Operating Drone in Nepal? Know the Rules!

Operating Drone in Nepal? Know the Rules!

Drones have been around for a long time. It has become the best friend for people who love to explore as well as people who want to have fun flying machines. Nowadays, drones have become very advanced with many options in the machine like camera, voice recorder, miniguns and many other accessories. People who come to Nepal have adventure in mind so they often want to capture their moments through drones.

Nowadays, drones are popular among Nepali citizens. Drones in Nepal are mainly used for vlogs, filmmaking and other interesting content. Also, aviation enthusiasts also prefer to fly drones.

Drones are controlled through remote control devices and they can fly at a height of up to 300 meters and some of them can fly even higher. So operating drones at this altitude can be fatal as airplanes hover at these altitudes during landing and takeoff. And if an airplane with a speed of 300km/h (average landing or take-off speed) hits a 2 kg drone with a bird, it can damage the engine, windshield and even the fuselage.

But, to operate a drone is not an easy job. One must have proper authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

The civil aviation authority has the following rules for people willing to fly drones:

1. For drones weighing 20 kg or less, no animals or objects may be included inside the drone that may cause damage to people’s property if they fly from a height and fall.
2. The person flying the drone must maintain visual contact with the drone at all times while it is in the sky.
3. Drones weighing more than 7 kg excluding fuel must not be flown around air traffic services and restricted airspace.
4. Drones with the same characteristics as above are not allowed to fly above 200 feet.
5. Tourists who wish to fly UAVs during their visit to Nepal must obtain prior permission from the following authorities:

• Department of Tourism
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Not required for UAVs/Drones less than 2 kg and less than 200 feet above ground level)

6. For research and study purposes, permission from the following agencies is required:

• Ministry/Department concerned with the subject of research/study
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Not required for UAVs/Drones less than 2 kg and less than 200 feet above ground level)

7. Drones are prohibited within 150 meters of any congested area or within 150 meters of an organized open-air assembly of more than 1,000 people.
8. Prohibited within 50 meters of any vessel, vehicle or structure not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft.
So, keeping all these things in mind, you can fly the drone without harming others and yourself. Happy flight!

Source: Nepal Aviation / Nepal Civil Aviation Authority