Drones are becoming part of everyday life in Belize, from concerts to crop fields to neighbourhoods. But there’s a problem. Most operators are flying unregistered.
The Civil Aviation Department is now moving to fix that, putting fifty-five pages of proposed regulations on the table and opening the floor to public feedback this week. Hobbyists, commercial operators and industry stakeholders all showed up today to have their say.
The turnover reflected a sector that has grown faster than the rules governing it.
Director Nigel Carter said authorities are not waiting for incidents to force their hand. “We don’t want to wait for there to be accidents involving aircraft. We don’t want for there to be more and more reports from persons saying, ‘The drone was peeking through my window,’” he said.
Commercial operators like Agrobotics have been using drones for crop spraying for four years, and while they welcomed the push for clarity, they also urged for consistency. “The biggest problem we have had with the rules is that they’re constantly changing, and they have never come out with an exact set that we need to adhere to. So it’s very confusing,” said Carlin Strite, a drone operator at Agrobotics.
Registration and licensing fees are currently set at approximately $30 each. The public has two more weeks to submit feedback before the rules move forward.
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