News

Singapore has implemented rather strict laws for drones or unmanned aircraft(UA) of late. Aside from concerns about unauthorised filming and privacy, there are also other concerns such as having drones disrupt air traffic or cause damage due to accidents. In general, UAs cannot be flown above people or crowds, cannot be flown within 5km of an airport, and UA pilots must maintain line of sight of their UAs at all times. Obviously, flying UAs over restricted areas such as military installations or other sensitive areas is illegal, but aside from this, some areas may have a temporarily restricted area such as for National Day Parade. If you intend to fly UAs, you should if the area you intend to fly is legal. There are dedicated Unmanned Aircraft Flying Areas (UAFA) in Singapore such as the recently-launched UAFA at . The price of the UA itself varies widely, depending on what model of UA is purchased, or whether it is user-built. Regardless, all UAs above 250g must be registered before it can be operated in Singapore. requires the purchase of the registration label at $25, and completion of the online registration. Users operating UAs between 1.5kg – 7kg for recreational or educational purposes are required to undergo a one-time Unmanned Aircraft Basic Training. holds this course at $19.62, and holds this course at $21.80. This training will take about 2 hours to complete, and attendees will be issued a certificate. Failure to attend the course before flying an UA could result in a fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment for up to 2 years. An Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Licence (UAPL) is required to operate UAs that are above the weight of 7kg, and if UAs of any weight are to be flown for commercial purposes, or a non-recreational/education purpose. A Class A UAPL authorises the licensee to fly UAs up to a weight of 25kg. UAs above 25kg require a Class B UAPL licence. Failure to produce a valid UAPL and permit could result in a fine of up to $20,000. A UAPL licence requires the applicant to pass the theory and practical tests before applying for it. This will be discussed in later sections. A UAPL or UA Basic Training is not required if the UA is operated in an indoor space which is not publicly accessible and is not utilised for a sporting activity or an event with more than 50 individuals in attendance. To obtain a UAPL, you will need to pass the theory test and the practical assessment before applying for a UAPL. The theory test costs $125. Before sitting for the theory test, individuals can either choose to self-study, or attend available courses by UA Training and Assessment organisations (UATOs). offers this course at $192.93 for Singapore Citizens under 40 years old and $74.93 for Singapore Citizens who are 40 and above. offers this course at $130.80 for Singapore Citizens below 40 years old, and $50.80 for Singapore citizens above 40. Course fees stated are after deductions from SkillsFuture funding. While some UATOs may allow you to proceed to the practical training before passing the theory test, it is generally recommended not to do so. offers the practical training and assessment at $336.55 for Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above, as well as people who are sponsored by a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME). The course fee for Singapore Citizens aged 39 and below and Singapore Permanent Residents is $866.55. offers the practical training and assessment at $482.60 for Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above, as well as people sponsored by SMEs. For Singapore Citizens below the age of 40, as well as Singapore Permanent Residents, the course fee is $1,242.60. The Practical Assessment can also be taken without the training, in which case it will cost $199, and is conducted by CAAS, or an Authorised Flight Examiner under a CAAS-approved UATO. Prices stated for the courses are after SkillsFuture funding. Candidates can use SkillsFuture credits to offset the remaining course fees. In order to fly UAs that are heavier than 7kg, or to fly UAs for non-recreational/educational purposes, two permits must be obtained. The Operator Permit is granted to organisations based on having sufficient preparation in terms of personnel proficiency, equipment, and maintenance and operations processes. This permit is renewed by the organisation on an annual basis. This costs $700 for the first UA type, and $500 for the second UA type, and costs $300 to renew every year thereafter. Thereafter, an Activity Permit must be obtained. Class 1 Activity Permits apply when the UA activity is not recreational, or if a recreational activity utilises a UA weighing more than 25kg, or if an educational activity utilises a drone weighing more than 7kg. These permits cost $120 for application for the first block of dates, and $45 to renew the permit for the same activity over a different block of dates. Class 2 Activity Permits apply when the UA is below 25kg for recreational purposes, or below 7kg for educational purposes, and if the activity requires the UA to operate above 200ft above mean sea level (AMSL), within 5km of any civil aerodrome or military airbase, or in a restricted or danger area. These permits cost $110 for application for the first block of dates, and $36 to renew the permit for the same activity over a different block of dates. Aside from this, the UA in question must have a tracker installed on it costing $265 (before GST), and the Operator Permit Holder must subscribe to the Centralised Flight Management System, costing $200 annually. UA technology represents a new way of doing things that have traditionally been tedious or dangerous for humans to do. UA pilots have already been heavily involved in video production, which has the potential to not just replicate video shots done using traditional techniques, but also take shots previously unavailable, such as shooting from a bird’s eye view. Aside from this, UAs and UA pilots are already utilised to do jobs such as site inspections or mapping operations. More use cases are currently being developed, such as utilising UAs for surveillance and security operations, or using UAs to water crops over a large area. Given the untapped potential, we can expect to see more jobs requiring UA licences in the future. Enjoy up to S$1,250 guaranteed cash and the chance to win one of the five pairs of Singapore Airlines Suites2 tickets to Sydney. .