Drone glossary

A distance heuristic: horizontal distance to uninvolved people must at least equal your flight height, and never drop below the 30 m floor in A2.

The open-category height limit: no more than 120 m from the closest point of the earth's surface. Geo-zones may set lower local caps.

The national service publishing official aviation information — NOTAMs and the AIP. For drone pilots it is the NOTAM source; airspace.lv remains the zone authority.

The ground service that manages and separates manned air traffic. Open-category drones do not talk to ATC, but its presence defines controlled airspace.

The aircraft's orientation in space — which way it points and how it is tilted. VLOS requires seeing the drone's attitude unaided; a dot in the sky is not enough.

An official report filed by a manned-aircraft crew when another aircraft — including a drone — came dangerously close.

The CAA web map at airspace.lv/drones — the only legally binding source of UAS geo-zone data in Latvia. Manufacturer apps are not authoritative.

Removing identifiability from footage before sharing: blurring faces and plates, cropping, or dropping shots. Done properly, it takes the material outside GDPR.

A crowd so dense that an individual cannot move away from it. Overflying assemblies is banned in the entire open category.

A flight mode that keeps the drone level and holds altitude but does not use GNSS to hold position — the drone drifts with the wind.

An operation where the pilot cannot see the drone directly. Not allowed in the open category — it requires the specific category (authorisation or STS-02).

Latvia's state system for notifying UAS flights, accessed via e.caa.gov.lv. Flights in restricted UAS geographical zones must be approved in BGKIS first.

The C0–C6 class label on a drone under Reg (EU) 2019/945. The class fixes mass and feature limits and maps to a subcategory.

Latvian secondary legislation implementing the EU drone framework locally: MK Nr. 457, 436, 447 and 248.

The manufacturer's declaration that a product meets EU safety standards. On a drone it sits next to the C-class marking and means: legal to sell in the EU.

Highest-risk operations: over assemblies of people, carrying people or dangerous goods. Requirements comparable to manned aviation.

A traceable record of who handled the aircraft, controller, batteries and memory cards, and when. It protects safety, security and privacy.

The Latvian civil aviation authority for drones: operator registration, A1/A3 and A2 exams, geo-zone coordination — via e.caa.gov.lv.

The radio link between the command unit and the aircraft carrying control inputs and telemetry. Its loss triggers the failsafe.

Controlled airspace around an aerodrome from the ground up, protecting arriving and departing traffic. Drone flights inside usually need prior coordination.

A ground area where the operator ensures only involved persons are present — cordons, marshals. The core ground-risk mitigation of the standard scenarios.

A legally protected category of Latvian sites (energy, water, communications, military, border) where filming is banned without authorisation.

The towering thunderstorm cloud, up to 12 km high: lightning, violent drafts, hail and a gust front. Keep your drone at least ~10 km away.

Items that pose a hazard in flight: explosives, flammable liquids, toxic substances. Carrying them is prohibited in the open category.

The fixed amount the policyholder pays out of pocket on each claim before the insurer covers the rest. Higher deductible = cheaper premium, more risk on you.

A measure of how "thin" the air effectively is: heat, low pressure and elevation raise it, cutting a drone's lift, endurance and wind resistance.

The temperature air must cool to for its moisture to start condensing. When air temperature and dew point are close, fog, low cloud or icing become likely.

Identification data broadcast by the drone in flight — operator number, position, height, speed. Required on class C1–C3 drones.

In a featureless view (clear sky, open field) the relaxed eye stops focusing at distance and settles about arm's length away — the pilot detects far less than assumed.

The EU agency that drafts and maintains the European drone rules and publishes the consolidated Easy Access Rules for UAS.

The drone's pre-programmed behaviour when something fails — typically hover, land or return to home after losing the link or GNSS.

The built-in software of the drone, controller and battery. Update only through the official manufacturer channel and check versions pre-flight.

