NAMIBIA DRONE REGULATIONS
According to Namibia's national aviation authority, Namibia Civil Aviation (NCAA), flying a drone is legal in Namibia, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.
Considerations for flying a drone for Namibian RPAS pilots
Namibian drone pilots follow a 2-step process to obtain their RPAS Letter of Approval (RLA) from NCAA:
• Airworthiness. Following your application for approval, NCAA will confirm if your drone is airworthy and ready to fly a safe operation. This once off application for each drone will cost you N$ 745.
• Registration. Registration fees depend on whether a drone is used for commercial or private operations:
* For Private operations and hobbies, the fee is N$ 300.
* For Commercial operations, the fee is N$ 4500 for initial registration and N$ 3000 for a renewal or amendment of the registration. Note that a cover letter detailing your intended operations will have to be filed with the request for the registration.
When flying a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for commercial purposes, you need a RPAS license.
A third-party liability insurance is required before operating a drone in Namibia.
General Rules for Flying a Drone in Namibia
On 27th of March 2020, Namibia published new regulations i.e., NAMCARs Part 101 pertaining to drone flying in Namibia and then on 1 May 2022, a directive complementing the regulations and specifically explaining the issuance of Remote Pilot Licenses was published. Both documents can be found on the NCAA website.
Information Good to know before flying drones in Namibia
There are 3 drone categories defined by type of use:
• Cat I – purely for recreational use ONLY on private property,
• Cat II – for use in research, tourism, and sporting events. An application must be filed at least 15 days prior to the date of intended use and the forms for such application are found on the NCAA website,
• Cat III – for commercial drone flying. For this, you will need to be a licensed RPAS pilot and your application for approval of the operation must be filed at least 30 days before the date of the intended operation. You can also download the appropriate forms from the NCAA website.
Other than by type of use, drones are also categorized by weight and for this, please refer to NAMCARs 101.
Here are the most important rules to know for flying a standard multicopter in Namibia:
• Do not fly drones higher than 150 feet and further than 500 m Visual Line of Sight (VLOS),
• Do not fly drones within a published ATC controlled zone,
• Do not fly in a National Park or sensitive or prohibited areas such as army bases, embassies, presidential premises etc.,
• Do not fly closer than 50 m from a public road,
• Do not fly drones closer than 5 nautical miles (9,3 km) from the boundary of an aerodrome,
• You can only fly your drone in VFR conditions,
• Never fly over a crowd of people,
• When you want to fly in restricted airspace, a Civil Activity User Airspace (CAUA), an application should be submitted prior to the flight,
• When flying in a national park or other sensitive areas, an approval from the Min of Environment, Fisheries and Tourism (MEFT) is required,
• Any films that are to be displayed for public viewing require Namibian Film Commission approval (local and foreign),
• ATTENTION - No filming may be conducted on private property without the express permission of the property owner. Make sure you always have permission of the landowner to fly your drone on her/his premises. You will need consent of people when you fly & video record (local & foreign).
Be well informed through reference to the NAMCATS about VLOS, BVLOS and E-VLOS drone operations defined in the NAMCATS before embarking on such flights.
Conclusion
Inform yourself before embarking on drone flights in Namibia and start your application procedure well in advance of the time intended for operations. All forms can be found on the NCAA website (www.ncaa.com.na). NCAA email address for RPAS communications is: rpas@ncaa.na.
You can also call NCAA at +264 83 235 2466.
The Namibian Drone Academy (NDA) reachable on +264 81 659 7503 is a good source of knowledge on drones, the training required to fly them and general guidance on operational procedures. So please contact them whenever necessary. They also offer a service to assist you in your application for registration. Even if you require drone services, they have trained and skilled pilots to fly for you. Namibian Drone Academy operates under ATO Nr 0001/20.
However, do not forget that the NCAA makes the rules, issues the licenses and approvals, conducts all the necessary oversight and surveillance over the Namibian airspace. In essence, the NCAA has the mandate to say goes or stays in order to make the airspace safe for us all.
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com
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