I fly drones (semi) professionally in Canada. I searched and searched and searched for laws pertaining to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS/Drone) use on the French side and I couldn’t find anything specific to SXM other than the EU Laws which are even stricter than Canada especially if the drone has a camera. That being said, I took mine. I would NEVER fly close to or over people in St. Martin. I only flew in the Happy Bay/Friars Bay area very early in the morning before the beaches were populated, in the open area east of Quarter of Orleans and at La Belle Creole. I totally understand and respect people’s privacy here at home and on vacation but the hobby has exploded lately and most people are either ignorant of the laws or just don’t care.

I flew at La Belle Creole with a well known local business person who also pilots drones. He didn’t even have a EU drone license which kind of shocked me. Like most everything else in SXM, it’s like the Wild West.

I’m almost certain that someone was piloting illegally in RickandJulie’s situation due to EU privacy laws.

In Canada, piloting a drone over 250 grams within 3 nautical miles of a major airport would require Advanced licensing and authorization from NAV Canada. Drones are considered an aircraft. If you took one down in any way, it could be a major offence in Canada.

Here is a quick guide of EU laws from a USA training company. Click HERE