Aerodromes and manned traffic: where the rule is
Many candidates look for the European distance to keep from an aerodrome. It does not exist in the regulation, and understanding why is worth more than remembering a figure: the protection of their surroundings works through another mechanism.
Key points
- No common distance from aerodromes is set by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. Their surroundings are protected through the geographical zones each State defines on its territory (Art. 15(1)), which is why the figures differ from one country to another.
- AMC1 UAS.OPEN.060(1)(c) (an acceptable means of compliance published by EASA, not an article of the regulation) explicitly lists aerodromes and critical infrastructure among what the remote pilot notes when observing the operating environment.
- Access to a zone may be restricted to certain UAS classes or to aircraft equipped with remote identification or geo-awareness (Art. 15(1)(c) and (d)): near an aerodrome, an aircraft without a class label may be excluded whatever its mass and its pilot's competency.
- The 120-metre ceiling is not a separation: rescue helicopters, agricultural aircraft, gliders and parachutists regularly operate lower. The height limit protects you from cruising traffic, not from low-level traffic.
- Point UAS.OPEN.060(2)(b) requires the remote pilot to maintain a thorough visual scan of the airspace surrounding the unmanned aircraft in order to avoid any risk of collision with a manned aircraft, and to discontinue the flight as soon as the operation poses a risk.
- Emergency response areas do not need to be published to apply: point UAS.OPEN.060(3) prohibits flying close to or inside an area where an emergency response effort is ongoing, unless the responsible services give permission. The prohibition arises from the situation itself.
The trap. The words ‘close to’ are what trap people. The perimeter drawn on the ground by the emergency services does not define the area to avoid: the helicopter arrives through the air, and works exactly in the height band of the ‘open’ category.
Source
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (CELEX 02019R0947, consolidated on 01/05/2025), art. 15, paragraph 1, points a), c) and d), and Annex Part A, points UAS.OPEN.060(2)(b) and UAS.OPEN.060(3); AMC1 UAS.OPEN.060(1)(c), GM1 UAS.OPEN.060(2)(b) and GM2 UAS.OPEN.060(3) (ED Decision 2019/021/R)