Flying drones in Burgundy-Franche-Comté: zones, paperwork, contacts

Who it is for

• Wine estates, manufacturers, public bodies and consultancies commissioning drone work in any of the eight départements
• Professional pilots, including Swiss-based operators, preparing a job in Burgundy, Franche-Comté or along the Swiss border
• HSE and procurement teams checking that a quote includes the local formalities

What this guide does not do: It does not replace checking Géoportail, NOTAMs and the AZBA on the day: it tells you where to look, not the state of the airspace on a given date · It does not repeat the national framework (categories, training, standard scenarios): that is the job of the general guide

Contents of the complete guide

1. What changes when you fly in Burgundy-Franche-Comté (free extract below)
2. Airfields and controlled airspace
3. Prohibited areas, defence and sensitive sites
4. Swiss border, parks, reserves and listed landscapes
5. Main cities: key constraint and what to do
6. Prior notification and formalities: step by step
7. Recurring events: when the sky closes
8. Burgundy-Franche-Comté checklist and official sources

Included: 14 checklist items and 3 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This regional edition brings together, for the eight départements of Burgundy-Franche-Comté (Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne, Nièvre, Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône, Territoire de Belfort), everything specific to the region when you want to fly a drone or commission a mission: the Valduc prohibited area, military estates, airfields, the Swiss border, the Forêts national park, reserves and nature parks, listed vineyards, what changes city by city, how the prior notification works and the events that regularly close the sky. It is written first for professional clients and the pilots who work for them.

Read chapter 1 for the overview, then the chapter that matches your site. Chapters 6 to 8 are for building the file: formalities, calendar, printable checklist.

Up to date as of 30 September 2026. The exact limits of zones change by decree and through aeronautical publications: always read them, for the date and address of your flight, on the official Géoportail drone restriction map and in the aeronautical information published by the SIA. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor any official body: this guide is a preparation tool, and only official texts are authoritative.

What changes when you fly in Burgundy-Franche-Comté

The baseline is national and follows EU regulation 2019/947: open category up to 120 m, specific category beyond (STS-01, STS-02 or an operational authorisation, the French S1/S2/S3 scenarios having ended on 1 January 2026), professional open-category flights allowed over public space in built-up areas since the decree of 23 December 2025 (no overflight of people, daytime only), and a prior notification to the préfecture at least 10 working days before any flight over a populated area. The region is one of the least congested in France in aviation terms, but seven features must be known.

1. No nuclear power plant, but a nuclear prohibited area. The CEA Valduc site (Côte-d'Or) is protected by zone LF-P 37: a 5 km circle active at all times, in the middle of the hinterland plateau.
2. An active fighter base. Air base 116 at Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur (Haute-Saône) and the low-level military activity around it; the Valdahon camp (Doubs) closes off part of the Haut-Doubs.
3. No major airport, many airfields. Dijon-Bourgogne, Dole-Jura and around fifteen airfields (Chalon, Mâcon, Saint-Yan, Auxerre, Nevers, Besançon, Belfort, Montbéliard, Pontarlier…): constraints are read at the exact address, not at commune level.
4. A long Swiss border. Doubs, Jura and Territoire de Belfort; between Villers-le-Lac and Goumois, the river itself is the border.
5. The Forêts national park. In its core (north Côte-d'Or and Haute-Marne), any overflight below 1,000 m is forbidden without special authorisation.
6. Listed landscapes with high commercial value. Burgundy vineyard climats and the Besançon citadel on the UNESCO list, Grands Sites (Solutré, Bibracte), the Saut du Doubs falls: no general air ban, but consents to obtain.
7. Sensitive industrial sites. The upper-tier Seveso chemical platform at Tavaux, heavy nuclear-component plants at Le Creusot and Saint-Marcel, the Stellantis plant at Sochaux: missions only when commissioned by the operator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I receive the guide?

Right after payment you are redirected to the complete guide's page. Bookmark it, or print it to PDF (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, “Save as PDF”). Stripe also emails you the receipt.

Do I get an invoice?

Yes: Stripe generates the invoice and emails it. You can enter your company name and VAT number at checkout.

Is the guide kept up to date?

Yes. The guide's page is updated when the rules change; your access stays valid and you always read the latest version.

Does this guide replace the official texts or a training course?

No. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor a training organisation: the guide explains and organises the paperwork, with links to the official sources, which alone are authoritative.

Other guides

All regulation guides →

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