Recent position papers from an industry association—including "Member Participation -F2618-Fundamental Demands of UAV DACH"—call for a clear preference for commercial drone applications and a drastic restriction of private recreational and camera drone operations.
Under these proposals, private camera drone flights would be permitted only on private property or at designated model flying sites We, together with the German Model Flying Association (DMFV e.V.), firmly reject this demand. Consequently, we have today issued a joint open letter to UAV DACH. We are particularly advocating for the following points:
1. Legal parity between private and commercial drone operators: Private drone pilots do not automatically operate less compliantly than commercial drone users.
2. Countering the skills shortage: Today’s private drone pilots are the researchers, developers and users of tomorrow’s unmanned aviation sector. Those unable to explore this field privately today are unlikely to develop a professional interest in the subject later on.
3. Enforcing existing legislation: Violations of privacy are already prohibited and should be penalized accordingly. Blanket, "preemptive" flight bans affecting millions of private drone pilots are disproportionate and fail to solve the problem.
4. Keeping model aircraft viable: For hobbyists, technical retrofit requirements—such as ensuring the electronic visibility of their aircraft—must remain affordable and risk-based. We call upon UAV DACH to withdraw the proposed restrictions and to formulate regulatory demands in a balanced manner, ensuring that private users are represented fairly and on an equal footing with commercial users before policymakers in Germany and the EU.
Deutschland |
UK |
Österreich | 
Belgien |
France | 
Luxemburg | 
Netherlands | 
Spain |