Johannesburg -
South Africa will be introducing new regulations to regulate remotely piloted aircraft systems, or drones, on July 1.
The regulations have been signed by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, director of Civil Aviation Poppy Khoza told members of the media in Midrand on Sunday morning.
“Let me also clarify, and believe me we did get a lot of inquiries whether the regulations would extend to toy aircraft. The answer is no,” Khoza said.
The regulations will not apply to non-type certified aircraft and autonomous unmanned aircraft, unmanned free balloons and their operations and other types of aircraft that cannot be managed on a real-time basis during flight.
In terms of the regulations, no remotely piloted aircraft shall be operated without a letter of approval valid for period of 12 months.
The aircrafts will also be sold unless the seller notifies the buyer of the operational requirements as imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority.
No person shall operate the aircraft unless it is in a fit-to-fly condition.
The aircraft station should be compatible and interoperable with the aircraft it is connected to in all phases of the flight.
The drone should be controlled by only one station at any given time, and may not tow another aircraft, perform aerial and aerobatic displays.
It may not be flown in formation or swarm, adjacent to or above a nuclear power plant, prison, police station, crime scene, court of law, national key point or strategic installation.
No remotely piloted aircraft shall be operated above 400 feet above the surface and be within a radius of 10km from an aerodrome.
The new regulations further prohibit the flying the aircraft directly overhead any person or group of people with within a lateral distance of 50 metres from a person.
Flying the aircraft within a lateral distance of 50 metres from any structure or building will also be prohibited.
The aircraft will not be operated in weather conditions that do not allow unobstructed visual contact to be maintained by the operator and other airspace users, unless in approved beyond visual line of sight or night operations.
Public roads may not be used as landing space or take-off zones except when involved in civil defence or law enforcement operations and provided that at all times reasonable care is taken to ensure the safety of persons and property.
The regulations further prohibit the flying of the aircraft in controlled airspace, except by a certificate holder and on condition that operations have been duly approved.
Some of the prohibited activities are releasing, dispensing, dropping, delivery or deployment of objects from drones.
The aircraft may not carry dangerous goods as cargo.
Applicants for licence to operate drones may not be younger than 18 years. They must hold a logbook recording flight times and accidents where there were injuries, damage to property and destruction of the aircraft beyond repair.
The regulations states that drones shall give way to and avoid passing over, under or in front of a manned aircraft.
Pretoria News