You got a drone for Christmas – now what?

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Congratulations on getting your new drone for Christmas! While you must be excited to get it out of the box and try it out as soon as possible, it’s important to take a few moments to make sure you know how your drone works and what rules you need to follow to ensure the safety of yourself and others. As a drone pilot, you are now part of an exciting, developing industry. Who knows where this first step might take you.

Thankfully, in a few simple steps you can be enjoying your new drone and doing some fun things with a piece of amazing technology. They are explained in this video and detailed in writing below:

  1. Register online as a drone operator on you National Aviation Authority Website.
    For most types of drones you must register it online as a drone operator. It's really simple. Visit the National Aviation Authority website of the country where you are resident, or have the main place of business, and follow the necessary steps to obtain an unmanned aircraft system operator registration number.
     
  2. Attach your registration number to your drone.
    Once you have your registration number, attach this to your drone.  Having completed the registration process and got your drone remote pilot certificate in one EASA country, you don't need to repeat the process again in another EASA country. One of the big advantages of the new European Drone regulations is that the certificate is valid throughout the EU (and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).  
     
  3. Check the Drone Geo Zones so you know where you can fly your drone.  
    A drone can't just be flown anywhere you want. There are some restrictions to ensure everyone's safety and privacy. You need to check on the National Aviation Authority website for any specific restrictions on where you can fly. Each country is responsible for how it administers its territory and publishes its own drone geographical maps (called geo zones). These show areas where drones are not allowed: places such as around airports, city centres, military installations and so on.  Learn more about Geo Zones in our specific video:
    Geo-Zones – know where to fly your drone 
     
  4. Fly Responsibly – You are the pilot now.
    Now you are a drone pilot, you are responsible for what happens when you go flying. Drones have great potential to do amazing things for our modern world. Now you have a part in that too, so it’s important to fly responsibly. Read your drone manufacturer’s instructions to ensure you know how it works. This will make flying more fun as well.

Interested to learn more? Check out these links to Drone Safety Resources.