The ‘open’ category of civil drones is the category of low risk flight for which no operational authorisation or pre-flight declaration is required.
But there are 3 characteristics of your drone that will require you to register with AESA as an operator, if:
- It has a MTOM (maximum take-off mass) greater than 250 grams.
- Can transfer more than 80J of energy on impact.
- It is equipped with a sensor to capture personal data (photography, video or sound), unless the drone manufacturer states in the instructions that the drone is a toy (in accordance with Directive 2009/48/EC). In this case, this would be a drone that you can fly without a licence.
If your drone weighs less than 250 grams, as of today, you do not need any kind of licence to fly it, as long as you are familiar with the manufacturer’s instructions and fly in the ‘open’ category of civil drones.
Even if you have a strong drone, <250 grams, you should be aware that you may not be able to fly freely wherever you want, you may be subject to flight restrictions in certain areas, so you will need to apply for the appropriate permits if you want to fly in those areas.
Consult the Enaire drones map to find out the status of the area in which you want to operate.
Subdivisions of the ‘open’ category: A1, A2, and A3
The ‘open’ category of civil drones is divided into 3 subcategories: A1, A2, and A3.
Please note that drone flights in the ‘open’ category must comply with requirements under Article 4 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947:
- The drone to be operated belongs to one of the classes already established in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/45, is privately built or meets the conditions established for drones without class marking.
- MTOM <25 kg
- Maintain a horizontal safe distance from outsiders without overflying concentrations of people.
- Always keep the drone at a distance that can be seen (VLOS), unless we are using “follow me” mode, or when we have observers who can visually follow the unmanned aircraft.
- Maximum flight altitude of 120 metres
- The UAS shall not drop any object and shall not carry dangerous goods.
Subcategory A1 of the ‘open’ category.
This flight is performed in such a way as to avoid overflying people who are not involved in the flight operation and concentrations of people. Drones wishing to operate in this subcategory must comply with the following:
- Be privately built drones with a MTOM strong, <open250 grams, and with a maximum speed strong, <19 m/s. One example is the DJI Mini 3 with a maximum speed of 13 m/s.
Another more economical example could be the Holy Stone HS440. - Without class marking and having entered the market before 1 January 2024 with the requirements for “drones without class marking”.
- Etiqueta de marcado de clase 0:
- < 250 g
- < 19 m/s
- Power supply
In this category would be for example the MINI 2 and MINI 3 PRO.
- Con etiqueta de marcado de clase 1:
- MTOM <900 g or transmitted impact energy < 80 J
- Maximum horizontal flight speed of 19 m/s
- Power supply
- Unique serial number
- Direct and network remote identification system
- Geo-awareness system
- Low battery warning system for drone and control station
As examples of drones for this class 1 you would have the DJI AIR 3 and the MAVIC 3.
Subcategory A2 of the category ‘open’.
In this subcategory of the ‘open’ category of civil drones, a horizontal distance of at least 30 metres must be maintained from persons not involved in the operation or flight.
In this subcategory, only drones bearing a Class 2 marking label, i.e. complying with the following, may fly:
- MTOM < 4 Kg
- Selectable low speed mode limiting the maximum speed to 3 m/s, unless it is a fixed wing unmanned aircraft
- Power supply
- Unique serial number
- Direct and network remote identification system
- Geo-awareness system
- Low battery warning system for drone and control station
- It must be equipped with a protected data link to prevent misappropriation of the equipment by persons not involved in the operation.
- It must be equipped with lights to control the attitude of the drone and night flight.
Subcategory A3 of the category ‘open’.
In the next subcategory of the ‘open’ category of civil drones, A3, operations conducted must be in areas where persons not involved in the operation are safe and at a minimum horizontal safe distance of 150 metres from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
UAS or drones eligible to fly in this subcategory must comply with the following:
- Private construction with a MTOM <25 kg
- Not class-marked and placed on the market before 1 January 2024, with the requirements for UAS without class marking
- Carry class C2 marking label
- Etiqueta de marcado de clase C3 y que cumplan lo siguiente:
- MTOM <25 kg with dimensions less than 3 m
- Power supply
- Unique serial number
- Direct and network remote identification system
- Geo-awareness system
- Low battery warning system for drone and control station
- Equipped with protection against misappropriation by someone outside the operation
- Attitude control and night flight lights
- Llevar etiqueta de marcado de clase C4 y que cumplan lo siguiente:
- MTOM <25 kg
- Controllable and safely manoeuvrable by a pilot at a distance according to manufacturer’s instructions
- No automatic control modes except to assist the flight without any direct effect on the trajectory and for assistance in case we lose the signal between the remote control and the UAS (RTH – Return to home).
- For the purpose of practising aeromodelling
Drone courses for ‘open’ category of civil drones
If your drone meets some of the 3 requirements that oblige you to register with EASA as an operator that we have seen in the first point, you will have to undergo training and do some of the drone courses appropriate to the type of UAS and stage of the ‘open’ category of civil drones in which you want to fly.
If you use the promotional code with the word ‘javiergomiz’ you will get a 5% discount on all courses and on any of the courses you do with Aerocameras.
Aerocamaras, leader in aeronautical training in Spain, offers you the opportunity to take these training courses.
A1/A3 Basic Professional Drone Pilot Course
A2 professional drone pilot course
If you already have the two previous licences, you are a drone pilot with some experience and you want to advance in the world of drones, in a professional way, by obtaining a licence that allows you to fly in specific scenarios. You must take the STS Professional Drone Pilot Course.
Professional drone pilot course STS (specific category)
After reading this article, do you have any doubts? In which category do you usually fly? What drone do you have and how do you use it?
