What rules exist in the air? – Aviation Regulations

The purpose of the new rules is to facilitate the fast development of drone use and at the same time maintain safety as the traffic increases.

The new rules are stricter for the drone operator (the one responsible) as well as for the remote pilot (the one who flies the drone). The operator can be a natural or legal person – and when it comes to private use of drones, the operator is often the same person as the remote pilot. You can read more about the operator's responsibility in the end of this section.

Owning or flying a drone comes with certain obligations, but there are also new requirements regarding the drone itself and its systems. If you fly within your visual line of sight, with a drone under 25 kilos, a maximum of 120 metres above the ground and not over people, this flight belongs to the open category and therefore does not require a permit.

If you fly a drone over 25 kilos or are flying beyond VLOS (excluding flying in follow-me-mode or are using an observer) the flight belongs to the specific or the certified category and a permit from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency is required. The same applies if you fly higher than 120 meters and if you fly close to people.

New technical requirements now apply to drones – they must be built in a certain way. A drone that meets these requirements is CE rated, which means that a manufacturer or the importer attests that the product conforms to EU basic health, environmental and safety requirements. A drone must have a C marking according to its technical specifications. These specifications are defined in following classes: C0, C1, C2, C3 and C4. An example of a requirement is that it must be possible to identify a drone from a distance. It has to be possible to determine the drone's geographical position, altitude, speed and flight path.

This training material applies to drones in the open category, and so if you pass the theoretical exam following the training, you may fly drones with a maximum weight of 25 kilos. However, to fly in accordance with the rules, passing the exam is not enough. There are many requirements to keep in mind if you wish to fly drones belonging to this category, and the requirements look different depending on which type of drone you are to fly.

Based on their different characteristics, the drones are divided into three subcategories (A1 – A3). The subcategories include different C classes (C0 – C4). Each class has specific requirements for the drone and its remote pilot. Below, we will first go through what applies to each subcategory, and then continue with the C classes.

If you intend to fly drones in subcategory A1 or A3, you need to possess sufficient knowledge of air safety, airspace restrictions, aviation regulations, human performance limitations and operational procedures. General knowledge of drones is necessary too.

If you intend to fly drones in subcategory A2, you have to be sufficiently familiar with meteorology. You also need further knowledge of how to manage the risks posed by flying close to the ground and near people.

The lightest drones

Simplified, subcategory A1 includes the very lightest drones: those that weigh a maximum of 900 grams. Primarily, the C0 and C1 rated drones are included, but also home-built drones that meet the requirements. These drones are so light, they may be flown over occasional individuals. But drones weighing more than 250 grams may not be flown in areas where people are likely to move about. If you happen to fly your drone in such an area, you must steer the drone away as quickly and safely as possible. However, no drone – regardless of weight – in the open category may be flown over crowds, ”crowd” meaning a gathering of people so tightly packed that it is impossible to move through it.

If you are going to fly a drone over 250 grams in the open category, you must make sure a number of requirements are met. First of all, drones within classes C1-C3 manufactured after 1 January 2021 must have systems updated for direct remote identification and geo-awareness. You can read more about this further down in this section. Another requirement is that you, as a remote pilot, must have passed the examination and had your drone license issued. You must always carry your license during your flights. Think of it as a driving license.

Never over – but beside

Subcategory A2 includes almost exclusively C2 rated drones or similar home-built drones. These drones weigh a maximum of 4 kilos and may not be flown over occasional individuals nor over crowds. However, they may be flown close to people at a horizontal distance of 30 metres or, if the ”low-speed mode” is activated, 5 metres.

In addition to the knowledge you need to fly drones in subcategories A1 and A3, you also need to know enough about meteorology, your drones performance and segregation of overflown area. This knowledge is important, as these drones may be flown close to people despite their high weight compared to C0 and C1-drones.

