What are the regulations for personal use of drones?

A few days ago, the State Council and the Central Military Commission announced the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft Flights", which will be implemented in mainland China on January 1, 2024. This is my country's first specialized administrative regulation for the management of unmanned aircraft, which is of great significance to the development of the drone industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will the promulgation of the Regulations have any impact on my flight?

The "Regulations" will come into effect on January 1, 2024, and have not yet been officially implemented. You can still use drones according to existing regulations.

2. After the promulgation of the Regulations, what impact will it have on ordinary consumers purchasing or using drones?

The "Regulations" provide users with clearer guidelines, clarifying the current classification of drones and corresponding suitable airspaces, simplifying the declaration process for different categories of drones, and clarifying the The threshold for the use of aircraft, such as pilot license, liability insurance, etc., the "Regulations" also clarifies that the national air traffic management leadership agency will coordinate the construction of an integrated comprehensive service platform for unmanned aircraft to fundamentally solve the problems that plague most drone users. The issue of flight legality promotes the healthy and orderly development of the entire industry.

3. What type of drone is yours? Do I need real-name registration, driving license, and liability insurance?

Please note: Although the DJI Mini series drones weigh less than 250 grams, they are classified as light drones because the radio transmitting equipment exceeds the micropower short-range requirements.

4. What types of drones are suitable for converged flights? Are air traffic control agency approvals required? What is the maximum altitude that can be applied for?

[1] Fusion flight refers to the flight of unmanned aircraft and manned aircraft in the same airspace at the same time.

[2] The heights mentioned above are all "real heights".

5. How to understand the concepts of "flyable airspace" and "controlled airspace"?

The "Regulations" create new concepts of "flyable airspace" and "controlled airspace" for drones. Controlled airspace mainly includes air restricted areas, air dangerous areas, airports, national borders, border lines, military restricted areas, military management areas, radio astronomy observatories, flammable and explosive dangerous goods enterprises and warehouses and other core and sensitive areas that need to be protected, except for The airspace below 120 meters outside the controlled airspace is classified as "flyable airspace" and is open to users of micro, light, small, and agricultural drones with relatively small operational safety risks, lowering the threshold for legal flight.

The details are as follows:

· Controlled airspace

1. Airspace above 120 meters true height

2.? Air restricted areas, airspace Restricted area and surrounding airspace

3. Military aviation ultra-low-altitude flight airspace

4. The other eight areas below

(1) Airport and a certain surrounding area areas;

(2) National boundaries, lines of actual control, and areas within a certain range on our side of the border;

(3) Military restricted areas, military management areas, and supervision areas Sites and other confidential units and surrounding areas within a certain range;

(4) Protection areas for important military facilities, control areas for nuclear facilities, production and storage areas for flammable and explosive and other dangerous goods, and important flammable materials Large-scale storage areas;

(5) Power plants, substations, gas stations, water supply plants, public transportation hubs, aviation and power hubs, major water conservancy facilities, ports, highways, railways Public infrastructure such as electrified lines, as well as a certain range of surrounding areas and drinking water source protection zones;

(6) Radio astronomy observatories, satellite measurement and control (navigation) stations, aeronautical radio navigation stations, radar stations, etc. Facilities that require special protection of the electromagnetic environment and surrounding areas within a certain range;

(7) Important revolutionary memorial sites, important immovable cultural relics and surrounding areas within a certain range;

(8) Other areas specified by the national air traffic management authority.

The specific scope of controlled airspace is determined by air traffic management agencies at all levels in accordance with the regulations of the national air traffic management leadership agency, and is announced by the people's government at or above the districted municipal level. The unit releases navigation information.

· Airspace suitable for flying

The airspace outside the controlled airspace is the airspace suitable for micro, light and small unmanned aircraft.

6. After the promulgation of the Regulations, what impact will it have on flight height restrictions?

Micro, light and small UAVs with relatively small operational safety risks are flying in the suitable airspace, and the operator should not fly more than 120 meters above the true height;

Controlled airspace is in accordance with Approval determines the flight altitude. According to the Regulations, unmanned aircraft flight activities are not allowed in controlled airspace without the approval of the air traffic management agency.

When manned aircraft and drones appear in the same airspace at the same time, light, small and medium-sized drones are not allowed to fly more than 300 meters above the true height; the final flight height of large drones is determined based on approval .

7. How long is the approval period for flight applications? How far in advance do I need to apply for approval?

The approval is applicable to flight declarations in controlled areas and partial altitude and aircraft type declarations for integrated flights. Users need to apply before 12 noon on the day before the flight, and the approval results will be available before 21:00 on the day at the latest.

8. Can we determine whether we are in controlled airspace based on the restricted flight zones set by DJI?

Currently, DJI’s no-fly zones include some controlled areas, such as airports. DJI’s electronic fences are defined by the company itself based on flight safety, and will be adjusted in the future after policies and regulations are clarified.