Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag. The coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful). The islands were named by COLUMBUS in 1493 in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11 virgin followers (some sources say 11,000) who reputedly were martyred by the Huns in the 4th or 5th century. The figure on the banner holding a lamp represents the saint. The other lamps symbolize her followers.

Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Google Earth

The former Legislative Council Building in Road Town is today used as the House of Assembly and the High Court.

Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Last updated on April 18, 2024

Government

According to Britannica, the British Virgin Islands are a British overseas territory. The country is administered under a constitution that came into effect in 2007 and provided greater internal self-government. The chief executive officer is the governor, who is appointed by the British monarch. The premier is a member of the House of Assembly (formerly the Legislative Council) who is elected by the body’s majority party and then appointed by the governor. The premier presides over a cabinet comprising four other ministers and the ex offico attorney general. The House of Assembly consists of 13 members elected by universal adult suffrage; a speaker, who is elected from outside the council by its members; and the attorney general.

Civil / National Aviation Authority (CAA/NAA)

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an eleven-member grouping of islands spread across the Eastern Caribbean. Together, they form a near-continuous archipelago across the eastern reaches of the Caribbean Sea. They comprise the Leeward Islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands; and the Windward Islands: Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) evolved from the Directorate of Civil Aviation – Eastern Caribbean States, which may be considered as one of the oldest, if not the oldest institutions in the Eastern Caribbean region. From inception, the Directorate was seen as a vehicle for facilitating a collective and uniform approach to Civil Aviation matters affecting the then Windward and Leeward Islands, which now comprise the OECS Group.

Airspace

SkyVector – Google Maps – ADS-B Exchange

ICAO countries publish an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This document is divided into three parts: General (GEN), En Route (ENR) and Aerodromes (AD). ENR 1.4 details the types of airspace classes they chose to adopt from classes A through G. BVI AIP – fee required

Drone Regulations

Drone Users Are Subject To Aviation Rules – Government of the British Virgin Islands

ASSI

Legal requirements for the operation of small unmanned aircraft in the UK Overseas Territories

The requirements for the use of Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) in the UK Overseas Territories are laid down in the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order. The main rules for their use are laid down in Article 73, however, Article 191 highlights the other articles that also apply to the use of small unmanned aircraft.

The following ASSI SUA Information Leaflets give details of the legal requirements for the use of SUAs, as well as guidance on various activities using SUAs.

ASSI SUA Information Leaflet No 1: Legal Requirements for SUAs (Issue 1, dated August 2022)

ASSI SUA Information Leaflet No 2: Operational Guidance for SUAs (Issue 1, dated August 2022)

ASSI SUA Information Leaflet No 3: Definitions and Glossary for SUAs (Issue 1, dated August 2022)

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)

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