JEK
Senior Insider
ALERT ON THE UNEXPECTED PRESENCE OF DRONES IN THE AIRSPACE
by V.A 02/27/2020
Two reports were drawn up on Sunday 23 February by airplane pilots who noted the presence of drones over Saline and the Flemings. The opportunity to recall that the use of these devices is highly regulated.
A first drone detected at 10 a.m. above the Flamands beach; a second noticed at 11:25 a.m. flying over the Salines district. Saint Barthélemy Airport received two reports from pilots on the same day, Sunday February 23. "This is the first time that there have been complaints about frequency from pilots," said Fabrice Danet, airport manager, who wishes to appeal to caution for drone users. The use of these flying machines is highly regulated, especially since in Saint-Barthélemy, planes fly low when approaching the island.
Strict rules
The entire territory is classified as an agglomeration zone, which means that the conditions to be observed for piloting a drone are drastic. Each drone flight must normally be declared five days before to the prefecture, knowing that depending on the circumstances, procedures with civil aviation may be imposed. The aircraft can rise to an altitude of 150 meters, unless otherwise instructed by the authorities. He must always remain within sight of the pilot and less than 100 meters away, and must only fly during the day. Finally, it is forbidden to fly over a third party or a dwelling, because of the right to privacy: a distance of 10 to 30 meters must be respected. Given the population density in Saint-Barthélemy, it is necessarily complicated! The device must weigh a maximum of 8 kilos. Finally, the drone pilot must hold a certificate of competence and a declaration of activity. Lots of prerequisites that very few individuals respect. "It's very restrictive," admits Yannis Delvas of Saint-Barth FlyCam. His business works mainly for architects, who want aerial views of their construction sites, and for villa rental agencies. According to the situation of the place to be photographed, in addition to the flight plan and the authorization requests, Yannis goes around the neighborhood beforehand. When he bought his first drone in 2013, he passed as a free candidate the certificate of aeronautical theoretical aptitude ("it is the same as for ULM pilots, a little more complicated than the highway code" ) and completed a week-long internship in mainland France, "eight hours a day flying a drone". The owners of drones seem more and more aware of their obligations, when they use them for commercial purposes in any case: over the last three years, the services of Saint Barthélemy airport have been requested by three professionals who were looking for to regularize their activity. In case of violation of security rules, invasion of privacy, or even endangering the life of others, the penalties incurred can be very severe: from 15,000 to 75,000 euros fine and a year in prison.
After several cases of paralysis of airports in Europe, notably in London, due to the presence of drones in flight nearby, and a multitude of incidents (1,400 recorded on the Old Continent in 2016), the European Agency for aviation safety is working on tightening the regulations, and on tools to neutralize these devices.
Ten Commandments
The Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, also in charge of transport and therefore of the question of drones, has drawn up a list of the ten rules to be observed for users of recreational drones.
1) I don't fly over people
2) I respect the maximum flight heights
3) I never lose sight of my drone and I don't use it at night
4) I do not use my drone above public space in built-up areas (this is the case on the entire island of Saint Barth)
5) I don't use my drone near aerodromes (a large area on our island)
6) I do not fly over sensitive or protected sites
7) I respect the privacy of others
8) I do not broadcast my shots without the consent of the persons concerned and I do not make commercial use of them
9) I check under what conditions I am insured for the practice of this activity
10) If in doubt, I ask!
