The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) yesterday began discussions with local government officials about regulating who can operate drones or uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and where they can be used.
The Legislative Yuan on April 3 passed an amendment to the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) to govern the use UAVs. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) promulgated it on April 25 and it is due to take effect on July 1 next year.
The CAA must draft two sets of enforcement rules and coordinate with local officials before the amendment takes effect, Flight Standards Division Director Clark Lin (林俊良) said.
Photo: CNA
The first set of regulations would require owners to register UAVs that weigh 250g or more with the CAA, while owners of UAVs weighing more than 25kg would have to provide certificates detailing the drones’ specifications, Lin said.
It sets the age requirement for UAV learner’s permits at 16 years old, while people applying for regular or professional UAV licenses would have to be at least 18.
People who want to operate UAVs weighing 1kg or more would be required to take classes and pass a test, while those who want to operate UAVs weighing 2kg or more would have to obtain regular or professional operating licenses from the CAA, Lin said.
A drone operators’ blood alcohol level must not exceed 0.04 percent, and those who contravene that rule could be fined NT$10,000, Lin said.
The second set of rules covers drone inspection standards and operators’ evaluations, Lin said.
An online system for registering UAVs and applying for operator permits would not be ready until the first half of next year, Lin said.
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