As avid drone pilots and photography enthusiasts, we understand all too well the urge to take off your drone anywhere, all for that one perfect shot! But well... unfortunately that's not allowed, so what exactly are the rules? In this blog, we explain all about the different drone no fly zones, we share useful links and apps so that you can go out prepared with your drone. This gives you all the info and you know exactly where you can and cannot fly your drone, regardless of the weight of your drone. Saves you another fine of 250,- or more!
What are Drone No Fly Zones?
A drone no fly zone is a specifically designated area in which drone flying is prohibited. These specific areas are established to ensure the safety of the airspace and people on the ground. The reason for these drone no fly zones can vary. Consider, for example, the protection of Dutch or foreign locations such as military territories, airports and government buildings. Drone no fly zones may also be in place to ensure the privacy and safety of citizens. Finally, a no fly zone may be displayed near certain nature reserves so that you do not disturb the flora and fauna in these areas with your drone. Are you going out with your drone? Then it is important that you are aware of the current drone no fly zones.
What is the difference between the different Drone no fly zones?
The drone no fly zones are divided into different colours. Each colour has a different reason why you are not allowed to fly there.
| Zones | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Unmarked areas | Flying is allowed. This zone is the free part of the airspace. Here you can fly your drone freely but the general Dutch drone rules. These zones are not marked in the drone no fly zone apps such as UAV Forecast. This is an uncontrolled part of airspace where it is allowed to fly your drone. Fly here as long as your battery lasts and take the most amazing drone shots you can imagine. Just keep in mind not to fly too close to other people or inconvenience others with your drone. |
| Red areas | Forbidden to fly. The areas marked in red, which can be seen in an app, are strict drone no fly zones. This means you are NOT allowed to fly your drone in this area. These areas are mainly near airports, ports or military territories. If you start flying here, chances are you could inconvenience other air traffic, which does not take your drone into account. If this is spotted, you could be fined for this and there is a chance that your drone could be confiscated. |
| Yellow areas | Flying with restrictions allowed. These are high-risk areas. The yellow areas are also called low-flying areas. As the name suggests, other air traffic flies low here and you are more likely to encounter low-flying aircraft. We advise you not to fly your drone here. |
| Green areas | Flying not allowed without a permit. The areas marked in green are protected nature reserves. These are also called Natura 2000 areas. You can and may fly your drone here, provided you have a permit from the province. |
| Blue zones | Flying is not allowed here (temporarily). Blue zones are zones with a temporary drone no fly zone. This means you are temporarily not allowed to fly your drone here when you were previously allowed to do so. These blue zones indicate a “flight report”. A flight report is an announcement of a future flight of other air traffic. You can think of military air exercises or perhaps a recording for a television programme. After this flight report expires, the blue area in the app disappears, and you can fly here without worry. |
Where can I find Drone No Fly Zones Maps?
As experienced drone pilots, we know how important it is to take into account safety and regulations applied in the place where you want to fly. We therefore always check whether we are allowed to fly first, and to do so we use the app UAV Forecast.
We think UAV Forecast is a fine app to use. The app is fast and accurate and shows the no fly zones of the area where you are or where you want to go. In addition, the app indicates weather conditions, active satellites and other important factors that may affect your flight.
Yet this app also has a drawback. The app recently had an update that means you can no longer look ahead 24 hours but only 3 hours (without a subscription). This makes planning a particular shot difficult. However, we still like using the app because of its advantages, such as filling in your drone information, assessing the maximum wind speed your drone can handle, and accurately indicating in red or green boxes whether it is responsible to fly your drone.
In particular, we consider wind speed an important element. After all, we have the DJI Mini 3 Pro which is enormously light! This has its advantages (read on) but of course also its disadvantages.
How does the UAV Forecast app work?
We use the UAV forecast app on several occasions. Whether we are taking a faraway trip or discovering an interesting location in the Netherlands, we always check in advance whether we are allowed to fly there at all. Saves you another disappointment at the location itself!
We also check information in the app before departure and when we arrive. We check if the no fly zones have been updated and check the wind speed at the location.
We are still very satisfied with the app, despite the latest update having less information available without a subscription. We therefore definitely recommend downloading this app. Does this app not work for you? No problem, you have plenty of alternatives such as GoDrone, Airdata UAV and Airhub. We also use these apps occasionally but UAV Forecast remains our go-to app.
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Rules and regulations for drone flights in the Netherlands
Every drone pilot has to abide by the general drone rules. These drone rules may vary from country to country and we recommend you check them beforehand. This is because they are designed to ensure that airspace is used in the right way. We list below the rules that apply in the Netherlands.
- Maximum flying height/distance; The drone must not fly higher than 120 metres and/or come closer to other people than 50 metres.
