Drones buzz key sites in Paris

AT LEAST five drones have been observed flying over sensitive sites in Paris such as the US Embassy, police have revealed.

The Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and Place de la Concorde were also visited by helicopter drones during the night of February 23.

The gendarmerie des transports aériens is investigating the flight over the US Embassy, while the police judiciaire are in charge of probing the other sightings.

In early October, drones were spotted flying over 17 nuclear sites and last month one flew over the Elysée Palace.

France has very strict laws on flying drones, and those breaking them could face up to one year in prison and a €75,000 fine.

Drones must remain in sight of their pilot at all times during their flights and must fly no higher than 150m. You must not fly them near groups of people or animals or in an urban area.

Drones are also banned from key sites such as airports, military installations and nuclear facilities.

Drones with cameras on board can only be flown with the permission of the Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC), although this permission is not needed for occasional hobby flights.

You are not allowed to show the images to the public, ie. upload them on YouTube, you are not allowed to use them professionally and you are not allowed to take images of people without their permission.

The full laws on drones can be found here and here.

Photo: Phovoir