Got a drone? What the law asks before the first flight
Before the first flight, the European regulation asks for a few formalities, and not all of them depend on the mass of the aircraft. Here they are in four steps, in order; each one is detailed later in the course.
Key points
- 1. Check the class. The C0 to C4 label, marked by the manufacturer, opens the subcategories: C0 and C1 in A1, C2 in A2, C2, C3 and C4 in A3: where EASA’s GM1 UAS.OPEN.040(4), non-binding guidance material, also admits C0 and C1. The mass that counts is the mass at take-off, battery and payload included.
- 2. Register as a UAS operator: it is a person who is registered, not the aircraft, in the Member State of residence (Art. 14(6)). One criterion is enough (Art. 14(5)(a)): 250 g or more at take-off, OR more than 80 joules transferable in the case of an impact, OR a sensor able to capture personal data: so a camera is enough, unless the aircraft complies with Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys. The number obtained is displayed on the aircraft (Art. 14(8)).
- 3. Take the online training and examination when they are required. A1/A3 competency means an online training course, then an online theoretical knowledge examination of 40 multiple-choice questions, passed with at least 75 % of the overall marks (UAS.OPEN.020(4)(b)). A C0 flies in A1 without training or examination; in A3 they apply whatever the class, C0 included (UAS.OPEN.040(3)). A2 additionally requires the A2 certificate (UAS.OPEN.030(2)).
- 4. Check the zones before every flight. Point UAS.OPEN.060(1)(b) requires the remote pilot, before starting the operation, to obtain updated information about the UAS geographical zones published by the Member State of operation: a zone may prohibit, set conditions or require a prior flight authorisation (Art. 15(1)(a)). Six countries have their own national card in this subject: that is where you read what national law adds.
The trap. The reflex to unlearn: ‘under 250 grams, so nothing to do’. The mass threshold falls as soon as there is a camera, it says nothing about the training required in A3, and even a C0 does not waive the zone check before the flight: a drone without an alert is not a drone without a zone.
A diagram goes with this card: see it in the We Drone app.
Source
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (CELEX 02019R0947, consolidated on 01/05/2025), art. 2, point 22), art. 14, paragraph 5, point a), paragraph 6 and paragraph 8, art. 15, paragraph 1, point a), and Annex Part A, points UAS.OPEN.020(4)(b), UAS.OPEN.030(2), UAS.OPEN.040(3) and UAS.OPEN.060(1)(b); Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 (CELEX 02019R0945, consolidated on 24/06/2025), Annex, Parts 1 to 5; GM1 UAS.OPEN.040(4) (ED Decision 2022/002/R)