Flying by the drone's live camera feed (goggles or screen). In the open category it is allowed only with an observer keeping direct sight of the drone.

An attention failure: the pilot locks onto one thing — the shot, the battery figure, a warning — and stops scanning everything else. It feels like concentration.

An uncontrolled departure of the drone when control is lost and failsafes do not recover it — e.g. link loss combined with GNSS failure.

Reg (EU) 2016/679 on personal data. A camera drone captures personal data, so the pilot needs a lawful basis to process it.

A drone function that detects a potential breach of airspace limitations and alerts the pilot. Required on class C1, C2 and C3 drones.

A virtual boundary enforced by the drone's own software that stops it flying beyond a set distance, area or altitude. Keep it active.

Satellite positioning (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS) the drone uses for position hold, the home point and RTH.

Radio interference that drowns out the satellite band so the drone loses its position lock and RTH stops working. A real, recurring issue in the Baltics.

An attack that feeds the drone FAKE satellite signals, so it believes it is somewhere it is not. More dangerous than jamming because everything looks normal.

AGL is height above the terrain directly below; AMSL is altitude above mean sea level. The 120 m limit is an AGL-type height.

The geographic point the drone stores at take-off and returns to during Return-to-Home. Verify it on the map before every flight.

Optional cover for damage to or loss of YOUR OWN drone — crash, flyaway, theft, water damage. The mandatory liability policy never pays for that.

Ice build-up on propellers and airframe when flying in visible moisture around or below 0 °C. Ice on props destroys lift very quickly.

The pilot self-assessment before flight: Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Eating/Emotion. One honest "yes" means postpone the flight.

The principle (Reg (EU) 376/2014) that an honest safety report does not by itself trigger punishment — protection ends only at gross negligence or intent.

The moving drone's energy in joules — how bad an impact would be. If a drone can transfer over 80 J to a person on impact, registration applies even below 250 g.

Latvia's national data-protection authority enforcing GDPR. Can investigate drone filming on a complaint; GDPR fines can reach €20 million.

The legal justification (GDPR Art. 6) a pilot must have BEFORE recording personal data. For drone work, consent and legitimate interest are the workable ones.

A drone without a C-class mark, placed on the market before 2024-01-01. Under 250 g it may fly in A1; heavier ones (< 25 kg) only in A3.

An organisational certificate for UAS operators in the specific category: allows self-assessing risk and authorising own operations.

The battery chemistry powering most drones: light and energy-dense but chemically sensitive — it demands discipline in storage and charging.

A mandatory built-in C2-class function capping ground speed at 3 m/s. When active, an A2 pilot may approach uninvolved people to 5 m instead of 30 m.

An aircraft with people on board — helicopter, light aircraft, glider. In the open category a drone must always give way and land when one approaches.

The drone's total mass at take-off — including battery and payload. It decides the class and subcategory.

The two standard aviation weather products: METAR is the observed weather at an aerodrome, TAF is the aerodrome forecast for the coming hours.

A violent, localised column of sinking air under a thunderstorm that fans out at the surface with sudden severe winds. It can slam a small drone down in seconds.

An operational notice about temporary airspace changes — restrictions, closures, hazards. Must be checked before every flight.

The legal duty to report safety events to the aviation authority under Reg (EU) 376/2014. In Latvia a mandatory report goes via e.caa.gov.lv within 72 hours.

Low-risk drone operations with no prior authorisation: MTOM < 25 kg, VLOS, max 120 m. Split into subcategories A1/A2/A3.

The permission issued by the national aviation authority (in Latvia: CAA) for a specific-category operation, based on the operator's SORA.

Any information relating to an identified or identifiable person — from the air that includes faces, plates and behaviour patterns. GDPR governs it.

A ready-made EASA risk-assessment template for common specific-category operations — apply with a simplified dossier instead of a full SORA.

The delegated regulation on UAS product requirements: defines drone classes C0–C6, their technical requirements and manufacturer obligations.

