Drone Operator Registration
Drone Operator Registration is the most basic requirement for operating a drone. Drones with a camera, regardless of weight, require you, as the drone operator, to register with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). You no longer need to register the drone or each drone; instead, the operator is registered.
What is a drone license?
Well, the first thing to point out is that there is no “drone license” in Ireland. You are granted permission, and many assume this to be a license, but it is not. This permission allows you to operate within the criteria of your operation’s category. You will receive proof of online training and a certificate depending on which category you have completed. All drone flights in the Open Category are required to maintain Visual Line of Sight (VLOS).
Commercial vs Recreational
There is no longer a distinction in regulatory terms between commercial and recreational operations. The distinction will lie in terms of insurance and public liability. While the regulator advises all drone operators to have public liability, it is mandatory to have an EC 785/2004-compliant policy for commercial operations. This is an aviation policy, so a tradesman, insuring a drone along with his tools, would not be covered for its operation.
Differences in Operational Authorisations
This is an important point for people engaging drone service providers.
To operate in the Specific Category requires training, a practical flight test and submission of the Operations Manual and accompanying documentation to the IAA.
The basic Operational Authorisation, known as a PDRA (Pre-Defined Risk Assessment), has significant limitations, particularly in controlled ground areas and when operating over uninvolved people. This is a significant challenge for many operators to comply with.
Take a construction site, for example; even if all the people inside the site are briefed and become “involved”, once the drone leaves the confines of the site, which pretty much has to capture the boundaries and perimeter of the site, anyone out there is uninvolved, and the operation becomes illegal. Surrounding roads, houses, and parks must be considered as part of the “Operational Volume”. Since it’s not practical to involve people in these areas, the operator is in breach of the regulations.