Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
STARTING FROM TODAY, those who own drones or unmanned aircraft weighing a kilo or heavier must register it with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).
The new rules, which were announced late last week, come into effect today and can be registered by visiting iaa.ie/drones. The weight of the drone includes the battery and all attached equipment when flying.
The registration process is broken up into two main steps. The first step is to register with ASSET, an online terrain mapping system, while the second is registering your drone and location details.
When completed, you can check the ASSET map to check your location and see if there are any restricted areas nearby.
If you own a drone or unmanned aircraft that weighs more than 4kg, you will also need training to pilot one.
Those with lighter drones or aircraft don’t so long as they stay within the limits set, but the IAA does recommend that owners take a safety training course.
There is no limit to the number of drones you can register, and registration is free until the end of January where it will then cost €5. The registration will cover users for up to two years.
If you own a drone that weighs more than 1kg, these are the main points to keep in mind.
If you want to fly a drone outside the limits noted above, you will need to apply for permission with the IAA.
While the new regulations come into effect today, EU legislation is still pending and will likely come into effect in 2017 or 2018. When it does, the current legislation will be reviewed and will incorporate any changes made.
Safety first
While the 1kg mark might seem a little arbitrary, there is a good reason behind it according to the IAA’s director of safety regulation Ralph James. If they were to go any lower, they would be inundated with registrations.
It’s expected that the majority of drones bought for Christmas will be toy drones and won’t cause problems, but it’s not a hard and fast rule. If you feel it can travel significant distances, or it can go higher despite it weighing less than a kilo, then it will need to be registered.
“If you build something that’s half a kilo, is metal and can travel at 50 km/h, that is going to do damage [if it crashes] and we expect you to come into us and register that,” says James.
We went for [registration] because ASSET means we’re giving everyone the information in hand… If somebody registered a drone and they live near restricted airspace, we’ll be able to target and say you are in an area that’s restricted, keep in touch with your local airfield [before you fly].
Throughout the new legislation, safety is the main issue that crops up again and again. Unlike RC planes or helicopters, drones are significantly easier to pilot thanks to the many built-in safety features in place.
Yet with any device, problems can emerge because of extreme weather, a malfunction or something else entirely unforeseen.
The chairman of the Unmanned Aircraft Association of Ireland (UAAI) John Wright says that while piloting them can be seen as “deceptively easy”, you should not allow that to cloud your better judgement.
“Just like a learner driver can get into a car and make it move, that doesn’t make them a good driver,” he says. “With a drone, you can have it in the air in minutes but that doesn’t mean you can do that safely”.
What’s really important is you look at training, you look at regulations… responsibility is where it all starts.
It’s a sentiment echoed by the chief flying instructor of iFly Technology Oisin McGrath who says the training really comes into play for “outside the box” moments where things go awry.
“The training part of it is more about risk management, safety management, where you can and can’t fly,” he explains. “There’s going to be a point where something will fall from the sky and that’s when people need to be aware [of what to do]. That’s where the training comes in”.
The flying is so easy… but you need to be aware of where I am taking off from? What airspace am I in? Are there other aircraft around? What’s the weather like?
As for those getting a new drone for Christmas, the advice from all three is clear. As tempting as it is to take your drone out and start flying it immediately, it’s recommended you take a few minutes to look through the guidelines and know what you can and can’t do.
Further information about rules and guidelines can be found on the IAA website.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Oh I can see a tax coming in on these yet. Get a good data base first then the tax.
The peeping-tom tax.
I purchased one of these over the weekend and the shop never mentioned anything to me or offered any advice. Just wondering what’s the penalties for non compliance and who is going to enforce these regulations? Are they passed into law yet.
It’s probably under the required weight for these rules otherwise you would have been advised. Did you do your research before buying?
STARTING FROM TODAY……
It’s the first sentence if the article.
The Garda will enforce the law.
Not sure I must weigh it myself Donna. I knew about the regulations alright but the shop wasn’t offering any advice.
Where does it say it’s the law Philip? It seems these are just proposed regulations on a safety advice note? If so the Gardai won’t be obliged to become drone police.
I don’t think they will unless the customer is buying the big expensive ones. Happy flying btw.
It has been the law for the past 2-3 years in terms of regulations on how and where you can fly tweedy, the only difference is that now your drone will need to be registered if it’s over 1kg. What make and model did you buy?
@Philip – the Garda will enforce the law? Have to laugh at this one. They have enough trouble enforcing speeding laws, cyclists breaking red lights, drivers on mobile phones etc. What makes us as a nation think that they can enforce this law when they’re already stretched to breaking point?
There were a case a few years ago in Cork. That said, in that case not only was it above the weight limit but also being flown in restricted airspace.
Just picturing a guard on a bike bating down the road trying to chase a drone, make a funny video from the drones perspective haha
You need to add to those main points – you can’t have any fun any more
You can’t fly your drone on the 3rd Sunday after a full moon where except every other Thursday. You are also prohibited from flying during the hours of darkness or daylight. In the event that you accidentally record a persons, you must inform them by taking out a column in national media, apologising for your error and take destroy your your drone with immediate effect at your expense. Failure to adhere to the law will result in death or a €1000 fine, whichever is the maximum
And let that be a lesson to you!
Considering the majority of drones have rubbish range and can barely operate at ranges to get anywhere near aircraft, shouldn’t the government set up a database of gadgets that have been a danger to pilots, I.e. those €1 Chinese lanterns? And possibly helium party balloons, led torches and laser pens.
And the 5 euro tax starts in January. What a fkin banana Republic.
Safety … Yep
Well all it really takes is some knob job flying it over the m50 and hitting someones windscreen.
Yes and registration will prevent that
What sort of dorky Phantom do you have there, Quinton? Looks like a knock-off.
I’ll only get seriously interested when a Reaper and a couple of Brimstone missiles become cheap enough to patrol the skies of rural Ireland to give us some sort of security.
Do they have drones in Slovenia, I wonder?
These almost exact regulations even down to the 5 euro registration are being brought in in the USA at the
moment aswell by the FAA
‘Small but not far away’? Where are the little model cows, tiny caravan and kettle?
Training is a good idea, but the drawback is it is very expensive. A 2 day course is 700 euros, which is well beyond my means. To encourage drone users to be educated I think it needs to be a more realistic fee. And the pilot license is a whopping 500 euros on top of that
have your say