Zambia is a landlocked southern African nation recognized for its safari zones and the various wildlife that lives there.
Victoria Falls is in proximity, as is the vantage level of the Victoria Falls Bridge. All of it sounds so fascinating, however:
Are you able to fly drones in Zambia?
The Zambia Civil Aviation Authority grants entry to drones in Zambia, however business pilots should have a distant license via ZCAA. Pilots should even be registered, obtain flight approval, and observe all ZCAA guidelines when working their drones.
If you happen to’ve deliberate a visit to Zambia quickly and are fascinated by taking your drone alongside, this text is for you.
Forward, we’ll talk about methods to deliver your drone into the nation, licensing and registration, and the ZCAA’s legal guidelines in full.
» MORE: Can You Fly a Drone in Victoria Falls?
Let’s start!
Bringing your drone to Zambia
Earlier than mapping out your drone flight plans, you need to get your UAV to Zambia first. You possibly can transport the unmanned plane by aircraft into South Africa.
We advocate packing your drone in a bag designed for carrying plane.
A free backpack or duffel bag provides the drone an excessive amount of room to maneuver round. Even in the event you fastidiously wrap the drone in t-shirts or different tender supplies, it may possibly nonetheless incur injury on the aircraft.
You additionally shouldn’t attempt to stuff a drone right into a tight-fitting suitcase or briefcase, as that may hurt its elements!
Buy a bag that fits the airline’s standards for checked baggage or a carry-on.
If you happen to don’t have your drone close by you in your flight to Zambia (or anyplace, actually), you possibly can’t assure it received’t get broken and even stolen.
Zambia permits as much as 15 digital units on its airways.
You may as well journey with lithium batteries rated for 100 watt-hours, holding them in your carry-on or checked baggage.
Take away the batteries out of your drone earlier than you board the aircraft.
Are you able to fly drones in Zambia?
The Zambia Civil Aviation Authority establishes the foundations for drone flights in Zambia. Based on ZCAA, you’re allowed to fly a drone in Zambia in the event you observe the nation’s drone utilization pointers.
Drone pilots want three paperwork earlier than launching: an RPAS Pilot’s License, a Certificates of Registration, and a Distant Pilot Plane Letter of Approval.
Let’s go over the three necessities now.
RPAS Pilot’s License
The ZCAA points Distant Pilot Licenses to qualifying business pilots in Zambia. This isn’t in contrast to how the FAA does the identical in the USA.
You have to be not less than 18 years outdated to take the qualifying examination.
Additional, you need to have a enough understanding of English (one of many languages spoken in South Africa), being able to writing, talking, and comprehending it.
You could additionally ship in a medical report. Acquiring the Distant Pilot License requires you to go a number of assessments, however when you do, you’re one step nearer to flying a drone in Zambia.
Certificates of Registration
Earlier than making use of on your license, you need to have a Certificates of Registration in Zambia.
You possibly can register your drone earlier than your journey, and ideally, it’s best to. This manner, if it takes longer than anticipated on your registration to undergo, you received’t should sweat it.
Distant Pilot Plane Letter of Approval
Lastly, you need to contact the ZCAA and request a Distant Pilot Plane Letter of Approval.
You’ll probably have to supply background info to ZCAA to earn the approval, together with your identify and phone info, your deliberate flight places, how lengthy you’ll be in Zambia, whenever you plan to fly, and the way lengthy you’ve flown drones.
You’ll additionally in all probability should submit info in your UAV, together with its producer, make and mannequin, weight, and different specs. You may want to incorporate pictures of the drone.
The Distant Pilot Plane Letter of Approval will element the place you should use your drone throughout your journey to Zambia.
Zambia drone legal guidelines to recollect on your journey
Even with ZCAA approval, you need to nonetheless observe the civil aviation authority’s guidelines and pointers when working a drone.
Right here is an summary of what you have to know.
You could have a fireproof license plate
One of the vital convincing causes to register your drone in Zambia lengthy earlier than your journey is that you just’ll have to provide a fireproof license plate on your drone when you arrive.
The plate should embody your drone registration and your nationality.
