Over the Christmas holidays, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) detained a large number of drones as they were brought into the country without the requisite permit.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) which reminded importers, owners and operators of Drones that a Permit from the GCAA must be obtained in order to operate these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
It noted the large number of recreational drones imported into the country without the required permit and which were held by the GRA.
The GCAA therefore reminded of the following:
1. No person shall operate an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, irrespective of the dimensions or maximum weight of that aircraft, for the purposes of obtaining, recording, or transmitting information, once it has a camera or provisions for a camera, unless that person has obtained written authorization from the Authority to obtain, record, or transmit such information.
2. A person wishing to use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for any or all of the activities referenced in Paragraph (1) may submit a request in writing to the Authority, and shall include in the request the name and address of the applicant and the name of the company for whom he is working, if applicable. The request must also include details of the aircraft to be used, including the make, model, serial number and dimensions of the aircraft, as well as the type of power plant installed on the aircraft, and any other information requested by the Authority.
The GCAA also said that it should be noted that operators of UAVs will be prosecuted for any breach of the Drones Directive and any other written Laws of Guyana being in force at the time of operation, including but not limited to the Criminal Law Acts of Guyana, Customs Act of Guyana, and the Telecommunications Act of Guyana
Applications for the Drone Permit must be made to: The Director General, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, 73, High Street Kingston, Georgetown. Alternatively, applications can be submitted online using the Drone Application form on the Authority’s website found at https://gcaa-gy.org/drones/.
The application process, which includes the required security clearance from the Guyana Police Force, can take up to a minimum of thirty (30) working days.
The GCAA is strongly urging individuals, especially persons desirous of using Drones while visiting Guyana, or those importing Drones, to start the application process in advance of the planned visit or importation of same.
