Dhe damp grass squeaks under the soles of your shoes and birds chirp as a drone hums through the cool morning air. Sabrina Herrmann and Francis Markert move around in the Volkshain Stünz, a park in the east of Leipzig.
The drone with which they went on a world tour in 2015 hovers just above their heads. In addition to a travel blog, the two of them also run the “Drohnen-Camp.de” website with lots of information for pilots.
Whether it’s tips on flying, models or legal issues – there is great demand, says Francis Markert. No wonder, after all, around 430,000 drones are currently flying – at least temporarily – in German airspace, according to an analysis by the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry.
Sabrina Herrmann and Francis Markert from Leipzig are passionate drone pilots
Source: dpa-tmn / Alexander Prautzsch
Almost 90 percent of it is used privately. With the new EU drone regulation, which came into force in 2021, there are now uniform basic drone rules for all EU countries.
Drones as sport or for photos
If you want to buy a drone, you should first be clear about what you actually want. Because not all drones are created equal. “In the broad masses, drones are primarily known for their photo and video flight. But there is also the racing drone segment, ”explains Jan Schönberg from the German Model Aviation Association.
In this area you tend to fly races or freestyle. So should it be sporty or photographic? That is the first question.
The next step is about prices and models. Francis Markert advises against cheap drones: “Experience shows that you are more likely to burn money with very cheap drones for less than 200 euros. Either they don’t fly properly or they break quickly. ”In the area of photo drones, you have to budget at least 200 to 300 euros for a drone with good image quality.
A camera drone from Parrot
Source: dpa-tmn / Alexander Prautzsch
One can expect a lot from the latest generation of drones: “Today’s drones are a quantum leap from what we used to fly,” says Markert. Thanks to attitude control, a drone has much more stability today, plus more sophisticated emergency systems, built-in cameras, GPS and a more compact design.
Sabrina Herrmann adds: “The drone that we fly a lot at the moment has foldable arms and is easy to transport with them.”
Better to wait for certified drones
Manufacturers must have their drones certified for a so-called C-class classification from 2023. This is to ensure that they meet certain standards. The class of a drone depends on its technical characteristics.
Class C1 drones, for example, should then be remotely identifiable. “If you feel disturbed by a drone, you can use the app to determine its operator number and report it to the police,” explains Uwe Nortmann from the Association for Unmanned Aviation.
Many drones are designed as quadrocopters with four propellers. But especially in the professional sector, there are also hexacopters (six rotors) or even octocopters (eight rotors)
Source: dpa-tmn / Alexander Prautzsch
At the moment, however, none of the drones on the market has such certification. It should be possible to have drones that you already have recertified by the manufacturer. How exactly this should work is still unclear.
“The manufacturers have been keeping a low profile so far, probably also because of the potential bureaucratic effort involved in recertification,” says Francis Markert. He advises pilots to wait until certified models are available before making a purchase. Otherwise it could happen that you will be subject to restrictions with your drone in the future.
Drone owners need three things
Before a new drone owner can take off for the first time, they usually have to take care of at least three things: insurance, registration and proof of competence. It is absolutely recommended to take out special drone insurance, which costs around 100 euros a year.
Because classic private liability only pays if you were clearly the cause of the damage, explains Francis Markert. “But if your drone crashes and it is not perfectly clear that it was your fault, then it may not pay.” According to aviation law, however, one is still responsible because the drone has brought the risk into the air.
If you fly a drone that weighs more than 249 grams, or have a camera or microphone, you also have to register online with the Federal Aviation Office (LBA), says Markert. At the LBA, the pilot then receives an operator number (e-ID), which he must visibly affix to all of his drones.
Proof of competence is often a must
In addition, proof of competence is required for almost all pilots. The corresponding test for this is stored on the LBA website. After an online course, the pilot must answer at least 29 out of 40 questions correctly. Then he receives the “EU competence certificate A1 / A3”. Exempt from the proof of competence are pilots who only fly class C0 drones or self-made drones weighing less than 250 grams.
Flight maneuvers are divided into three categories based on their risk: open, special and subject to approval. The open category is particularly relevant for hobby pilots. This in turn is divided into three sub-categories: A1, A2 and A3. These categories indicate what is allowed when flying with which drone.
An EU remote pilot’s certificate A2: This is also known as a large drone license
Source: dpa-tmn / Felix Kästle
With the small drone license, pilots can fly drones in categories A1 and A3. Category A1 includes self-built drones up to 250 grams and class C0 and C1 drones (maximum take-off weight 900 grams). These drones can be flown near bystanders.
Drones up to 25 kilograms fall into operating category A3 and are only allowed to fly at a minimum distance of 30 meters from uninvolved people and 150 meters from residential, commercial and recreational areas. “So only in the middle of nowhere,” says Uwe Nortmann.
No higher than 120 meters with the drone
In general, you can only fly a drone a maximum of 120 meters, says Jan Schönberg. There are also some areas, so-called geo-zones, which are absolutely taboo: “You are not allowed to fly around airports, over prisons, crowds, hospitals and inhabited properties.”
For orientation you can use different maps and apps, for example Map2Fly or Droniq, advises Francis Markert. But he also points out a problem: “No authority specifies where exactly it is allowed to fly and where not. The providers pull their data from various sources and cannot guarantee their completeness. “
The Federal Ministry of Transport has announced that it will be issuing maps in the future, according to Markert. At the moment, however, it is safest to always thoroughly familiarize yourself with flight areas.
Careful handling of batteries and people
Drones fly with lithium-ion batteries, which are generally quite sensitive and can be extremely dangerous if they are defective or incorrectly used. “They have a lot of power – so replace them if something is broken, best to store them in a fire-proof box and never pack them in checked baggage when traveling by air,” advises Sabrina Herrmann.
Another piece of advice from the drone expert is to treat people in the flight area with respect: “It helps to speak to people beforehand and explain to them what you are planning to do. Or you just get up early and fly when no one else is awake. ”
Otherwise, future drone pilots would have to bring along interest and curiosity – and, if possible, a certain degree of spatial orientation.
Compact thing: Foldable drones make transport a lot easier
Source: dpa-tmn / Alexander Prautzsch
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