Makes sense,DennisIn experience with a friend using a personal drone on SBH, I learned that much of the island is restricted air space because of the large area that is reserved for aviation.
In most countries, drones under 250g don’t need to be registered to be flown. They are so small they are really just personal photography tools. Anyone know the laws in st barths regarding drones? Is it just frowned upon or do you get a talking to from the gendarmerie?
We had a neighbor across the street from us that started flying his drone over our pool. I started throwing things at it. That put a stop to it.this was in The Weekly a while back, as Dennis notes:
The entire island is classified as an agglomeration, which means that the conditions are very restrictive in terms of flying a drone Every flight of a drone, in theory, must be declared five days in advance at the prefecture, and according to the circumstances, French civil aviation might step in if the rules are not respected. First, the drone can only fly as high as 150 meters in altitude, unless official authorization has been granted. Secondly, the drone must always remain within sight of its pilot, at a distance less than 100 meters, and can only fly during the day. Finally, it is prohibited to fly over a third party or a house, as to not invade people’s privacy: a distance of 10 to 30 meters must be respected. Considering the population of Saint Barthélemy, it’s obviously very complicated! In addition, the drone can only weigh a maximum of eight kilos, and the pilot must have a certificate of competence and the proper authorization to fly a drone. A lot of prerequisites that very few individuals respect. Those in violation of the safety regulations, invading someone’s privacy, or putting someone’s life in danger, are subject to rather severe penalties: fines from 15,000 to 75,000 euros and one year in prison.
10 Commandments Of Flying Drones
The French ministry in charge of drones has issued a list of 10 rules for all recreational uses of drones. Here they are:
1) I do not fly over people.
2) I respect the maximum height for flights.
3) I never let my drone out of my sight and I do not use it at night.
4) I do not use my drone over public places in an agglomeration (which covers the entire island of Saint Barth).
5) I do not use my drone in proximity to airports (which means a large part of our island).
6) I do not fly over sensitive or protected sites.
7) I respect the privacy of others.
8) I do not share my images without the permission of the people involved, and never for commercial purposes.
9) I respect the conditions imposed for this activity.
10) In case of doubt, I ask.
We had a neighbor across the street from us that started flying his drone over our pool. I started throwing things at it. That put a stop to it.
So just the far point at toiny. W get buzzed frequenly at Saline, my wife has a real hatred for the invasion of privacy and the awful noise.Read this and yes you need autorization to fly on most parts of the island except the far east (your drone will be 'locked' and you won't even be able to take off without one ..)
View attachment 69252
They need aero-drone areas so fliers could play with their toys. They need the wide open spaces. Maybe someone will realize they have built on all that land that could have been designated fly zones.Drones can be totally annoying: someone thought it would be amusing to fly one over our heads on our golf course while we were playing on a particular hole and it went on for several days. It came up very suddenly and it was not amusing whatsoever. I also resent the invasion of privacy, even if it is legal. Fine if other people are not present, as I appreciate drone photography as an art form but I would have been livid if it were happening over my house or beach, especially a Saint-Barth beach.
The island is too small for that due to civil aviation regulations... but they certainly could have done with a few drone-free parks!They need aero-drone areas so fliers could play with their toys. They need the wide open spaces. Maybe someone will realize they have built on all that land that could have been designated fly zones.



