Drones must be registered, their ‘pilots’ licensed

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Thursday advised model aircraft enthusiasts that drones and other unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV) must be registered and their controllers licensed. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Thursday advised model aircraft enthusiasts that drones and other unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV) must be registered and their controllers licensed.

CAAP issued a memorandum circular signed on June 26 reminding officials of the new provisions under the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations Part II.

Under the provisions, owners and operators must register their equipment with CAAP which is the only agency authorized to issue them license to operate.

“Any operator found violating [these] rules will be fined between P300,000 to P500,000 per unauthorized flight, depending on the gravity of the violations,” the CAAP said in a statement.

Capt. Beda Badiola, assistant director general of CAAP and head of the flight standard inspectorate service, said reports had reached his office that drone users in the country are fast increasing as its prices have started to go down.

A drone can cost roughly P50,000.

But instead of licensed operators, CAAP said drones are mostly used by photographers, hobbyists, researchers and employees of firms doing geodetic surveys and media companies.

“Any violation of the said memorandum will be dealt with accordingly,” said Badiola, whose office oversees and regulates all flight operations of aircraft manned and unmanned in the Philippines.

He said the aviation body even imposes stiff penalty on violators in restricted areas like airports, crowded areas and “no fly zone.”

In its memo, CAAP classified the UAV into large, micro and small. Large UAV are unmanned airship with an envelope capacity greater than 100 cubic meters while micro UAV means that with a gross weight of 100 grams or less. A small UAV means an unmanned aircraft that is neither a large UAV nor a micro UAV.

Owners of these aircraft must obtain a certification from CAAP, the registration cost of which would still have to be determined by the aviation body.

“That would normally depend on the gross weight,” Badiola said.