From Traveler24News.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority has submitted draft regulations for the use of drones in civil airspace to the Minister of Transport, becoming one of the first regulatory bodies worldwide to do so.

The use of drones is illegal in South Africa, as they do not comply with aviation authority’s existing requirements for aircraft operations.

South Africa is also changing the name it uses to refer to drones. Previously the aviation authority referred to drones as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The draft legislation now refers to drones as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).

The aviation authority decision to draft specific regulations for drones comes after an outcry against a ban on them by recreational and professional drone operators. In April 2014 the regulatory body said that drone operators could face fines up to 50,ooo rand ($4153 US) or a jail term of up to 10 years.

“We need to be mindful of various security and safety aspects,” said Poppy Khoza, Director of Civil Aviation. “Key among these is that the technology installed on (drones) is able to ensure that, amongst others, mid-air collisions and incidents are minimized. There is also the need to make sure that the allocated frequency spectrum is secure, in order to ensure protection from unintentional or unlawful interference…”

Khoza also said that the aviation authority is concerned about reports of people and organisations already operating drones in civil airspace without approval.

The aviation authority said it anticipates changes soon. Drones are a new phenomenon in the civilian airspace and regulations will be adjusted as dictated by the prevailing circumstances at any given time.

Read more at Traveler24News.