Drone Permits necessary for all Drones

Georgetown: The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is reminding importers, owners and operators of Drones that they must obtain a Permit from the GCAA to operate these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The Authority has noted that during the period leading up to the Christmas holidays and after, the Customs and Trade Administration of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has detained a large number of recreational Drones imported into the country without the required permit.

It is therefore necessary for the public to be reminded of the following:

1.            No person shall operate an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, irrespective of the dimensions or maximum weight of that aircraft, for the purposes of obtaining, recording, or transmitting information, once it has a camera or provisions for a camera, unless that person has obtained written authorization from the Authority to obtain, record, or transmit such information.

2.            A person wishing to use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for any or all of the activities referenced in Paragraph (1) may submit a request in writing to the Authority, and shall include in the request the name and address of the applicant and the name of the company for whom he is working, if applicable. The request must also include details of the aircraft to be used, including the make, model, serial number and dimensions of the aircraft, as well as the type of power plant installed on the aircraft, and any other information requested by the Authority.

It should be noted that operators of UAVs will be prosecuted for any breach of the Drones Directive and any other written Laws of Guyana being in force at the time of operation, including but not limited to the Criminal Law Acts of Guyana, Customs Act of Guyana, and the Telecommunications Act of Guyana

Application for the Drone Permit must be made to the Director General, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, 73, High Street Kingston, Georgetown. Alternatively, applications can be submitted online using the Drone Application form on the Authority’s website found at https://gcaa-gy.org/drones/.

The application process, which includes the required security clearance from the Guyana Police Force, can take up to a minimum of thirty (30) working days.

The GCAA is strongly urging individuals, especially persons desirous of visiting Guyana, or those importing Drones, to start the application process in advance of the planned visit with the Drone or importation of same.