Flying drones in Grand Est: zones, paperwork and contacts

Who it is for

• Manufacturers, logistics firms, public bodies and consultancies commissioning drone work between Strasbourg, Metz, Nancy, Reims, Troyes and Mulhouse
• Professional pilots, including operators based in Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium or Switzerland, preparing a job on the French side
• 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 Grand Est (free extract below)
2. Airports, control zones and airfields
3. Permanent prohibited areas: nuclear and defence
4. Military low-level airspace and borders
5. Parks, reserves, mountains and lakes
6. Main cities: key constraint and what to do
7. Prior notification and formalities: step by step
8. Recurring events: when the sky closes
9. Grand Est checklist and official sources

Included: 14 checklist items and 4 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This regional edition brings together, for the ten départements of Grand Est (Ardennes, Aube, Marne, Haute-Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Vosges), everything specific to the region when you want to fly a drone or commission a mission: nuclear and military prohibited areas, airports and control zones, the military low-flying network, borders with four countries, protected natural areas, 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, including cross-border operators.

Read chapter 1 for the overview, then the chapter that matches your site. Chapters 7 to 9 are for building the file: formalities, calendar, printable checklist.

Up to date as of 30 September 2026. The exact limits of zones (radius, ceiling, activation hours) 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 Grand Est

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. In Grand Est, eight features change how you prepare.

1. Four nuclear prohibited areas. Cattenom (Moselle), Chooz (Ardennes), Nogent-sur-Seine (Aube) and Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin, shut down in 2020 but still covered by its zone): circles several kilometres wide, active at all times.
2. Four borders. Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland: a French notification or authorisation stops at the line. On the Rhine, the border runs mid-river.
3. Two control zones starting at ground level. Strasbourg-Entzheim and EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg have Class D CTRs from the surface; Metz-Nancy-Lorraine and Paris-Vatry add their own controlled airspace.
4. A strong military air presence. Active fighter bases at Saint-Dizier and Nancy-Ochey, large training camps in Champagne and Lorraine, the Mutzig prohibited area: checking each zone on Géoportail is mandatory.
5. The very-low-level network. Sections of the military RTBA network cross the north-east; their activation is checked daily on the AZBA page.
6. Strasbourg, a European capital. European Parliament plenary weeks, summits and the Christmas market bring temporary zones and ad hoc bans.
7. Natural areas with their own bans. Core of the Forêts national park (overflight below 1,000 m forbidden without authorisation), Rhine reserves closed below 300 m, six regional nature parks, the Forêt d'Orient and Der lakes.
8. The Verdun red zone and remembrance sites. Ceremonies with temporary zones, ground still full of unexploded ordnance: stay airborne and do not land just anywhere.

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.

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