According to the World Economic Forum, drones have been touted as a technology that will feature prominently in the fourth industrial revolution. Apart from the military aspect of the technology, they are being used by recreationists and commercial businesses. Thus far, the opportunities we know are but a drip in the ocean.
The transformational impact of drones is being felt across industries such as agriculture, delivery, conservation, logistics, photography, surveying, real estate, law enforcement, and much more. Despite most countries in the world adopting drone use, and regulating it, some have decided not to use it altogether.
In my opinion, the leading reason for drone bans is related to security. Most countries that are at war or face widespread instability do not allow their use. Alternatively, a fragile security situation means government institutions do not have the capacity or transparency to monitor the use of drones adequately. In other countries, they do not have the right legislation so they ban it altogether.
There are special situations where the regulations set are so stringent so as to discourage the adoption of drones altogether.
Here are the top 16 countries where drones are banned altogether. I have also listed their contact so you can inquire to see if the situation has changed.
1.Barbados
Barbados Civil Aviation Department, BCAD
Contact: civilav@caribsurf.com
Phone +1 246 535-0001
2.Algeria
Directorate of Civil Aviation and Meteorology of Algeria, DACM
Contact: dg@egsa-alger.dz
Phone +213 2 74 06 99
3.Cote d’Ivoire
National Authority of Civil Aviation, ANAC
Contact: anacsvat@anac.ci
Phone +225 21 58 69 00
4.Senegal
Senegal National Agency of Civil Aviation (ANAC)
Contact: anacim@anacim.sn
Phone +221 33 865 60 00
5.Syria
Syrian Civil Aviation Authority, SCAA
Contact :
Phone: 963 11 333381
6.Iraq
Iraq Civil Aviation Authority, ICAA
Contact: dg@iraqcaa.com
Phone +964 1 813 3370
Here's my more detailed cover on the drone laws in Iraq.
7.Iran
Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, CAOI
Contact: info@cao.ir
Phone +98 21 603 6341
8.Kenya
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, KCAA
Contact: dca@insightkenya.com
Phone: +254 20 824 4722
9.Kuwait
The Kuwaiti Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DGCA
Contact: dg@dgca.gov.kw
10.Kyrgyzstan
Civil Aviation Authority of Kyrgyzstan, CAA
Contact: mail@caa.kg
Phone +996 312251619
11.Morocco
Morocco Directorate of Civil Aviation, DCA
Phone +212 3 773 242
12.Madagascar
Civilian Aviation Directorate of Madagascar, CAD
Contact: acm@acm.mg
Phone +261 20 222 2438
13.Nicaragua
Nicaraguan Institute of Civil Aeronautics, INAC
Contact : divulgacion@inac.gob.ni
Phone +505 2276 8580
14.Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan Civil Aviation Administration, UZCAA
Contact: uab@uzcaa.uz
Phone +998 71 133 2313
15.Cuba
Civil Aviation Institute of Cuba, IACC
Contact: webmaster@iacc.gov.cu
Phone: +53 537 834-4949
16.Brunei
Brunei Department Of Civil Aviation, DCA
Contact: info.dca@civil-aviation.gov.bn
Phone: +673 7292187
For commercial purposes, it will be a different set of rules you’ll gonna have to follow.
But the first thing you should take note is the weight of your drone.
For owners of drones that are less than 55 lbs, the next thing you should secure is the Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. In order to obtain that, you should pass these following qualifications:
Once you secure the needed permits, then you can fly commercially. However, similar to recreational purposes, there are certain guidelines too.
Meanwhile, several states in the US have their own set of regulations too. It would help if you browse on them too.
But before you decide which purpose are you using it for, you should know first if you are flying it in a controlled or uncontrolled airspace. Here are the guidelines you should from from FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.
Controlled airspace is the area surrounding airports where manned aircraft can fly. It is governed by restrictions to protect national security, that is why it is important to brush up on these classifications so you know what are the scopes you have to follow and when is it legal to fly.
Uncontrolled airspace, on the other hand, is portion of the airspace that has not been designated as Class A, B, C, D, nor E. Although there are no air traffic controls (ATC) set to regulate air traffic, operators should be mindful of the visual flight rules (VFS) that apply to this class.
Class G is used to define the uncontrolled airspace. Its scope starts from the surface to the base of the Class E airspace.
But do not be tricked by the term “uncontrolled airspace” because it is not as simple as that. Certain areas in the Class G airspace still have limitations where activities must be regulated depending on their designation, or what is called as the special use airspace or special area of operation (SAO).
According to FAA’s Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, these are the following SAOs that must be observed under Class G airspace:
The best way to figure out what areas you can fly in, is by consulting DJI offilicial map.
They do a great job mapping the places that one should avoid while flying in every country:
My following two recommendations are 2 great compact drones that are quite silent and also small enough to travel with and not stand out as annoying.
4k
31min
10km
No follow me
I have covered it much more in depth in my article review and even compared it with the Mavic Air 2.
At this price, every dollar counts in getting yourself a better or worse drone and the differences can be significant.
I'm going to cover the main features of basic camera drones, not FPV or otherwise niche quadcopters.
No, drone insurance is not mandatory for drones in the US, but you can always get something for safety.
For recreational purposes, the max height you can fly at is 400ft
You can fly pretty much as much as you want if you can still see the drone.
You can only fly drones between 30 mins before sunrise and 30 mins after sunset
You cannot fly drones in national parks or cities like Washington, D.C. and New York City
Yes. But like any other drones, you must secure a foreign aircraft permit from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the FAA.
If your drone is registered in your home country, you must submit an application for permit at least 15 days prior to operating it.
Get my Free “Before flight” drone checklist
Hope you liked all that I had to say in this drone review and its specs so far. I take a lot of time to create these articles so it would be a great help if you'd share it with your friends 🙂
Paul