Rules for aircraft: How do I react correctly when I spot a drone?

Suddenly, there is a humming noise above your head: It's not uncommon for people to encounter drones in their daily lives. Many use them privately as a hobby, either just for fun flying or to take pictures from a bird's-eye view. But what if you feel disturbed by the drone or just have a bad feeling - for example, because you see it hovering near an airport?

Drone sightings repeatedly disrupt airport flight operations and result in million-euro costs. The latest incident at Leipzig Airport, where an explosive-laden drone was found, is now being investigated by the Federal Prosecutor's Office. Clear rules for drones - where to turn to if you're concerned?

While the use of airspace by drones is generally free in Germany, there are many zones in public areas where they can only take off with permission or under special conditions - this is clearly regulated. There are minimum distances to many facilities. For airports, for example, this applies "above and within a lateral distance of 1,000 meters from the boundary" as well as within a lateral distance of less than 1,000 meters of all center lines of runways extended by five kilometers in both approach and departure directions, according to the Air Traffic Regulations.

All these zones where drones can only fly under certain conditions are referred to as geographical areas. For detailed information, the Federal Aviation Authority refers to the "Digital Platform Unmanned Aviation" at dipul.de. There is also a map showing these areas - for example, around airports.

"Drone sightings near airports or in control zones should be reported immediately to the police or the airport's security center," writes the German Air Traffic Control on its website. Sightings in areas where drone flights are not permitted can generally be reported to the local police station, the Ordnungsamt, or the state aviation authority.

Clear rules also apply to overflight of residential properties. Without the owner's consent, only light drones with a takeoff mass of up to 0.25 kilograms may fly over them, which cannot record and transmit sounds, images, videos, or third-party radio signals. For heavier drones and those with cameras, the rules are: they may only fly over residential properties at a minimum altitude of 100 meters and only between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM, and only under certain conditions.

If a drone is humming over your own house or in front of your balcony and you feel harassed, you should first try to find the pilot - this might quickly resolve the situation. If that doesn't work and you continue to consider the hovering drone as harassing or dangerous, you can call the police.

In case of doubt, make a video and dial 110. If there are doubts about the permissibility of drone flights, for example, over your own property, the police should be informed via 110 and the incident should be documented as detailed as possible with photos or videos, Matthias Arends from the Schleswig-Holstein State Police Office told dpa. The same applies if such unmanned aerial devices are spotted over critical infrastructure or military facilities.

In the event of violations against flight restriction zones, drone pilots risk fines or, depending on the severity, also criminal consequences.