28/08/2018
The government has announced its first set of regulations for drone flight. This is a huge preface for the Indian drone research, since for any automation research, there has to be a legal system defined in place before rolling it out to the real world. These regulations should be revised as drone research progresses, but for now, we think that the government is finally ready to invest in drone technology made in India, which is an exciting front for us.
In short:
1) Drones – or Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs) – are to operate only within visual line of sight (VLoS).
2) Drones are divided into 5 categories by weight – nano, micro, small, medium and large.
3) Can only be operated during day time, and up to maximum altitude defined by the drone class.
4) The regulations will come into effect from *December 1st, 2018*
5) Operators will require a *Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP)* for Remotely Piloted Aircraft, except for nano RPASs operating below 50 feet and micro RPASs operating below 200 feet.
Do comment with your views about the regulations and their implications.
With the Directorate General of Central Aviation announcing India's policy on the use of drones, here's a closer look at the finer details.