The heaviest drones in the open category

In subcategory A3, the heavier drone types belonging to the Open category are included – those weighing up to 25 kilos. These are either C2, C3 or C4 rated drones, or home-built drones that meet the requirements. This means that C2 rated drones can be included in both A2 and A3 subcategory. But regardless of C rating, it is always prohibited to fly any subcategory A3 drone over or close to people who are not involved in the flight. In addition, you must keep your drone at a minimum of 150 metres distance from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.

his applies to the subcategories

• A1: C0 or C1 rated drones (unless home-built) under 900 grams, may be flown over people.
• A2: C2 rated drones (unless home-built) under 4 kilos, may be flown at 30 metres horizontal distance from people (or 5 metres, if low-speed mode is activated) but never over people. Requires further knowledge of meteorology, your drones performance and segregation of overflown area.
• A3: C2, C3 or C4 rated drones (unless home-built) with a maximum weight of 25 kilos, may not be flown over, close to or in places where there will most likely be people.

f your drone belongs to the Open category and is factory made – not home-built – it must be CE marked (attest of product safety). Is must also be marked with C-class. There are four different classes, and your drone’s marking depends on its characteristics, such as its size, how much energy it will transmit in case of a collision, or how fast it is allowed to fly.

To fly C0-rated or home-built drones that weigh a maximum of 250 grams, no training is required, and there is also no age limit. Therefore, these drones are not included in this material. It is worth mentioning though, that neither these drones, nor any other drones in the Open category, may ever be flown over an altitude of 120 metres or over crowds. It is important to note that if the drone is equipped with a sensor that can capture personal data you have to register as operator.

However, in order to fly drones that weigh over 250 grams, the remote pilot must have turned 16, the drone must be identifiable and the operator must be registered and identifiable.

If your drone is C1 rated, it may be flown at a maximum speed of 19 meters per second. As a general principle, it must not weigh more than 900 grams. However, if your drone will not transmit more than 80 joules in the event of a crash at maximum speed, it may weigh more than 900 grams.

You can calculate how many joules your drone will transmit, using a ”kinetic energy calculator” that you will find easily on the internet. By entering your drone’s weight and its maximum speed, you find out how many joules it transmits. Here is the formula for such a calculation:

• KE = joule (J)
• m = kg
• v = m / s
• KE = ½ mv^2

Since these drones are included in subcategory A1, they may be flown over occasional individuals, but never over larger crowds. But – as you can read in the paragraph above about subcategory A1, as a remote pilot you must not fly in areas where people are likely to be present. If you happen to fly your drone over people, you must steer the drone away as quickly and safely as possible.

This applies to C1 rated drones

• Are not allowed to fly faster than 19 meters per second.
• May weigh a maximum of 900 grams or emit less than 80 joules in the event of a crash.
• May not be flown intentionally over uninvolved persons. If that happens you must steer the drone away as quickly and safely as possible.
• Be exclusively powered by electricity

C2 rated drones may weigh a maximum of 4 kilos. They are included in subcategory A2, which means that you are not allowed to fly such drones over anyone, but close to people if you keep a horizontal distance of more than 30 metres. If you have the low-speed mode activated, you may even fly as close as 5 metres from people at a horizontal distance.

This applies to C2 rated drones

• May weigh a maximum of 4 kilos.
• May not be flown over people or crowds.
• May be flown close to people at a horizontal distance of at least 30 metres, or 5 metres if low-speed mode is activated.
• Be exclusively powered by electricitye exclusively powered by electricity

This applies to C3 rated drones

• May weigh a maximum of 25 kilos.
• May be a maximum of three meters wide.
• May not be flown over or close to people.
• Must be kept at least 150 metres from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
• Be exclusively powered by electricity

Drones that are C3 or C4 rated are not allowed to weigh more than 25 kilos. They belong to subcategory A3, which means that they may only be flown in areas where people are not likely to be present. For this reason, it is crucial to keep these drones at least 150 metres away from residential, commercial, industrial or recreation areas. A specific requirement for C3 rated drones is that they may not be wider than three metres, and a specific requirement for C4 rated drones is that they may not be controlled automatically.

This applies to C4 rated drones

• May weigh a maximum of 25 kilos.
• May not be controlled automatically.
• May not be flown over or close to people.
• Must be kept at least 150 metres from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
• No limitations of power source

C2, C3 and C4 rated drones are all covered by the same specific rules regarding tethering. If you need to secure your drone or use wired power transmission if the flight is long and requires more energy than a battery can provide, the tensile strength of your tethering must be more than ten times the resistance of the drone’s weight. If the drone weighs ten kilos, the tethering’s resistance must be more than 100 kilos. In addition, the tethering must not be more than 50 metres long.

