cvagrad86 said:
If I am following this thread and the added links, if I were to bring my Phantom to France, fly for fun, on vacation, stay away from airports, jails and stay below 400ish feet, then I should be OK?
Thanks,
Eric
This is the final paragraph from an email on the subject which I received from the French civil aviation authority with regard to flying a Class D UAS (i.e. one weighing less than 2kg gross)
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"Si vous restez amateur (photos de loisir pour vous et votre famille, et sans aucun but utilitaire même à votre seul profit), vous n'avez besoin de rien tant que vous respecter les conditions de vol en aéromodélisme (pas de vol en agglomération, ou proche de rassemblements de personnes ou d'animaux, ou en espace aérien sensible).
Cordialement,
Arnaud Grut
DSAC/NO/NAV
50 rue Henry Farman
75720 Paris - France"
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This translates as:
"If you remain an amateur (i.e. taking leisure photos for you and your family and with no other purpose than for your own sole benefit) you have no need to do anything other than to respect the conditions applicable to model aircraft (no flights in built-up areas, or close to gatherings of people or animals or in sensitive air space)."
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NOTE:
"Close to" in the legislation itself is defined as within 30 metres.
As I recall (without searching again through forty pages) a "Gathering of people" is defined as
anyone not helping you fly the model aircraft (so flying closer than 30 metres to a spotter if you're flying totally FPV is OK; flying within 30 metres of anyone else is forbidden).
"Sensitive airspace" obviously includes airfields of any description (including microlights), military and government establishments, police stations and, yes, prisons. I don't recall power stations being defined but you'd be advised to stay away from them too (almost all French power stations are nuclear and so they're very security conscious).
As to height, you have to stay below 150 metres
As to distance you (or your spotter) have to keep the aircraft in sight