There is a lack of clear regulations for the industrial use of drones - from the acquisition of a certificate of competence to the granting of an ascent permit. Christian Kaiser, Managing Director of Copting and lecturer at TÜV Nord Akademie, summarizes the problem: "What is missing is a uniform regulation. It must be determined which certificates of competence are generally recognized and which requirements the holder must meet. At the moment, users can have a certificate or proof issued anywhere and a clerk decides whether to accept it or not. That is very arbitrary."

The most important requirements for commercial flights currently include the following:

• Acquisition of the General Ascent Permit (AE): this is necessary to allow a drone to take off commercially. It must be applied for in each federal state at the relevant state aviation authority. For the application, a certificate of competence or a certificate for controlling a drone must be submitted to confirm that a specific person in the company is authorized to control the drone.

• Registration of flights: Commercial drone flights must be registered with the police or the relevant regulatory authorities - every single flight. An email informing the company of the planned flight activity is usually sufficient. A take-off permit from the landowner is also required if the drone lands on or takes off from private property.

• Taking out insurance: If you want to fly a drone, you must have it insured in advance and require liability insurance in accordance with aviation law. This is available from many large insurance companies, brokers and model flying associations and covers the operator in the event of a claim - provided there has been no gross negligence.

• Observe visual flight: The principle of visual flight must be adhered to by the operator. Anyone flying a drone must keep a constant eye on it in order to recognize and avoid dangers at an early stage. This is the only way to react in an emergency if a drone is on the wrong track, for example due to manipulation. In addition, drones may not fly higher than 100 m and only between sunrise and sunset.

The symposium "Industrial drone operations" on November 9, 2016 in Hamburg will provide information on the current legal situation, requirements for the commercial use of drones and current practical examples. Further information can be found on the TÜV Nord website.