32 St. Vincent and Grenadines

Three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green. The gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent. The diamonds recall the islands as “the Gems of the Antilles” and are set slightly lowered in the gold band to reflect the nation’s position in the Antilles. Blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation.

Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Map courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Google Earth

The beach of Bequia, one of the larger islands of the Grenadines of St. Vincent. The object at the lower right is space junk, a piece of a European rocket booster that washed up on the beach.

Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Last updated on April 15, 2024

Government

According to Britannica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. The British monarch is the head of state and is represented by an appointed governor-general. A prime minister, the leader of the majority party, is the head of government. The unicameral legislature is the House of Assembly. It is composed of 15 members (called representatives) elected to five-year terms by universal adult suffrage, along with six non elected members (called senators) who are appointed by the governor-general—four on the advice of the prime minister and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition. Two additional seats in the legislature are designated for the attorney general and the speaker. The number of members of the House of Assembly may vary between 21 and 23, depending on whether the attorney general and the speaker are elected from inside or outside the House.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ court system consists of a lower and an upper judiciary. The lower courts include magistrates’ and family courts; the High Court and the Court of Appeal form the upper level. Saint Vincent retains its connection with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. This consists of an appeals court and a high court, while the final court of appeal remains the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.

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

SkyVectorGoogle MapsADS-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. Eastern Caribbean eAIP (requires user name and. password)

Drone Regulations

Regulations exist at this link, however, currently, there is no legal framework for the use of drones.

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 at Bequia, pictured above.

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

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

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.

Share This Book