Do I need a licence to fly a drone?

Operator and pilot are not the same thing

The operator is whoever answers for the operation: it may be a person or a company, and it is who registers and receives a number. The remote pilot is whoever holds the controls and who needs to evidence competency.

When you fly your own drone you are both, which is why both steps apply. In a company the operator registers once and each pilot evidences their own training separately.

Registration, marking and remote identification

You must register as an operator if your drone weighs 250 grams or more, or if it carries a camera or any sensor able to capture personal data. In practice that covers almost every drone on sale, because almost all of them carry a camera. Two cases fall outside: an aircraft under 250 grams with no such sensor, and one documented as a toy under the European toy safety directive, which does not require registration even with a camera.

Registration is done in the country where you live and is valid across the European Union. And it does not end there: the operator number you receive must be placed visibly on the aircraft and loaded into its remote identification system, which is a separate step and is frequently forgotten.

Which training applies in the open category

For A1 and A3, which cover most recreational flying, the online course and multiple-choice exam from your aviation authority are enough. The certificate is valid across the European Union.

For A2, which lets you get closer to people with a C2 class drone, you also need an additional theory exam at a recognised body and declared practical self-training. It is worth noting the certificate's expiry date: it has limited validity and must be renewed.

And in the specific category

Here the step up depends on the path. To adopt a standard scenario you need, on top of the A1/A3 training, standard scenario theory training and the practical training of that scenario: the one for STS-01 is not the one for STS-02.

For an operational authorisation, the required training comes out of the risk assessment itself: the approved ConOps states what each person involved must evidence. It is not a generic qualification, it is a requirement of that operation.

What registration does not give you

Being registered and holding the certificate does not authorise you to fly anywhere. They are requirements on the pilot and the operator, not permissions over a location: geographical zones, temporary notices and distances still apply.

Put another way: training qualifies you, not the place. Checking the site is a separate step and it has to be done every time.

Do I need training if my drone weighs under 250 grams?

If it is class C0 or weighs under 250 grams with no class marking, you can normally fly in A1 without the A1/A3 training. You will still have to register as an operator if it carries a camera.

How long does the certificate last?

It has limited validity and must be renewed. It is worth noting the expiry date, because a pilot with expired training is a problem discovered late and backwards.

Is my certificate valid in another European Union country?

Yes. Both the operator registration and the certificate of competency are mutually recognised across the Union. What does not travel with you are the geographical zones or national procedures.

Do I need insurance?

For aircraft of 20 kilos or more, third party liability insurance is mandatory across the Union. Below that weight each State decides, and several require it for non-recreational use. Check what yours asks for.

What if I only fly as a hobby?

The registration, marking and training duties do not distinguish between hobby and profession: they depend on the drone and on how you fly, not on why. What does change with the purpose, in some countries, is insurance.

Keep reading

• Which class is my drone, and why does it matter?
• Where can I fly my drone?