What regulations (if any) apply for UAS operation above international waters?

[lake_flyer]

I was wondering, since I'm not UAS-1 certified yet, and the paperwork still needs to be done, if I could get a assignment to film ships or platforms in international waters, could I do it?

What laws would apply? On the ship itself, probably the international laws as well as the laws of the country under which flag the ship operates. But the air surrounding the vessel is international, not?

Does anyone know?

 

[The Editor]

I was wondering, since I'm not UAS-1 certified yet, and the paperwork still needs to be done, if I could get a assignment to film ships or platforms in international waters, could I do it?

What laws would apply? On the ship itself, probably the international laws as well as the laws of the country under which flag the ship operates. But the air surrounding the vessel is international, not?

Does anyone know?

You would need to check the individual country regulations.
Remember that international water may be over 12 miles out but airspace can extend much further than that!

 

[lake_flyer]

You would need to check the individual country regulations.
Remember that international water may be over 12 miles out but airspace can extend much further than that!

Yeah, that's what I was wondering about, the airspace around the ship or platform. I know that on a ship, you are under the law of the flag the ship's carrying. But would the same apply for airspace, I'm not sure, and I doubt it actually.

But I would have to check the regulations of all the low cost flag countries, under which most western vessels operate. Like Liberia, Panama, Antigua etc. I really doubt they have any restrictions for operating a UAS from a vessel in international waters, but maybe someone here already did this kind of work?

 

[The Editor]

Yeah, that's what I was wondering about, the airspace around the ship or platform. I know that on a ship, you are under the law of the flag the ship's carrying. But would the same apply for airspace, I'm not sure, and I doubt it actually.

But I would have to check the regulations of all the low cost flag countries, under which most western vessels operate. Like Liberia, Panama, Antigua etc. I really doubt they have any restrictions for operating a UAS from a vessel in international waters, but maybe someone here already did this kind of work?

The waters are not important, it is the airspace that is the governing factor. That extends out from the shoreline to a given distance for a particular country.
So, depending on the country, depending how far out you are you would either be in that countries airspace or not!
Its impossible to put a blanket range on anything as obviously you would have to research every jurisdiction accordingly.
I am certainly no expert in this area so perhaps there are some commercial airline pilots who could chip in and give some guidance.....

 

[lake_flyer]

The waters are not important, it is the airspace that is the governing factor. That extends out from the shoreline to a given distance for a particular country.
So, depending on the country, depending how far out you are you would either be in that countries airspace or not!
Its impossible to put a blanket range on anything as obviously you would have to research every jurisdiction accordingly.
I am certainly no expert in this area so perhaps there are some commercial airline pilots who could chip in and give some guidance.....

mmm, that's something I didn't think about.

Just took this from the web:

By international law, the notion of a country's sovereign airspace corresponds with the maritime definition of territorial waters as being 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) out from a nation's coastline. Airspace not within any country's territorial limit is considered international, analogous to the "high seas" in maritime law. However, a country may, by international agreement, assume responsibility for controlling parts of international airspace, such as those over the oceans. For instance, the United States provides air traffic control services over a large part of the Pacific Ocean, even though the airspace is international.
But then we're talking about class A airspace which is out of reach for us anyhow.

 

[Mazz]

Wild Wild West