Inspecting construction sites, searching for missing persons, transporting blood supplies: Unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, can be used in almost unlimited ways, and the use of drones is growing. The objective of DFS is to support the future of these new airspace users while safeguarding our highest priority – the safety of air traffic.
On the digital platform for unmanned aviation, which we developed together with the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, all relevant information and rules for unmanned aviation under the German Aviation Regulation has been centrally compiled on one website (German only).
We have developed an app for private drone pilots in cooperation with the software specialist Unifly. On an interactive map, the user can see where they are allowed to fly and what they have to pay attention to. The use of the app is free of charge.
In our FAQ list we have compiled answers to frequently asked questions for you.
As airspace users, pilots work with checklists at every stage of flight to ensure that everything is ready and in place for a safe flight. Are you a drone pilot? Then you, too, count as an airspace user. You can find the most important information needed for a safe drone flight here.
When drones get too close to aircraft, they pose a danger to manned aircraft. That is why particularly strict rules apply around airports. Are you planning a drone flight in the vicinity of an airport? You can find out here who you need to ask for permission – and what else there is to bear in mind.
Especially for commercial use, it is important to be able to operate drones beyond the visual line of sight of pilots. We have created the conditions to enable this. DFS has developed a market-ready UAS traffic management (UTM) system. We offer our UTM system through our subsidiary Droniq, a joint venture between DFS and Deutsche Telekom.
The increasing number of drones, especially those used privately, pose a danger to aviation. The number of cases where pilots felt obstructed by unmanned aircraft systems has been increasing. Specialised drone detection systems promise protection – but little was known about their effectiveness until recently. In a large-scale feasibility study, DFS examined various systems.
