Drone Laws in Hong Kong?

When I heard I was going to Hong Kong , I researched Drone Laws in Hong Kong since I am recently LOVING SO MUCH all the footage and video content from my Mavic Pro 2!

It is usually very tricky with the drones given the high security concerns and laws around the world; so research becomes a must.

I am booked on Emirates for this trip by my sponsor, and from what I heard (and confirmed later), I am not allowed to take the drone on the flight; so if I decide to take my drone (as I started writing this first draft of the post prior to my trip to Hong Kong), then it’ll be my first time putting it into my checked-in luggage. I usually do not prefer this but I also don’t travel often on Emirates so I’m not sure how this is going to be.

** update: I did check in my drone into my suitcase, remove the battery and packed the battery into my carry on, and the body of the DJI Mavic inside my checked in luggage. All went well.  

Research Results about Drones in Hong Kong:

– Drones / UAV / Quadcopters weighing more than 7 kgs require special permission from the Civil Aviation Department.

– Drones / UAV / Quadcopters weighing less than 7 kgs do not require any special permission. (so, I did not need any permission, great!)

So that gave me the first hint about being able to take my drone since its not more than 7 KG without having to disclose or get permissions from Civil Aviation Department.

– ALTITUDE OF OPERATION
300 FEET
or 91.4 metres

TIME OF OPERATION: Only during day time.

PROHIBITED AREAS OF OPERATION:

• Over populated and congested areas. (this was a tricky one.. all Hong Kong or at least the parts where I stayed was populated and congested.. hence I was a bit worried to just fly)
• Over, or close to, any object, installation or facility that would present a risk to safety in the event of damage due to any impact by the model aircraft, or in such a manner that the good order and discipline and control thereof may be or may likely be jeopardized.
• In the vicinity of an airport and aircraft approach and take-off paths. These areas include:
• Hong Kong International Airport;
• North Lantau coastal area;
• Coastal areas from Tai Lam Chung to Tsuen Wan and Tsing Yi Island;
• Victoria Harbour and its coastal areas; and 
• Shek Kong area.

What convinced me to take my drone is when I read someones feedback about it saying: Hong Kong is one of the more chilled out cities in the world when it comes to drone laws and regulations. It was once called the wild frontier for drones.

He also highlighted his advice being: The only area that I would advise you to not fly is near the harbour, on both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island sides. This area has many helipads, with moderate air traffic during the day time. In addition, many beaches also have helipads, and lifeguards on-duty will tell you not to fly near the helipads.

My schedule in Hong Kong was packed, and I wasn’t able to fly it more than once. I reached out to insagrammer/aerial photographer @itsbernie81 and asked him about spots he’d recommend. 

He was kind enough to recommend Conduit Road Service Reservoir Playground which the shots you see in this post were taken from.