123 Montserrat (UK)
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag. The arms feature a woman in green dress, Erin, the female personification of Ireland, standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large dark cross with her right arm. Erin and the harp are symbols of Ireland reflecting the territory’s Irish ancestry. Blue represents awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness.
Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook
Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook
Topographic map of Montserrat showing the “exclusion zone” due to volcanic activity, and the new airport in the north. The roads and settlements in the exclusion zone have mostly been destroyed.
Last updated on November 13, 2024
Government
According to Britannica, Montserrat is an internally self-governing overseas territory within the Commonwealth. The British monarch is the head of state, represented by an appointed governor. The most-recent constitution was promulgated on September 1, 2011, and came into force later that month, on September 27. It provides for an executive branch, consisting of a premier and an Executive Council, and a unicameral legislature called the Legislative Assembly. The governor appoints the premier, who is an elected member of the nine-seat Legislative Assembly and is usually the head of the majority party. The Executive Council includes four official members, the governor, the premier, and three ministers, and members of the Legislative Assembly are popularly elected at large for five-year terms. In addition, the attorney general and the finance secretary serve as ex officio members of both the Executive Council and the Legislative Assembly. The superior court of record is the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, based in Saint Lucia. Notable political parties in Montserrat have included the New People’s Liberation Movement, the National Progressive Party, the Movement for Change and Prosperity, and the Montserrat Democratic Party.
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. Montserrat AIP – requires user name and password
Drone Regulations
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)
Please note that there may be additional airspace restrictions on flying SUAs in some Territories.
Montserrat: Direction prohibiting the use of all SUAs within the vicinity of John A Osborne International Airport (dated November 2019).
St Helena: Direction prohibiting and restricting the use of all SUAs within the vicinity of St Helena Airport (dated November 2019).
Ascension Island: Direction prohibiting the use of all SUAs within the vicinity of Wideawake Airfield (dated June 2016).
If you have a query with regard to operating a small unmanned aircraft in the UK Overseas Territories, please contact the appropriate authority
Air Safety Support International
Floor 2, The Portland Building
25 High Street
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 1BG
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)1293 214040
Fax: +44 (0)1293 214069
Email: enquiries@airsafety.aero
If you wish to operate in the UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla, BVI, Montserrat, St Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) and South Georgia or the South Sandwich Islands you should apply to ASSI using the following application form:
Download the application form for the operation of a Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) in the UK Overseas Territories Airspace.
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Regulations & Policies
None found by the author.
However, should you, the reader, happen to stumble across something to the contrary, please email the author at FISHE5CA@erau.edu and you may be mentioned in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this book by way of thanks for contributing to this free eBook!
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) News
None found by the author.
However, should you, the reader, happen to stumble across something to the contrary, please email the author at FISHE5CA@erau.edu and you may be mentioned in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this book by way of thanks for contributing to this free eBook!
Short Essay Questions
Question 1
You have been hired by a Drone Startup Company. Your boss has immediately assigned this job to you.
They need you to prepare a one-page memo detailing the legalities of using a drone to film in Montserrat.
They need you to mention any national laws and local ordinances.
They specifically want to know what airspace you will be operating in and whether or not you need an airspace authorization.
Does it matter whether or not you are a citizen of the country?
Lastly, there is a bonus for you if, as you scroll through this chapter, you find any typos or broken links!
Question 2
Do you need a certificate to fly UAS?
If so, how do you obtain one?
Are there fees associated with this?
If so, how much?
Question 3
May you operate beyond visual line of sight?
If so, what procedures must you follow?
Question 4
Does the country have UAM/AAM laws? If so, describe, citing the exact law.
Question 5
Are you aware of any new laws or policies not mentioned above? If so, describe, citing the exact law or policy.