[ad_1]
After January 1, all drone pilots with a drone with a camera or more than 250 grams must register.
Previously, a distinction was made between the use of hobbyists and those who have commercial use of drones. Since New Years you also have to register your drone even if you only fly for fun.
What’s new to many now is that it includes many of those who own drones today, but not least those who can get a drone for Christmas, says Anders Martinsen, general manager of UAS Norway.
– Just before writing the end of 2020, there are almost 6000 registered operators in Norway who are registered on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority. This means that there are many operators who have one or more registered drones. But there are around 400,000 Norwegians who own one or more drones today, he says.
Enforced by the police
Arild Mortensen is an unmanned aviation advisor at the Civil Aviation Authority. He says that they are the ones who want to make sure everyone follows the rules.
– We monitor operators through supervision according to a model we call risk-based supervision. Our inspectors can conduct both notified and unannounced inspections. In the open category, the police must enforce regulations.
– Have there been many unfortunate incidents with drones in 2020?
– We have received around 120 reports of concern this year, an increase of 43 from last year. We follow everyone, but not everyone is necessarily an illegal or objectively problematic flight. We see that people generally accept and appreciate socially beneficial drone flying, but some may need a bit more time to adjust. This year we have registered 2 accidents with drones.
Anders Martinsen demonstrates his skills with drones.
Photo: Hans Erik Weiby / NRK
To register as a drone owner, you need to do so on the flydrone.no website. This site is not live yet, but Mortensen says it will happen soon.
The logs can make dangerous situations, such as at Bodø Airport and Svolvær Airport, at least happen less frequently in the future.
– The regulation enters into force on January 1, 2021. From that date, practically everyone must register in accordance with the new regulations. The Flydrone website will not be active at the same time.
So the regulations are good
Martinsen at UAS believes that the rules do not necessarily impose a restriction on the use of drones. On the contrary.
– When we get a common registration and common rules for Europe, the use of drones can become even more extensive than what is already based in Norway.
– Norwegians love drones, now we will also make them love the new regulations, he adds.
According to a poll by Opinion, for UAS, 80 percent of the Norwegians surveyed are positive about drones. Martinsen believes that regulations can cause the remaining 20 percent to be exceeded.
– This will eliminate in the long run some of the things the drone industry has been criticized for. That is, today drones can be bought in stores without any registration or training, and that they can be flown anonymously and that can help, for example, to endanger aviation.
He believes that the use of drones can be compared to the use of a car.
– If you buy a car today, of course, there is a requirement that it must be registered. This will also be the case for many drones in the future, with the exception of, for example, drones that are defined as toys. We simply need to know who owns drones and where they are in the airspace, in the long term. These are some of the most important things that regulations change.
Now he hopes that children and young people who receive drones for Christmas will be well educated by parents and courses.
– A 10 year old with a drone alone, where I would think as a parent that you should, like other toys that can endanger others or be involved in damaging things, familiarize yourself with the rules before buying. This applies to both children and adults.
