The market for drones has started to grow spectacularly in Hungary as well. However, the relatively unregulated use of flying structures posed a serious source of danger, if only because almost anyone, regardless of age or experience, could get one to fly it to their liking.
Fortunately, legislators were aware of this in time, recognizing that this cannot continue in this form and it will be necessary to properly regulate remote control devices using airspace.
As early as 2019, EU law outlined the directives to be followed by Member States, which bound certain statutes, including the use of drones, which could be tightened at will by Member States. At home, this happened, in December 2020, the bill, which entered into force on 10 February 2021, and Act XCVII of 1995 on Aviation, were adopted. in addition to the law, it makes the flying of drones subject to strict conditions.
But what does the “drone law” contain? How can you become a trained drone tamer, and what should you look for if you want to use your own device safely, avoiding possible fines? You can find the important information in our writing.
Game or not?
The biggest problem was obviously the drones that parents bought for their children, as they had not previously there was a clear boundary that separates the toy from the professional flying structure. The new regulations make it clear what you can call a toy, from now on, if you really just want a “cordless dragon” for your child, which they can then fly together, you’ll know what specifications the chosen device must meet.
There are three important conditions for defining a toy category: the first is that the weight of the device in question must not exceed 120 grams; the second is that it must not contain a component suitable for recording data (such as a camera); and the third is that the flightable model should not be able to move further than 100 meters from the pilot. If all of these conditions are true for your device, it is considered a game and you are exempt from all paperwork.
But if there is only one of the three main conditions that your model does not meet, then – as defined by law, you are in possession of an unmanned, state-regulated aircraft
Permits to take off
The vast majority of drones owned by domestic private individuals fall into the category that is already mandatory to report and register, as these remote-controlled aircraft were purchased specifically for the purpose of enabling their operator to take aerial photographs.
Unfortunately, you do not swim the report for free, the registration of your device will cost 2000 HUF at the Ministry of Information and Technology. For the issuance of a certificate to this effect – which you have to keep with you in the same way as the vehicle registration certificate if you drive a car – you are already asked for a little over 4000 forints.
But we are far from over, because if the total weight of your drone happens to exceed 250 grams, you will even have to pass a theory test, which means that you will take a test of your knowledge by completing a 40-question test. . (The fee for the latter is HUF 4,900, but fortunately the related course is free, you can register for both on the website of the Institute of Transport Sciences.) Compulsory liability insurance is an additional burden after crossing the 250 gram limit just mentioned. Its amount increases in a band according to the size of the device, taking into account the purpose of use.
There is still
As a drone pilot, we have to be aware that the areas of use are also divided into categories by the regulations, most of them will probably fly in the open category. The latter means that the weight of the drone must not exceed 25 kilograms (above this weight limit the regulations of the special category come into force), it must not move away from you more than 120 meters, you must keep a safe distance from other people and keep an eye on the entire flight.
It is also forbidden to carry any dangerous goods with the device, and if you have thought of jokingly pounding confetti on your friends’ necks , knock this out of your head quickly; spraying any material from an unmanned aircraft is a blacklisted operation, and you can’t just fly over a crowd with your device because this activity is already in the licensed category.
In the now open category, according to EU regulations, you will also find operation subcategories A1, A2 and A3, which further narrow the rules for the use of your device based on the classification of drones. Here you can already see that the drones themselves are separated in a category system of C0-C4 by law, primarily on the basis of weight and equipment. This Cs marking system is required by European Union regulations
Manufacturers will subsequently have to indicate these categories on the devices they can purchase. They have been granted a postponement until January 2023 to properly adjust the specifications and affix the markings on the boxes, so it is likely that most of the models purchased this year will still be classified as classless drones in accordance with the transition provisions.
In this set The regulation sets the upper limit for the smallest category at 500 grams, but this does not mean that flying is not a condition for completing the training and passing the exam (so until you actually introduce category C0, you will be guaranteed to test in a store).
In the domestic decree, slightly different letters are used for drones, ie the categories are distinguished from A to E by the legislators, and the primary aspect is the weight of the drone. From all the aspects of the EU and domestic regulations, you need to determine which conditions apply to your device, taking into account all aspects.
Is the border a starry sky?
The procedure itself is free of charge, but you have to pay a service fee of HUF 9000 to ITM and declare the purpose for which your aircraft will take to the air (in addition to certain In some cases, they may even be required to pay special charges depending on the place of flight). The notification must be made at least 30 days before the intended use and you may apply for traffic rights for a maximum period of one week.
You must also take into account the so-called no drone zones, of which there are two categories: permanent (only drones can fly over these areas with special permits) and those that are subject to a temporary restriction (for example due to a mass event).
In both cases, it is important to be informed, but fortunately this was intended to be so you also get an application from HungaroControll Zrt. called MyDroneSpace (the software is available under both Android and iOS), in which you can continuously monitor the airspace usage information. If the status of the airspace you use changes during a flight, you must respond immediately to avoid the penalty.
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