Drone Operations in Cities

Operating drones in cities is a topic that keeps sparking debates. Urban areas attract not only hobbyist drone pilots but also professionals for various reasons. It is always important to ensure the safety of uninvolved people and to protect their privacy. Starting May 15, 2024 and subsequently also from September 23, 2024, significant administrative relaxations have been introduced, allowing drone flights without authorization if the current operating rules are followed. Therefore, it is crucial to know these rules to avoid breaking them unintentionally.

The rules for flying drones in towns and cities vary — they are not the same across the entire municipal area and also differ depending on the type of drone. We primarily distinguish “Congested Areas” (HOP), which are parts of a town or city primarily intended for residential or commercial purposes. Such areas are typically equipped with essential infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, and cycle paths, and are usually frequented by people who have not given their consent to drone operations above them — so-called uninvolved persons. Within a municipality’s territory, there are also areas that do not fall under HOP — for example, parks, fields, meadows, or public green spaces. In these places, drone operations are not regulated differently from areas outside of towns or cities. Therefore, the following list of rules applies only to operations within HOP, not to urban or municipal areas as a whole.

Rules for operating Drones in Congested Areas based on Weight and Equipment

Regardless of the size or equipment of the unmanned aircraft, the pilot must be familiar with and comply with all general rules of the open category.

Operation of unmanned aircraft lighter than 250 g without a camera (unless considered as toy aircraft) with a class C0 label or without it, and with a maximum speed of up to 19 m/s

• Operation is possible without authorization.
• The drone may fly over uninvolved persons but never over assemblies of people.
• It is necessary to know the manufacturer's instructions.
• Nor the registration of the operator neither the online theoretical knowledge examination A1/A3 of the pilot are required, and there is also no minimum pilot age.

Some unmanned aircraft are marketed as toys. This means they comply with the Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC).

Operation of Drones that are not Toys weighing less than 250 g with a Camera with a Class C0 or C1 Label or without it

• Operation is possible without authorization.
• The drone pilot must choose a flight location, which ensures avoidance of assemblies of people and where it can be reasonably expected that no uninvolved persons will be overflown.
  • The 1:1 rule must be observed, in terms of horizontal distance from uninvolved persons and the height of the drone. This rule applies only to people, not generally to buildings or other infrastructure.
  • However, uninvolved persons include people behind windows of buildings or in cars.
  • In case of an unexpected overflight, of uninvolved persons, it is necessary to minimize the flyover time and increase the distance between them and the drone.
  • Brief Example: If I intend to fly the drone over a square early in the morning, such operation is likely possible without further authorization. If I want to fly the same location in the busy afternoon, I need to obtain some type of authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority.
• The drone flight is declared in the DroneMap mobile or web application.

Operation of Drones with the Class C2 label

• Operation is possible without authorization.
• The drone pilot must:
  • pass the A2 exam and have a Remote Pilot Certificate of Competency.
  • secure the chosen location against the entry of uninvolved persons.
  • in the chosen location, observe the 1:1 rule and at the same time a minimum distance of 30 m from uninvolved persons, up to 5 m when low-speed/cine mode is switched on. If someone moves closer, they must be connected to traffic, i.e. must be informed and give informed consent.
• The drone flight is declared in the DroneMap mobile or web application.

Mandatory information for declaring a flight plan into DroneMap, which is not displayed to other users, includes:

• Plan name
• Space name

Mandatory information for entering a flight plan into DroneMap, which is displayed to other users, includes:

• Operator registration number (the last part, which is personal data, is not displayed)
• Drone type
• Horizontal range and maximum flight altitude
• Drone weight category
• Start and end date and time of the flight

Optional information, which is displayed

• UAS name (free text, can also be used to describe the purpose of the flight)

Operation of drones weighing less than 250 g with a Camera or with Class C0, C1 and C2 Labels in protective Zones within Congested Areas

Such operations are now possible provided that both the conditions for flying in congested areas and the conditions for flying in the geographical zones relevant to the flight are met (for example, a combination of HOP + railway, HOP + airport + heliport, etc.). Read more about https://czechdronerules.cz/all_about_UF/where_can_I_fly/geographical_zones">flying in geographical zones.

Operation of Drones weighing more than 250 g without a class label or with Class C3-C6 Labels

Only with an approved application for an Operational Authorization in the Specific Category, which may also include other deviations from the open category framework, such as:

• Operation over uninvolved persons;
• Operation higher than 120 meters above the ground;
• Operation in the LKP1 area - Prague Castle.

Procedures and forms for the Operational Authorization agenda are established by the Civil Aviation Authority. More information can be found in the article Operation in the Specific Category.

When flying a drone near built-up areas, the 1:1 rule can be used with respect to horizontal distance and altitude above the ground. For example, if a pilot intends to fly a drone at 10 meters above the ground, a safety buffer of at least 10 meters in all directions must be maintained to account for potential risks on the ground.