More than a hundred people in Serbia have been certified to operate drones.

So far, between 100 and 200 of these aircraft have been registered, many of which are used for commercial purposes, confirmed Bojan Cvetičanin, a member of the Civil Aviation Directorate’s team for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Cvetičanin points out that anyone can buy an unmanned aerial vehicle freely, but drones can be used if it complies with the applicable regulations.

Anyone wishing to legally operate a drone must pass an exam based on user responsibilities and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regulations. Once this theoretical exam is passed, a drone management certificate is obtained. According to the Regulations, the drone operator on the ground is obliged to always be accessible to the flight control service, or to have his mobile phone switched on. Everything written in the Regulations is written to take into account the worst case scenarios and an important aspect of protection of air traffic, as the drones are rapidly advancing, there are some that fly faster than 100 kilometers per hour, weigh more than 20 kilograms and have small jet engines.

Cvetičanin also states that there were more than 1,000 requests for airspace allocation over the past year, and emphasizes that the approval of any aerial shooting is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Defense, which must give consent whenever there is a desire to shoot from the air.

Drones need to be classified, depending on the purpose for which they are used, so there are small drones up to 20 kg, which are used exclusively for sport, recreation and leisure, without commercial activity, and the other drones are used in commercial activities, with financial compensation.

It is important to mention, Cvetičanin points out, that liability insurance must also be obtained if the drone is used for commercial purposes, and that the drone must certainly not be closer than 500 meters to certain state institutions, which includes schools, barracks, hospitals, police stations, energy facilities, penalty institutions and that the only exception would be if it is done with consent or for the purpose of one of the aforementioned institutions.

LEGAL USERS 99%

Cvetičanin also said that most owners of registered drones (about 99 percent) not only sought the allocation of airspace, but went through a complete approval process, registered the drone and paid for insurance. Their intention is not to use their aircraft illegally, but to use it within the legal framework.

However, Cvetičanin points out that there are citizens who use their unmanned aircraft in an unconscious way and against the law, which poses a security risk for both air traffic and citizens on the ground.
Cvetičanin says that there is still work being done at European level to create a unified regulation that would simplify the matter to all countries, and that the debate of where is the line between a toy and a drone is still ongoing.

PENALTIES FOR UNAUTHORIZED OR UNDECLARED DRONE MANAGEMENT

The technical characteristics of the drones allow for high altitudes and a great distance from the operator, Bojan Cvetičanin said, but added that the ordinance stipulates that the space approved for use is 500 meters in diameter from the ground operator, and that the maximally allowed altitude of the drone is 100 meters.

According to him, penalties for unauthorized or unreported drone management exist, have been defined, and are a misdemeanor, but if misconduct causes some consequences, such as injury or death, then the operator is also subject to criminal law.

News taken from: http://www.rts.rs/page/magazine/sr/story/1882/tehnologija/2586833/vise-od-100-ljudi-u-srbiji-legalno-upravlja-dronovima.html