The plate should have black letters and a white background.
Your drone should meet the load requirement thresholds when utilizing it privately
If you happen to make use of your drone for personal use, aka leisure flying, it can’t exceed 1.5 kilograms or 3.3 kilos. At that time, you possibly can now not fly it for pastime functions.
If you happen to personal a group of drones, deliver your lightest UAV to Zambia so you should use it as regular.
You could deliver security gear
You’re required to have a fireplace extinguisher and first support equipment in your proximity when working a drone in Zambia.
This stuff are on your security and the protection of others round you.
You can not function a drone at night time
Plan your days in Zambia correctly, getting your fill of drone time then. As soon as the solar goes down and till it rises once more, you’re prohibited from flying your UAV.
You can not launch or land a drone on public roads
You need to use many surfaces in Zambia to launch or land a drone, however public roads usually are not one in all them.
On that word, you shouldn’t launch or land a UAV from personal property both.
You can not use your drone in delicate areas
Zambia defines delicate areas as important nationwide amenities, crime scenes, police stations, prisons, and/or nuclear energy crops.
Map out these places utilizing a drone app and do your finest to keep away from them when having fun with your drone.
Stay 50 meters from buildings, public roads, and other people
You additionally should carefully monitor your distance from buildings and public roads when working your UAV. ZCAA doesn’t allow pilots to fly any nearer than 50 meters to those websites.
Additional, you need to keep 50 meters from folks, whether or not people or these gathered in a crowd.
Don’t fly inside 10 kilometers of an airport
Zambia drone legislation extends to airports to safeguard manned plane.
You can not fly your drone inside 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles of an airport on this nation. A drone map ought to aid you discover airports all through Zambia.
The complete listing of airports within the nation is as follows:
- Zambezi Airport (serving Zambezi)
- Solwezi Airport (serving Solwezi)
- Sesheke Airport (serving Sesheke)
- Ngoma Airport (serving Ngoma)
- Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Worldwide Airport (serving Ndola)
- Mongu Airport (serving Mongu)
- Mfuwe Airport (serving Mfuwe)
- Mbala Airport (serving Mbala)
- Mansa Airport (serving Mansa)
- Lusaka Metropolis Airport (serving Lusaka)
- Kenneth Kaunda Worldwide Airport (serving Lusaka)
- Lukulu Airport (serving Lukulu)
- Luanshya Airport (serving Luanshya)
- Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Worldwide Airport (serving Livingstone)
- Southdowns Airport (serving Kitwe)
- Kasama Airport (serving Kasama)
- Kasaba Bay Airport (serving Kasaba Bay)
- Kaoma Airport (serving Kaoma)
- Kalabo Airport (serving Kalabo)
- Milliken Airport (serving Kabwe)
- Chipata Airport (serving Chipata)
- Kasompe Airport (serving Chingola)
Don’t exceed the beneficial horizontal distance
The ZCAA grants drone pilots the liberty to fly 500 meters horizontally, however not more than that. If you happen to maintain going, you’ll be past your visible line of sight.
You could have insurance coverage
You higher have your drone insured earlier than you fly it in Zambia! We couldn’t discover any particular drone insurance coverage totals required, so we advocate contacting the ZCAA and asking.
Don’t fly over 120 meters
The max charge of ascension your drone can achieve in Zambia is 120 meters, roughly 393 toes.
FAA Half 107 Distant Pilot Take a look at Prep
Peltier has fairly the expertise, making him certified to show about pictures and drones in separate programs. He was part of the U.S. Air Drive as an F-15E flight teacher for a decade.
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Zambia, a South African nation, permits drones in accordance with ZCAA guidelines. Industrial pilots should acquire a Distant Pilot License to fly.
Pilots additionally require a Certificates of Registration and Distant Pilot Plane Letter of Approvalfrom ZCAA earlier than taking off.
It is best to register your drone in Zambia earlier than arrival to make sure you get all of your I’s dotted and T’s crossed in time. Keep in mind additionally to observe all of the ZCAA’s drone legal guidelines. Have enjoyable and secure travels!
