Where am I allowed to fly?

It's the question we hear most: can I fly here, today, with this drone? The answer is never just yes or no, but you can work it out yourself. Drone rules in Estonia are EU rules, and Transpordiamet looks after them. Rules do change, so this guide links to the official pages at the end. The rules here were checked in November 2026.

Three questions before every flight

Before every flight, answer three questions. What am I flying: how heavy is it, does it carry a class label like C0, and does it have a camera? Where: indoors or outdoors, how close to people and houses, and what does the map say about this spot? And with whom: if you wear goggles, an observer stands next to you, and if you are under 16, a qualified adult is there.

Indoors: the drone rules don't apply

The EU drone regulations don't cover flying indoors at all. Inside there are no zones, no height limit and no 150 m rule, which is exactly why we learn in the hall. A whoop in your own room is fine too: just take the props off on the bench, and mind the cat. Indoors, the owner of the building decides. In our hall that means the club rules and the trainer.

Outdoors: what you fly decides how close you may get

Outdoors, every drone in the open category flies in a subcategory, and the drone decides which one.

A1, near people. This is for C0-labelled drones, and for drones under 250 g that are either home-built (and slower than 19 m/s) or were on sale before 2024 without a class label. In A1 you may fly over people, but never over a crowd.

A3, far from people. This is for home-built drones up to 25 kg, like our 5″ racers (about 500 g, and much faster than 19 m/s), for drones that were on sale before 2024 without a class label, and for C2, C3 and C4 drones. In A3 you keep at least 150 m from uninvolved people, and from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas: homes, shops, factories and parks. The pilot is responsible for judging that distance.

One case fits neither: a drone bought after the start of 2024 that has no class label and that you didn't build yourself (a kit you just assembled doesn't count as home-built). It can't fly outdoors in the open category, so fly it indoors and ask the trainer. Check the label and the box of your drone.

Goggles on? Observer next to you

In goggles you can't see the sky around your drone, so someone else has to, on every flight. The rules allow you to fly without looking at the drone yourself only if an observer (vaatleja) stands right next to you. The observer keeps their own eyes on the drone and scans the sky for planes, helicopters and people, and warns you immediately. They don't use binoculars: if they can't see the drone with their own eyes, it's too far. And the observer is only there to help. You are still the pilot, and the flight is your responsibility.

Transpordiamet's FPV page says FPV flights in the open category follow the A3 rules and allow no spectators. For drones under 250 g, the EU rules may allow FPV in A1 with an observer, but Transpordiamet's own pages don't say so yet. Until that's settled, we fly FPV outdoors like A3: at least 150 m from people and houses, and with the A1/A3 test (see below).

Never above 120 m

The highest you may fly is 120 m, measured from the nearest point of the ground or water. Above that is where planes and helicopters fly. They can't see a drone and they can't dodge it. In 2026 a Transpordiamet official said some people fly their drones at 3 to 4 km. In many places the limit is lower: near airports and heliports it can be 0 m. For FPV racing this hardly matters, because racing happens among gates and trees, in the first few metres.

Check the map

The official map is the droonikaart: utm.eans.ee, also as an app for your phone. Click the spot where you want to fly, and it shows the height limit, any conditions and who to ask for permission. Zones can change, so check it when you plan a flight and again right before you take off.

Tallinn is full of zones: the airport (where the limit near the runway is 0 m), heliports, the harbour and security areas. There are also security and nature zones where you need the zone manager's permission. Ask in time: they have 5 working days to answer. And remember what the map is for: it shows the rules, not good places to fly. A spot with nothing on the map still has to pass the other questions.

Your paperwork

Three things, all done online at Transpordiamet's LOIS portal.

Register as an operator if your drone has a camera, or weighs 250 g or more. Only toys are let off. It's the owner who registers (for a young pilot that's usually a parent), and one registration covers all their drones. It costs €10 a year, and the operator ID goes on every drone (a sticker or marker, or inside, for example on the battery, if it doesn't fit outside). Our whoops have cameras, so their owners register too.

Pass the A1/A3 test if your drone weighs 250 g or more, and whenever you fly under the A3 rules, which includes flying FPV outdoors, whatever the drone weighs. It's an online test with 40 questions, it costs €10 and the certificate is valid for 5 years. For a C0 or under-250 g drone flown in A1 with your own eyes it's not required, but it's a good idea for everyone.

Be 16. In the open category the pilot has to be at least 16, and Transpordiamet's FPV page says 16 without exceptions. The EU rules let younger pilots fly a home-built drone under 250 g, a C0 drone that is a toy, or any drone under the direct supervision of a qualified pilot standing right there with them. At HOBIzone, that's the coach.

In the open category, insurance is only required for drones heavier than 20 kg. Specific-category flights, like races with spectators, need liability insurance.

The sky has neighbours

Aviation rules are only part of the story. Land, nature and people have rules too.

Whose land? Ask the owner before you take off from their land. That's about property, not aviation. Zones are a separate thing: each has its own manager (the harbour, the Defence Forces, the police, Keskkonnaamet), and the map shows who to ask.

Nature areas. In protected areas with a flight restriction you need permission from Keskkonnaamet. Apply in writing, and allow 5 working days. Birds and animals don't like drones.

Filming people. People have a right to privacy. A camera drone over a public place is not just a private hobby any more, and posting video online, where anyone can see it, takes it out of "just for me" altogether; filming in public for publication means telling people in advance. Fly where you won't film people who didn't ask to be filmed.

Flying at night is allowed, as long as the drone has a green flashing light switched on. The observer rule still applies.

So where do we fly?

There are three places where all of this is already sorted out for you. The hall, indoors and all winter: no zones, no 150 m, and the trainer is there. Kollane, our outdoor field, with its own field code (see the Kollane field code guide). Bring an observer, and give the map a quick look anyway. And races: spectators turn a race into the specific category. That needs Transpordiamet's authorisation, a designated area and liability insurance, so we organise our races as proper events with the permits sorted out, including the city or municipality.

Anywhere else, answer the three questions, check the map, and when in doubt, don't fly.

Check the drone, the place and the map.