all drones. In case of not complying with them, the sanction may be higher than 2,000 euros.

• Fly at a minimum distance of 8 km from any airport or aerodrome.
• Always fly outside of a controlled or restricted airspace, FIZ flight information zone or ATZ aerodrome traffic zone.

These two assumptions are always applicable except in those operations that are carried out from infrastructures destined for RPAs (such as model aircraft areas), under the conditions established in the coordination procedures agreed by the person responsible for said infrastructures with the air traffic service provider.

Whatever the weight of a drone, its flight is prohibited in controlled airspaces,

In the event that our drone has capabilities for video recording or taking images, it is mandatory to comply with the Data Protection Law, especially with regard to the dissemination of images of people or private spaces, as well as with the Law of the Right to Honor, to personal and family privacy and to one’s own image.

Another not very well known condition on the use of drones in Spain has to do with the obligation that the drone carry a fireproof identification plate regardless of its commercial or recreational use. And it applies to all sizes, weights and prices of drones.

Although the regulations can lead to a misinterpretation, Salvador Bellver , president of AEDRON (Spanish Association of Drones and Related), clarifies that this obligation applies both to the drones themselves and to the transmitters (controls).

In the case of the drone, this plate must include the name of the manufacturer of the product, its type, model and serial number, as well as the name of the operator and their contact information. Only the name of the owner and his contact information should be included in the station.

Finally, it should be clarified that the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) is the body in charge of controlling airspace in Spain, regardless of whether the area is private or public, so if, for example, we have private property on the air free but it is part of a restricted or protected area, we will not be able to fly any type of drone . Yes we can do it if it is a completely closed space such as a warehouse or warehouse.

Where can I fly my drone according to its weight

Apart from the above general conditions that are applicable for all types of drones, there are some peculiarities and exceptions to the general conditions that depend on the weight of the drone.

Take note of what you can and cannot do according to the weight of your drone , always bearing in mind that we are referring to recreational and non-professional use.

Drones less than 250 grams

Drones under 250 grams are the most common when we refer to drones for purely recreational use.

Drones weighing less than 250 grams are the only ones that can be flown in the city

For this type of drones, the following specific flight conditions are given, being drones for recreational use with more flight possibilities .

• They can fly in the city and over crowds of people and buildings as long as they do not exceed 20 meters in height, or cause discomfort.
• Night flights are allowed as long as they do not exceed 50 meters in height. In addition, the drone must have a lighting system that can visually identify it in the dark.

Drones between 250 gr and 2 kg

When we want a higher level drone, with better features and quality cameras to take level photos and videos, the weight begins to increase. In this weight margin we find the majority of drones in the non-professional market.

A recommended model would be the JJRC JJPRO X5 , one of the ones with the best autonomy and range. It is a model with six stabilization axes, GPS and a weight of almost 400 grams. Its price is 219 euros .

Another level model that has a weight of 650 grams is the SYMA X8 Pro . It is a quadcopter with automatic height control, GPS and FPV. Its price is 109 euros .

If we want a model with better features but also a price, an interesting option could be the Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE , which costs almost 600 euros but provides autonomy of more than half an hour, 3-axis mechanical gimball and 4K video recording.

These drones weighing less than 2 kg have the following specific flight characteristics for their weight:

• Night flights are allowed as long as they do not exceed 50 meters in height
• They cannot fly over cities, buildings, or crowds of people.

Drones over 2 kg in weight

Finally we have the drones that, for recreational use, exceed two kilograms in weight. They are the ones with the most flight restrictions .

• Flights are not allowed at night or over cities, buildings or crowds of people.

In this category the recommended drones are already included in a more professional and specific sector, such as the Yuneec Typhoon H Plus , a 2 kg model of weight and great stability even in situations of high wind, 25 minutes of flight and a speed of up to 72 km / h. Allows you to record video at 4K and 60 fps. Its price is almost 2000 euros .