Module 13 — Rules, spectrum & operating legally
Physics sets what's possible; law sets what's allowed. Good pilots are fluent in both. Regulations change — the numbers below were last verified July 2026; always confirm against official sources before flying.
🟢 Foundations (EU/EASA framework). Drone operations fall into three categories: Open (low risk, no authorization), Specific (risk-assessed authorization, incl. BVLOS), Certified (aviation-grade). The Open category in one breath: max 25 kg, max 120 m AGL, and the aircraft must stay in VLOS — visual line of sight of the pilot or a co-located observer. Sub-categories: A1 "over people (not crowds)", A2 "close to people (30 m / 5 m in low-speed mode)", A3 "far from people — ≥150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas". Operator registration is required for any drone with a camera (non-toy) or ≥250 g; the registration number goes on the airframe.
🟡 Practitioner (what an FPV builder must know). Two facts dominate self-built FPV:
- Self-built drones have no class mark, so ≥250 g self-builds operate in A3 — your 7-inch lives over fields, 150 m+ from built-up areas.
- FPV goggles ≠ VLOS. Classically that means an observer beside you. In Poland, a temporary ULC exemption (in force since Feb 2026) allows Open-category FPV without an observer up to 50 m height and 200 m distance; beyond that, bring the observer. Other EU states have their own national variations — check locally.
Polish operational checklist: register at drony.gov.pl, pass the free online A1/A3 exam, carry liability (OC) insurance (mandatory for 250 g–20 kg), check geo-zones and report each flight via the PAŻP app (DroneTower). Flying kilometers out is BVLOS = Specific category: STS-02 scenario (requires C5/C6-class aircraft) or an individual SORA risk-assessment authorization; model-club airfields under Article 16 authorizations are another lawful route.
🔴 Advanced (spectrum). Your transmitters live in license-exempt SRD/ISM bands with EIRP limits (EIRP = TX power + antenna gain − losses; a bigger antenna is more radiated power, legally speaking). Typical EU values — verify current national tables:
| Band | Typical EU limit | FPV use |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz (2400–2483.5 MHz) | 100 mW EIRP | ELRS control |
| 5.8 GHz (5725–5875 MHz) | 25 mW EIRP | analog video; digital systems run CE-limited power |
| 868 MHz SRD | mostly 25 mW ERP (sub-band rules, duty cycle/LBT) | long-range control links |
This is why the same DJI hardware quotes 15 km FCC but 8 km CE — and why "just crank the power" is both illegal and, thanks to the link budget in Module 1, less effective than a better antenna or lower packet rate. Some pilots pursue an amateur radio license; whether and how it applies to drone links varies by country — treat it as a study path, not a loophole.
⚫ Master. You can read the actual regulations (EU 2019/947 and 2019/945, national decisions), scope a Specific-category operation (SORA: ground & air risk, mitigations, containment), and design a craft to meet a rule set — Remote ID, geo-awareness, C-class requirements — rather than discovering them after the build. You brief other pilots accurately and update your knowledge on a schedule, because exemptions (like Poland's FPV one) carry expiry dates.
Mastery checklist
- For your exact craft and a named field, state category, sub-category, height limit and paperwork — with sources.
- Compute your video TX's EIRP with a 8 dBi patch and say whether it's legal.
- Explain to a newcomer why BVLOS isn't "just flying far" — in risk terms, not just legal ones.
🖼️ Image ideas: your own geo-zone app screenshots (own capture); simple original airspace-category diagram; EU/EASA public information graphics only per their reuse terms — when unsure, redraw.
📚 Official sources: EASA drone pages (easa.europa.eu); Polish CAA — ULC (ulc.gov.pl) and drony.gov.pl; PAŻP geo-zones & DroneTower; your national spectrum regulator's SRD tables.
Appendix: a Suggested 12-Month Path Through These Chapters
| Months | Focus | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Simulator hours, radio, vocabulary, law basics | 1, 14, start 2 |
| 2–4 | RF + flight physics while flying a tiny whoop | 2, 3, 6, 7 |
| 4–6 | Full 7″ build, first tunes | 8, 11, 5, 10 |
| 6–9 | Estimation, navigation firmware, first scripts | 4, 12, 9 |
| 9–12 | Deep tuning, autonomy projects, contributions | 10, 12, 9, 13 throughout |
The math appendix (13) isn't a phase — it's the friend you visit whenever a formula stares back.
End of English version. All original text, formulas and diagrams: released as CC0 — attribution appreciated, never required.