Hey, drone enthusiasts! Dreaming of aerial adventures over the dazzling cityscape of Shanghai but are frustrated by the lack of places to fly your drones?

Things are looking up this year! China's Interim Regulation on the Administration of the Flight of Unmanned Aircraft has been in effect as of January 1, 2024.

According to the regulation, owners of civil unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) must register with their real names before taking flight. Shanghai's "Suishenban 随申办" app makes the process easy – just a few taps and you're cleared for takeoff!

Check out how to register and get up to speed on the must-know details for flying your drones in Shanghai!

1 Register Your UAV

Step 1: Download the Suishenban (随申办) app (also available on Alipay and WeChat mini-programs) and register your personal account. The name Suishenban roughly translates to "Shanghai Services APP."

Step 2: In the search bar, type

无人机 (which means "UAV" or "drone").

Once the search results appear, click on *无人机备案" (UAV Registration) to access the **"无人机专栏"** (UAV section) page.

Step 3: Click the "无人机录入"(Register personal UAV) button to begin registering your fancy unmanned aerial vehicle.

Step 4: Type in the Drone's Serial Number, UAV model, Address, Name and Passport No. (or number of your permanent residence card if you are an overseas personnel). Click on "提交"(Submit) to complete the registration process.

Step 5: Now wait for the process to be completed. You can check the progress of this step in "我的"(My Account) and look for the option – "我的办件"(My Document Processing).

2 File Your Flight Plan

According to the Interim Regulation on UAV Flights, you can't just fly your drone wherever you want – controlled airspace is off-limits unless you've got approval from air traffic management. Yeah, they're serious about this.

On top of that, with all the temporary security measures popping up around the city, those "flyable zones" are constantly shifting. Before you even think about taking off, hit up the "Flight Report" feature in the **Suishenban** app to make sure your drone isn't about to buzz into restricted airspace.

Here's the drill: pop open the "飞行报告" (Flight Report) section, punch in the location (yep, street name and number), flight radius and altitude. You'll also need to set your start and end times to finalize your flight plan.

Pro tip: you've got a 48-hour window to report your flight.

After you submit the "Flight Report", click the "飞行报告记录" (Flight Report Record) button to get your approved flight path certificate.

3 Transfer Ownership

If you want to pass the baton to a new drone pilot , use the "UAV Unbinding" service. Click on the "无人机解绑"(UAV Unbinding) to unbind your registered phone number. The new user can then log in to the Suishenban app to register the drone and submit a flight report.

4 Some Additional Notes

Flying in restricted airspace without real-name registration is big no-no. Model aircraft can only be flown within approved aviation spaces.

Children under 8 years old can only operate mini drones under the guidance of their parents. Children aged 8 but under 18 must also have parental supervision when operating mini or small drones.