124 Saint Helena (UK)

Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag. The upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field. The remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag.

Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Google Earth

A View of the Town and Island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to the British East India Company, engraving, c. 1790

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Last updated on November 23, 2023

Government

According to Britannica, as outlined in the constitution of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (2009), the executive authority of the territory is vested in the British monarch, represented by a governor appointed by the monarch. St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension share the same governor, attorney general, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal but have separate legislatures. The governor presides over and is advised by the Executive Council, which comprises three ex officio members—the chief secretary, the financial secretary, and the attorney general—and five members of the Legislative Council, who are elected to serve on the Executive Council for two-year terms. The legislature of St. Helena consists of the British monarch (nominally) and the Legislative Council, which has a speaker, a deputy speaker, the same three ex officio members who serve on the Executive Council, and 12 members who are elected to four-year terms (though the governor can dissolve the legislature before the end of the full term, at which time new elections are held).

The territory’s residents are British subjects. Legislation passed in Britain in 1981 established that they were not full citizens of the United Kingdom, as had been traditionally held. This greatly limited the population’s opportunities for employment abroad, and the territory’s constitutional relationship with Britain continued to come under periodic review and amendment. The British Overseas Territories Act (2002) granted British citizenship to the people of the overseas territories, including those of St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension.

Civil / National Aviation Authority (CAA/NAA)

All aviation and air access matters on the Island are the responsibility of the St Helena Government (SHG) Civil Aviation (CAA) function within the Treasury, Infrastructure & Sustainable Development Portfolio. The regulation of aviation safety and security in St Helena is delegated to Air Safety Support International (ASSI). Those regulatory functions that are retained by the Governor are managed on a day-to-day basis by the Civil Aviation function – The Civil Aviation function is the lead in SHG in relation to all aviation regulatory matters. A critical function is also leading on strategic planning to support ongoing air access in support of Island needs – including supporting economic and tourism development and aero-medevac capability.

Airspace

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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. Saint Helena AIP

St. Helena Airspace

Drone Regulations

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)

Drone Safety Leaflet

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.

Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, St Helena (including Ascension and Tristan da Cunha), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

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)

 

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 Saint Helena.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

License

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Drones Across the World Copyright © 2023 by Sarah Nilsson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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