Drone flights

APP AND WEBSITE GODRONE

GoDrone has been developed for drone pilots. It is an app and website that allows drone pilots to see where they are and are not allowed to fly using a drone map of the Netherlands.

Drone operators can use GoDrone to plan and track their drone flights and, if necessary, submit an application for a drone mission in the CTR. The GoDrone app can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play Store.

EUROPEAN REGULATIONS FOR FLYING WITH DRONES

In accordance with European regulations, you must register as an operator (if your drone weighs more than 250 grams) and take an online knowledge test to demonstrate your knowledge as a drone operator. Drone flights are divided into risk categories.

Flights with drones in the so-called 'open category' are not allowed in the local air traffic control areas (CTRs) and are reserved for the so-called 'specific' or 'certified' category.

On the website of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) you will find more information about flying in that category and what is required to obtain an operating permit.

Drone flights in CTR

You can fly a drone in civil CTRs (Eelde, Lelystad, Maastricht, Rotterdam and Schiphol) and military CTRs (De Kooy, De Peel, Deelen, Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, Leeuwarden, Volkel and Woensdrecht).

As a drone flight within a CTR is regarded as a VFR flight, additional requirements apply. You must submit a flight plan in advance, request clearance from the tower controller and maintain contact with the tower controller throughout the flight.

Flight plan via GoDrone

Planning a mission in GoDrone fulfills the obligation to submit a flight plan. In addition, you can specify your intended callsign in the comments in GoDrone. Your callsign is a combination of:

Unmanned, plus

• a logical acronym of the company name (for example: Dutch Drone Organization becomes DDO)
• In the case of this example, the callsign becomes Unmanned DDO (delta delta Oscar).

The following rules apply to flight plans via GoDrone:

• The operator (the company or organization performing the drone flight) submits a flight plan via GoDrone for each series of consecutive flights within one flight area within the required application period in the CTR (see below). In the case of several flying areas: one application and flight plan per flying area.
• Once the drone has landed for a period of more than 60 minutes (within one flight area) between two flights, the two consecutive flights are considered two independent flights, requiring an application, flight plan, and clearance independently of each other.

Request procedure 

• In civil CTRs (Eelde, Lelystad, Maastricht, Rotterdam and Schiphol), requests are processed by the LVNL Operational Helpdesk.
• In military CTRs (De Kooy, De Peel, Deelen, Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, Leeuwarden, Volkel and Woensdrecht), requests are processed by the Ministry of Defence’s Flight Data NOTAM Office (FDNO).

Request procedure for drone flights in civil CTRs 

With effect from 20 May 2026, the following request procedure applies to drone missions in the CTRs of Eelde, Lelystad, Maastricht, Rotterdam and Schiphol:

• Submit your mission plan via GoDrone. Di this at least two days before the start of the flight, no later than 1000 LT. This is your request for provisional authorisation from the Operational Helpdesk. 
• Two days before the drone mission, no later than 1500 LT, you will be notified if the maximum number of drone flights in the requested time slot has been reached, with a request to adjust the times. 
• One working day before your drone mission, at 1000 LT, the final times of your drone mission must be submitted via GoDrone.

Request procedure for drone flights in military CTRs

With effect from 1 September 2026, the following request procedure will apply to drone missions in the CTRs of De Kooy, De Peel, Deelen, Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, Leeuwarden, Volkel and Woensdrecht:

• Submit your mission plan via GoDrone and request (provisional) authorisation from FDNO at least 24 hours before the start of the flight. 

Authorisation and clearance

• The Operational Helpdesk or FDNO coordinates your mission plan with the tower controller and, depending on the situation, issues provisional authorisation. 
  
  NB In the event of a drone mission in the Rotterdam CTR, you will receive provisional authorisation one working day in advance, no later than 1500 LT.

• The final authorisation to fly (clearance) is given by the tower controller.
• LVNL may set a maximum limit on the number of simultaneous drone flights within a CTR. 
  • If this maximum is reached, no provisional authorisation will be granted. 
  • The tower controller may refuse or revoke a clearance for safety reasons.  

Flight execution

• You must conduct the flight in accordance with Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and maintain visual line of sight (VLOS) at all times.
• Special VFR is permitted in civil CTRs within UDP, provided that the air traffic controller has granted clearance for this.
• The flight must remain within the flight area authorised by the Operational Helpdesk or FDNO. To do this, set up a geocage that corresponds to the authorised flight area. Test the geocage on the ground prior to the flight. Only request flight clearance from the tower controller once the geocage is working correctly.
• The following applies to the contact with the tower controller:
  • Within civil CTRs, two-way radio contact is mandatory. We recommend a 10-metre antenna to ensure signal quality at low altitudes. 
  • Within military CTRs, contact is made by telephone. If two-way radio contact is required, this will be specified during the approval process.
• If contact with the tower controller is lost during the flight, proceed as follows: 
  • In civil CTRs, terminate the flight immediately if two-way radio contact is no longer possible. Then report the termination of the flight to the Operational Helpdesk or, outside the Operational Helpdesk’s opening hours, to the Flight Service Centre (FSC). 
  • In military CTRs, terminate the flight immediately if the prescribed contact is no longer possible. You must then contact the local air traffic control for further assistance.

NOTAM required for certain drone flights 

The following drone flights require a NOTAM to be issued:

• drone flights outside a UDP;
• drone flights in a low-altitude flight zone;
• drone flights in (un)controlled civil airspace, exceeding 120 m in altitude and/or covering a flight area with a radius greater than 500 m (a decision from the ILT is required for this).

To do this, prepare a NOTAM request, including the following details:

• name of the location;
• coordinates of the flight area in degrees, minutes and seconds;
• radius of the flight area;
• flight altitude;
• date and time(s), specifying whether local time or UTC;
• contact details.

Then send the NOTAM request by email to:

• the Operational Helpdesk for flights in the CTRs of Eelde, Lelystad, Maastricht, Rotterdam and Schiphol; or
• FDNO for flights in the CTRs of Leeuwarden, Volkel, Woensdrecht, Eindhoven, De Peel, De Kooy and Gilze-Rijen.