I have Been reserching the French rules and it seems the following is the latest as of the update for Jan 1st 2016. i live in France and have a nice little cottage with about 4 Hectors of fields and wood land. I have simplified the latest info and had a chat with a old frend at the DGAC who i have worked with before retirment.
Opening comments.
The French Aviation Administration made, in dialogue with the CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties), the manufacturers, the professional federation of the civils drones and the French federation of aeromodelling, a note of warning on the rules for flying recreational drones (also named UAV, UAS or RPCA) aimed at the consumers. The note reminds to the users, in a short and simple format, what they have the right to do or not and that there is an air space in which we do not do what we want. MLV Drone provides here a complimentary translation of these rules for foreigners who are visiting France with their drones. The translation is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for the official document. You can download the official note on the rules for flying recreational drones (PDF French – 96 Kb). As i see the rules and what I can and cannot doo. 1. I do not fly over peopleI use my drone carefully without endangering persons and nearby vehicles. I will not overfly them and will maintain a minimum distance for safety. I will avoid flying near any gathering of people. 2. I always fly my drone below an altitude of 500 feet (150m)I will always respect the maximum flying altitude to avoid any risk of collision between my drone and an aircraft and to maintain control. In any case, I will not begin a flight or I will interrupt an ongoing flight, if an aircraft is nearby. 3. I never lose visual contact with my droneI keep my drone within a distance that ensures easy visibility to the naked eye, and I keep it at all times in my field of vision. Immersion Flights (FPV) using vision goggles are only possible when a second person keeps the drone in his field of vision and is able at any time to easily to take control of the drone. 4. I do not fly my drone over public spaces in urban areasIn urban areas, flying over my personal property using a small drone is
allowed subject to compliance with speed and a maximum height restrictions adapted to the environment
(buildings, trees, …) to limit the risk in case of loss of control. Under any circumstances, I do not fly my drone over roads. 5. I do not fly my drone near airfieldsI do not use my drone near any airfield that accommodates airplanes, helicopters, gliders,
ULM, etc. The minimum distance restriction is about 5 km, and can reachs 15 km for major airfields.
(i.e. with runways longer than 1200 m). 6. I do not fly over strategic sitesFlying over some strategic sites and their surrounding area is banned. This is the case, for example, for nuclear power plants,
military installations, historic monuments, or nature reserves and national parks. I obtain information on the location of such sites before undertaking a flight nearby. 7. I do not fly my drone at nightTo ensure the safety of aircraft flying at low altitudes such as evacuation helicopters, French regulations prohibit the use of drones at night, even if they are equipped with lights. 8. I respect the privacy of othersThe people in my flight path must be informed , especially if my drone
is equipped with a camera or other sensor capable of recording personal data. I inform those present, I answer their questions and I respect their right to privacy. I do not record any images allowing recognition of individuals (faces, license plates …) without their permission. 9. I do not distribute any images, commercially or not, without the consent of the persons concernedAny image distribution must be subject to authorization by the persons concerned or the owner for a private space (home, garden, etc.) and must comply with current legislation (notably the French law of 6 January 1978 « Informatique et Libertés »).
Any use of drones for the acquisition of images for commercial or professional exploitation is subject to specific requirements and requires the possession of permits issued by the French Aviation Administration.
For more information on this subject: http://www.developpementdurable. ... -des-activites.html (french only) 10. When in doubt, I make inquiries.Visit the website of the French Aviation Administration for more information. User federations and the National Data Protection Commission are also sources of useful information.
DGAC: http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Drones-civils-loisiraeromodelisme
CNIL: http://www.cnil.fr
FFAM: http://www.cnil.fr
FPDC: http://www.federation-drone.org I hope this helps those who may have an intrest, The light weight drones that we fly are subjeted to the legislation ie. Frence UK and ON, NOT the EU. Thus the the comments i have seen re OPTING out of the EU realy have no bearing. One item above re notification of possible flight paths and notification re privacy ( notification in writing at the local Mairie and available to all is it seems enough), contact number and assurance of respect of privacy. The fligh records and info available through the App is always available intrested parties if needed. Any coments welcom, if I can help further no proble, however I am in France and presently that my intrest, however off the mountains and Lake Geneva soon so will be looking at the Swiss regulations soon as looking forward to some cool video. M
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