- Age; In the Netherlands, you can only fly a drone when you are 16 years or older. Do you want to fly before 16? Then you need an observer, this must be a person in possession of a valid drone certificate is.
- Out of sight; In the Netherlands, you are only allowed to fly your drone as long as it remains in sight. This is also called VLOS (Visual Line Of Sight). So you are not allowed to fly hundreds of metres away, making it impossible for you to see your drone. This is also called BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight).
- Drone no fly zones; No flying is allowed in these zones that you can find in the UAV Forecast app. These are often airports, ports, nature reserves, military territories or other sensitive locations
- Privacy; Filming other people without permission is obviously not neat. Please respect the privacy of others.
- Registration; You must register your drone with the National Road Transport Agency (RDW) when the drone is weighs more than 250 grams. This is also known as an operator number.
- Insurance; Make sure you have valid liability insurance. You never know when things will go wrong with your drone and you want to be insured for this!
- Weather conditions; If the weather is bad, don't drone fly. Your drone will quickly go out of VLOS and you may lose control in high winds or rain.
What rules apply to my drone?
Many rules apply to all drones you can buy online. We are currently flying the DJI mini pro 3 with the smart remote controller. Great drone that you can easily take anywhere. This drone is 249 grams which puts it in the category of the smallest drones. This means you “officially” don't need a drone certificate to fly it. We do have an official drone certificate because before this we had a DJI Mavic Air, which does exceed 250 grams.
We recommend you pick a drone that meets your needs and suits the content you want to create. Are you willing to get a drone certificate so you can fly a slightly larger drone? Or would you rather just stick to the drone no fly zones and general drone rules? If so, a drone up to 250g is already enough for you.
Always check if these rules have been updated on the official website of central government. Here you will find all the information on the different drone categories and the rules associated with them.
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Drone no fly zones and rules abroad
Do you want to take your drone on a trip? Then you will also need to find out what rules apply in the country where you are going on holiday. We always follow the steps below so there are no surprises.
- Can the drone come along? When we travel, we always check via google first whether we are allowed to bring the drone at all. This is because not all countries are waiting for tourists with a drone. This is mainly to do with safety as not all tourists follow the rules.
- After this, we will look for the “general rules” of the relevant country. You can often find information on the government website about the maximum flying altitude, how far the drone can fly or which areas you are strictly not allowed to enter with the drone. Think of temples, national parks, etc.
- Once we have sorted this out, we check whether the drone registered must be registered before it can enter the country. In some countries, you have to register your drone so they know the drone belongs to you.
While this may seem simple, it can sometimes be quite challenging to obtain this information. Often the information is not well updated and different websites contradict each other. Therefore, when in doubt, we always send an e-mail to the embassy of the relevant country here in the Netherlands. We have done this several times, and each time the embassies have been excellent in helping us find out the information we need.
Which drones do we recommend?
After all these serious tips, it's time for the fun stuff because which drone suits your needs? We ourselves have a lot of experience with the DJI Mavic Air and the DJI Mini Pro 3. We have enjoyed using both drones and have good experience with the brand. Whether either of these drones suits you we obviously don't know. So think carefully about what you want to achieve with your drone. Do you want to take super nice pictures? Then look carefully at the quality of the camera on the drone. Would you rather make super cool videos? Then look at what the maximum frame rates are on the camera that comes with your drone.
DJI Mini Pro 3
DJI Air 2S
Features DJI Mini 3 pro vs DJI Air 2s
| Features | DJI Mini 3 Pro | DJI Air 2S |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Folded: 145 × 90 × 62 mm Unfolded: 171×245×62 mm With propellers: 251×362×70 mm | Folded: 180×97×77 mm Unfolded: 183×253×77 mm |
| Diagonal length | 247 mm | 302 mm |
| Image sensor | 1/1.3″ CMOS | 1″ CMOS |
| Take-off weight | 249g | 595g |
| Max flight time | Regular battery: 34 minutes New pro battery: 47 minutes | 31 minutes |
| Photo resolution | 48 MP | 20 MP |
| Max. image size | 12 MP | 20 MP |
| Video resolution | Up to 4K/60fps HDR | 5.4K/30fps,4K/60fps |
| Lens | Aperture: f/1.7 | Aperture: f/2.8 |
| Obstacle sensing | 3-Directional Obstacle Sensing | 4-Directional Obstacle Sensing |
| Battery cell composition | Lithium-Ion | Lithium Polymer |
| Battery type | Li-ion | LiPo 3S |
| Charging Voltage Limit | 8.5 V | 12.6 V / 13.2 V |
We try to keep this blog on drone no fly zones as up-to-date as possible but this cannot be done without your help. If anything has changed in this blog please let us know via [email protected].
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