KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21: The Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) is coordinating with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior to set the mechanism and requirements for licensing wireless, remote controlled drones and paragliding, reports Al-Qabas daily. According to reliable sources, new procedures are currently being arranged to prevent the state of chaos that most areas witness, as people on the street become scared when they see these devices

Procedures
The new procedures will be implemented after studying the experiences of European countries and some Gulf countries on ways to control the practice of these dangerous hobbies, which have become remarkably widespread. Granting licenses in accordance with the initial agreement will be subject to several considerations, unlike the previous one. They include obtaining the approval of DGCA and Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense before embarking on the practice of the hobby. The requests must include identification of the aircraft, determination of its height, and the “serial number”.

DGCA will set specific sites for the practice of this hobby and will determine the altitudes permitted to fly them without affecting air navigation. Drones will be prohibited in residential, commercial and agricultural areas. Specific sites will be identified to use drones. In the event that photography is requested in residential, commercial, clubs and other areas, a request must be made to DGCA to obtain approval before use. Regarding the government’s use for drones, the sources said any government agency that has uses in this regard can submit an application specifying the location and names of the people using the aircraft, and accordingly their request will be approved.

They indicated that DGCA will soon announce an automated system for which all the requirements must be met by amateur users of wireless aircraft and drones, as well as paragliding, in a manner that preserves all rights. The sources affirmed that those who violate these requirements will be subject to the provisions of relevant laws.

They warned paragliding enthusiasts against approaching some prohibited sites, especially since flying at certain altitudes may expose them to danger. The sources called for the need to allocate a paragliding club with specific sites for these uses.

Safety
They lamented that some paragliders do not follow safety and security requirements while flying, which may expose them to danger, and they also lack knowledge of the prohibited sites. The sources explained that the mechanism of requirements in regulating the hobby of drones and paragliding depends on several criteria, including emphasis on air safety, establishing a regulatory mechanism for issuing licenses, following the global systems for issuing licenses, determining specific sites to practice the hobby, and preventing the use of aircraft in residential, commercial, agricultural and other areas.