The implementing regulation on UAS operations: the open/specific/certified categories, subcategories A1/A2/A3 and pilot competency.

The person who actually controls the flight and is directly responsible for its safe conduct. Must hold the competency for the subcategory.

Proof of remote pilot competency in the open category. A1/A3 — an online exam with 40 questions; valid for 5 years across the EU.

The drone's automatic return to its recorded home point — triggered manually, on low battery or on control-link loss.

A structured walk-through of the flight location BEFORE powering up: obstacles, wires, where people can appear, pilot position, sun, emergency landing direction.

The IMF's reserve unit used to state aviation liability minima. Reg (EC) 785/2004 requires 750,000 SDR (≈ €900,000) of cover for 20–25 kg MTOM aircraft.

Medium-risk operations beyond the open-category limits, e.g. BVLOS. Needs an authority authorisation (SORA) or an STS declaration.

The EASA-accepted methodology for assessing a specific-category operation's risk: ground and air risk, SAIL level, required mitigations.

A predefined specific-category operation type in the regulation, flown under a declaration instead of a full authorisation. STS-01 and STS-02.

A deliberately distraction-free zone around the drone during critical phases — takeoff, landing, low manoeuvres: no bystanders, chats or last-second tasks.

The 50–60% charge level a LiPo should sit at when not flown for more than ~two weeks. Storing packs full ages the cells and raises fire risk.

Open-category subcategory "fly over people": C0 and C1 drones, never over assemblies of people. C1 requires the A1/A3 exam.

Open-category subcategory "fly close to people": C2 drones, at least 30 m from uninvolved persons. Requires the A2 certificate.

Open-category subcategory "fly far from people": drones up to 25 kg, 150 m from built-up areas, no uninvolved persons in the flight area.

The codes marking how a TAF changes: BECMG is a gradual lasting change, TEMPO means temporary fluctuations, FM a complete change from a given time.

The live data stream the drone sends to the controller: position, altitude, speed, battery, satellites, link quality.

A layer where air gets WARMER with height instead of cooler, trapping haze and moisture near the surface — visibility drops and fog brews.

A self-feeding chain reaction in a lithium battery where heat generates more heat until fire or rupture. Never charge or fly a swollen or hot pack.

Insurance covering damage a drone causes to third parties. EU minima are mandatory above 20 kg MTOM; for lighter drones the member state sets the rules.

The EU framework of digital services for managing large volumes of drone traffic in designated airspace volumes. Established by Reg (EU) 2021/664.

A person standing right beside the pilot who keeps the drone and surrounding airspace in unaided sight. The only way FPV flying is allowed in the open category.

A portion of airspace set by the member state where drone flights are facilitated, restricted or excluded — airports, cities, protected areas.

The legal or natural person who registers the drone activity and is responsible for the operation. Registers with the CAA and marks the drones.

The number an operator receives after registering at e.caa.gov.lv. It must be displayed on every drone and uploaded into the Remote ID system.

ICAO Class G airspace where ATC does not actively separate traffic — most low-level airspace outside airport zones. Drone rules still fully apply there.

People not taking part in the UAS operation and unaware of its instructions — bystanders. All A1/A2/A3 limits are measured against them.

The drone itself plus the equipment that controls it — the command unit and the C2 link. The rules apply to the whole system.

The pilot keeps continuous unaided visual contact with the drone — enough to judge its position and spot other traffic. The open category's default rule.

The energy a battery stores: Wh = (mAh ÷ 1000) × 3.7 V × cell count. It decides air travel: under 100 Wh flies freely, over 160 Wh is banned from the cabin.

A brief peak of wind above the 10-minute mean, shown after "G" in a METAR. Compare the GUST figure, not the mean, against your drone's wind limit.

A sharp change of wind speed or direction over a short distance, typically at a boundary between air layers. It can flip or shove a drone at the shear line.