What responsibility does the drone operator have?

To use a drone weighing over 250 grams, the operator must be registered. It is important to note that if the drone weighs under 250 grams and is equipped with a sensor that can capture personal data you have to register as operator. This is done via the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s website.

The operator is usually the same natural person as the remote pilot when it comes to private use. But if a company is responsible for the drone, the operator is usually a legal and not a natural person.

The operator has following responsibilities to mention a few:

• Develop operational procedures
• Ensure efficient use of radio spectrum
• Designate a remote pilot for each flight
• Ensure that the remote pilots are familiar with the user's manual provided by the manufacturer and operator’s procedures
• Update the geo-awareness system when applicable
• Ensure in the case of an operation in subcategory A2 or A3, that all involved persons present in the area of the operation have been informed of the risks and have explicitly agreed to participate.
   

What responsibility does the remote pilot have?

If you read this, you probably want to fly drones. In other words, you will become the remote pilot. Even if you are not the operator and responsible for the operation, you as a remote pilot are responsible for the flight. There are a number of requirements that you have to meet in order to fly. First and foremost, you have to pass the examination.

Then, the focus is mostly on the flight itself. For example, you must not be under the influence of alcohol or any other psychoactive substances, nor be tired, injured or affected by other factors that may have an effect on your ability to fly. If you realize that you pose a risk to other aircraft, people, animals or the environment, you must abort the flight.

You must also be well aware of the rules and restrictions that apply in the areas where the flight takes place, and you must use the drone system according to the manufacturer's user manual and not fly near emergency operations – unless the emergency service approves of it.

Remember that you have to be certain, always, that the drone's system works properly throughout the flight.

Registration of the drone and its operator

All drones covered by the new regulations must have contact information linked to the responsible operator. Regardless of whether you own the drone you are flying or not, the person (natural or legal) responsible for the drone must be registered with the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, with full name, personal identity number or identification number, address, email and phone number.

What operator information must be registered?

• The natural person's full name and date of birth or the full name and identification number of legal persons.
• The operator's address
• The operator's email address and phone number.
• Confirmation from a legal person that the remote pilots who are going to fly the aircraft have the proper qualifications. 
• Insurance number for drone operators that are obliged to have an insurance, i.e. if the drone weighs over 20 kilos or is being used commercially.

How do you report an accident or incident?

Report the case to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom: Flight safety report - Drone

By reporting dangerous situations and occurrences you are helping to improve flight safety. The purpose of collecting information on occurrences is to improve flight safety. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom collects and analyses reports on hazardous situations and occurrences in order to be able to identify risks and dangerous situations, which is challenging to do in connection with isolated incidents. This enables the identification of an early model and implementation of measures to improve flight safety. The reports are only used for flight safety improvement. Aviation subscribes to the ”Just Culture” principle concerning dangerous situations and occurrences, meaning that by reporting an occurrence of your own, the report will not carry any consequences (occurrence reports can be used outside the scope of flight safety improvement work only when serious risks are taken or if someone does something on purpose to jeopardise flight safety).

Is it mandatory to report occurrences with drones?

Following events are mandatory to report by anyone who flies the drones:

• If someone is seriously injured
• If there has been an accident with fatal outcome, or
• If occurrence involves maned aircraft (airplanes, helicopters etc.)

There are rules that explains when it is mandatory to report and which occurrences needs to be reported.

Even if an occurrence is not mandatory to report or if the reporting person is not obliged to do so, Traficom is encouraging to voluntarily report an occurrence in order to improve flight safety.

If I have submitted a report to Traficom, do I have to report to the police as well?

Any suspected criminal activities during an occurrence or an accident must be reported to the police.

If someone is seriously injured or dies or if an aircraft has sustained extensive damage, the police should be contacted since an investigation may need to take place.

If I have submitted a report to Traficom, should I also submit a report to the Safety Investigation Authority?

If a person has died or been seriously injured, or the aircraft has sustained damage, the incident must be reported to both the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom and the Safety Investigation Authority. Events of this type are covered by regulations 376/2014 and 996/2010 concerning the reporting of occurrences and accidents in the EU.