Trial regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in China, including requirements for operators, have been implemented to tighten supervision over UAVs, media reported on Sunday.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China released trial regulations on lightweight UAVs - often known as drones - on its website recently. According to the measures, which went into effect on December 29, the term UAV refers to remotely piloted aircraft controlled from the ground.
The measures stated that UAV operators must obtain licenses and several certificates, including training and health certificates. Operators are also required to apply for permission from the administration before each flight.
The regulations also gave detailed instructions on how operators are expected to behave when piloting UAVs.
In March 2015, a drone flew out of control and hit a high voltage wire at the Xinbang Industrial Park in the Songjiang district of Shanghai, risking a blackout in the entire area.
The regulations are the first to categorize UAVs into seven types according to their weight class, China Central Television reported on Sunday. UAVs that weigh less than seven kilograms enjoy more flexibility in less populated and rural areas. In contrast, in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, many limitations have been imposed on the time and location of UAV flights.
The regulations also introduced a cloud system on which key flight data will be recorded.
