Drone Rules in the Philippines

 

Flying a drone is not illegal in the Philippines. But, as a drone operator, you should adhere to the different guidelines that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have provided. Listed below are the rules that CAAP have provided and must be followed promptly by every drone operator either foreigner or local.

  • ·         For commercial purposes or those 7 kilograms or above, you must obtain a certificate from CAAP
  • ·         Only fly the drone during day and in good weather condition
  • ·         Maintain a line of sight to your drone. It should always be visible from your take off point
  • ·         You should not fly over populated areas like schools, marketplace, social gathering, etc.
  • ·         Do not fly over 120m/400ft
  • ·         Do not fly closer to 30m/98ft from persons not involved with the drone’s operation
  • ·         Do not fly 10km/6mi from airport (NFZ)
  • ·         Do not fly near emergencies such as fire emergency

 

For those drones that weighs 7kgs/5lb or more, they are considered as commercial drones and needs to have a certified drone operator duly licensed by CAAP. First process is to complete a training course, pass an exam and pass a flight demonstration to be able to obtain UAV Controller/Pilot Certificate. This certification is valid up to 5 years. You could visit the CAAP website for more details regarding this matter.

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