The Netherlands offers many flying possibilities for paramotor pilots, including stunning views on the flatlands, deltaworks, mills, coast and villages. This page provides visiting paramotor pilots with basic information about safety, rules and flying with a paramotor in the Netherlands.
Paramotoring in the Netherlands
Before flying in the Netherlands, you must become familiar with our national rules and regulations. In the Netherlands we have quite a lot of rules and regulations, that is mainly because of the complicated airspace and fact that we live with 18 million inhabitants in a restricted area. Apart from that we have Amsterdam Airport Schiphol which is one of the busiest airports in Europe and homebase of KLM.
Adhering to the rules is critical to safeguard our flying possibilities in the Netherlands for the future. So please study and follow them.
As a foreign pilot, you are welcome to contact us by e-mail at info@paramotoropleiding.nl if you have questions about how to be compliant with our regulations.
Rules and regulations
The most important rules and regulations are summarized below:
- Regarding aircraft registration and airworthiness:
- You must have your paramotor registered in your country of residence, you must have a certificate of airworthiness for your paramotor, you must have your registration fitted in your wing according to ICAO standards (i.e. minimum character height 50 cm) and you must have your wing and paramotor maintained according to the maintenance schedule advised by the manufacturers. This includes periodical inspection of your wing!
- If you have a non-Dutch registration, you must obtain a permit to fly.
- If you have fullfilled the above requirements, you can fly for a period of max. 28 days in the Netherlands. Because of your non-Dutch registration there are limitations. The most important limitation is: you are not allowed to fly within the 100 meter viccinity of inhabited areas, buildings, harbours, industry areas or crowds.
- Given the above, we strongly advise to get in touch with a local pilot and borrow a Dutch (PH)-registered and airworthy wing.
- IMPORTANT: Flying without a valid certificate of airworthiness is a crime.
- Limits:
- Only VFR flights may be performed; only within UDP; usually only in class G airspace.
- Minimum height: 1000 ft above heighest object in built-up areas, industries, crowds or nature reserves; 500 ft above heighest object in non-built-up areas.
- Maximum height: almost all of the Netherlands airspace is covered by TMZs. As we usually fly without a transponder, we cannot fly above the lower boundary of a TMZ. Study the ICAO VFR map and AIP to be sure of your maximum height or ask a local pilot for help.
- Further rules:
- You must be able to prove your ability to fly a paramotor; i.e. bring your certificate or national license.
- You must have third party liability insurance with a minimum value of 0.75 million SDR (Regulation (EC) No 785/2004). When flying with a passenger, the value is increased with 100.000 SDR per passenger.
- You can only start from sites for which a permit has been arranged. There are different types of permits. Usually it is not an easy process to obain the permit. The advise is to contact local pilots and use their fields.
- Crossing national borders (i.e. Amsterdam FIR boundaries) is not allowed without filing a flight plan.
- Commercial flights (including photography or filming) or flights against some kind of compensation are not allowed.
- Training is not allowed with non-Dutch registered paramotors.
- You can fly both footstart and trike.
- You must study the ICAO VFR chart, AIP and NOTAMs before taking off.
Furthermore we strongly advise you to:
- Get in touch with a local pilot before taking off.
- Wear a helmet, bring the ICAO VFR chart or a navigation device and fly with a reserve.
- Study meteo carefully at www.knmi.nl. The Netherlands is known of its weather fronts (e.g. convergences) that can be particularly dangerous for paramotor flying, these fronts have been lethal to some of our paramotor friends.
- Study the Dutch AIP, ICAO VFR chart before you leave. The Netherlands has a complicated airspace and infringement is easy.
- Have a look at www.paramotoropleiding.nl, www.paramotorweb.nl and www.knvvl.nl.
Finally, to safeguard the future of our sport in the Netherlands, it is particularly important to keep our below-neighbors as friends – this includes both humans and animals. Although most people like our sport, some people do not. We can keep everybody happy by showing respect to eachother. As paramotor pilots we can do this by:
- Not flying in circles over the same spot again and again.
- Not flying in large groups of paramotors.
- Not play with throttle.
- Not taking off with full throttle.
- Maintain your gear.
- Adhere to minimum height rules.
- Use your common sense.
Again, as a foreign pilot, you are welcome to contact us by e-mail at info@paramotoropleiding.nl if you have questions about how to be compliant with our regulations.
We are happy to welcome you.