Drones are incorporating new technologies and evolving at a rapid pace.

However, new problems are also arising. One of these problems is the issue of legislation. It is evident that the laws are unable to fully cope with the challenges posed by drones.

In the case of Japan, there is an urgent need for the establishment of drone regulations, but the existing regulations do not adequately reflect the current state of drones. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the legal provisions and precautions that should be taken when engaging in aerial photography. Please consider this information as a reference.ドローンは新技術を取り入れ、日進月歩で進化しています。

◇Drone laws

I think there are many opportunities to hear the word drone due to rapid development and spread. However, due to the rapid spread of drones, it is becoming a problem all over the world that the legal system has not caught up with the actual situation of drones.

However, it does not mean that "we are not caught up = there is no law to regulate". Japan is a law-abiding country, and if you cause trouble with a drone, you will be arrested. Therefore, I would like to introduce the laws related to drones that individuals want to know when flying drones as a hobby, so please refer to them.

In addition, please pay attention to the latest information, as laws regarding drone regulations are being developed. Each law is difficult to interpret and is only an assumption. Please consult an expert for more information.

◇ Aviation laws related to drones

In Japan, things that fly in the sky are stipulated in the "Aviation Law". Therefore, when you fly something in the sky, you must follow the aviation law. However, drones are not “aircraft” under the Civil Aeronautics Act. According to the Civil Aeronautics Act, aircraft are limited to manned aircraft that can fly with people on board, so they are not regulated as aircraft.

According to the Aviation Law, drones are considered to be classified as model aircraft. This assumes radio-controlled helicopters and radio-controlled airplanes, and "multi-copters", which account for most of the drones that are popular in the private sector, are treated as model aircraft.

This time, I will not mention it because it is about drones for personal use, but drones over 1 meter are considered to be classified as "unmanned aircraft", and the regulations are different from model aircraft.

Small drones such as multi-copters available to the general public are legally treated as "model aircraft", so no special permission is required to fly them under the Civil Aeronautics Act.

However, there are regulations regarding altitude, and the altitude that can be skipped is determined to be 250 meters or less. Especially around airports and airways, the distance is set to 150 meters or less.

◇The Radio Law, which is closely related to drones

Next to the Civil Aeronautics Law, the next law that requires attention is the Radio Law. As with radio control, radio waves are emitted to remotely control the drone, so care must be taken not to violate the Radio Law.

There is no need to worry about the Radio Law if the drone is purchased at a domestic consumer electronics store or other distributor. This is because the drones purchased at these stores are basically only drones that have a "Technical Conformity Mark" that conforms to the Radio Law.

What you need to be careful about here is parallel import goods and overseas drones purchased by personal import. Since the radio wave band that can be used differs depending on the country, if you use it in Japan, you may be in violation of the Radio Law without knowing it.

Before using a drone purchased from overseas, be sure to check the radio waves.

◇ Land ownership issues

One of the laws to be careful about when flying a drone is "land ownership". It should be noted that this can be interpreted in various ways depending on the interpretation of the law, but the land ownership rights stipulated by the Civil Code stipulate that the land owner has the right to "over private land".

So, if you want to fly a drone over private land, you need to get permission from the land owner. This law has no relation to altitude, so even if you're flying 250 meters above the ground, you still need to get permission.

◇Road traffic law issues

Flying a drone over the road is a violation of the Road Traffic Act. Permission from the Chief of Police is required to fly over roads. A road permit must be obtained in advance. Please be aware that flying over roads is dangerous.

◇Drone Regulation Law

In 2014, the Japanese government also started to move regarding the legal development of drones. We are having discussions to make rules for drone operation. The 2015 Cabinet Decision on Drone Regulations (Amendment to the Civil Aeronautics Act) prohibits drone flights in densely populated residential areas unless government permission is obtained, requiring users to fly only during the day in principle. increase.

I think that the legal development of drones will continue to progress at a rapid pace, so please pay attention to the latest information.

MATRICE600

A large drone made by DJI. It is possible to load a camera of about 4 kg in combination with RONIN-MX. 2 Operation dedicated machine.

MATRICE600 pro

GPS has been added to the MATRICE600, making it more stable. Demonstrates its power in shooting commercials and live performances.

MATRICE100

The drone is ostensibly positioned for industrial use, but its excellent positioning sensor enables stable flight indoors.

MAVIC3 CINE

Small machine manufactured by DJI. Compact size, Apple ProRes compatible and high image quality, 40 minutes flight time and high performance aircraft.

Phantom4 pro v2.0

An intelligence drone with sensors mounted in every direction. It becomes the main machine in many aerial shooting sites.

Phantom3 pro

Although it is an outdated model, it is still an active aircraft that can fly stably. For one operation only.

Machine with large LED vision

The world's first aircraft exclusively for production, equipped with an LED matrix developed by dox and mplusplus. Various expressions are possible.

Medium-sized LED vision machine

A medium-sized machine equipped with an LED matrix. It is possible to make multiple flights and link the lights.

Load laser etc.

I can attach something other than a camera and operate it wirelessly from the ground.

Equipped with spotlight

Equipped with a spotlight on the gimbal, it can be lit up from the air. Demonstrates power mainly in mountainous areas.

RONIN-MX

DJI's 3-axis gimbal. It can be used as a handheld gimbal in addition to being attached to the MATRICE600.

RONIN-M

Handheld gimbal. Lightweight and powerful, it can be used in a variety of shooting locations.

CanonXA35

Commercial movie cam. It can be loaded on the drone with the wide converter attached. Also supports zoom.

Canon eos80D

Single-lens reflex camera. This camera is loaded when shooting stills. Compatible with wireless shutter.

Sony α6500

Single-lens reflex camera. A camera that is compact and easy to load onto a drone or gimbal.

Mambo

A small hobby machine manufactured by French company Parrot. Drone for development test such as indoor program flight.

Bebop2

Aerial camera made by Parrot. Aerial photography is also possible with a small aircraft, but it is operated as a formation flight development aircraft. Programmable.

Crazyflie 2.0

A small development machine manufactured by Bitcraze. Aircraft for programming flight.