Flying drones in Pays de la Loire: zones, paperwork and contacts

Who it is for

• Companies, local authorities and project owners commissioning drone work in Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe or Vendée
• Professional remote pilots, French or foreign, planning flights in the region
• Production companies and agencies organising a shoot around an event in western France

What this guide does not do: This guide does not replace the Géoportail map on the day, NOTAMs and SUP AIPs, or remote pilot training · It grants no authorisation and cannot guarantee the consent of an airport, an industrial operator or a reserve manager

Contents of the complete guide

1. What is different about flying in Pays de la Loire (free extract below)
2. Airports, aerodromes and CTRs: the protocol map
3. Permanent sensitive sites: industrial estuary, military sites, prisons
4. Natural areas: the Loire, marshes, reserves and coast
5. The main cities, one by one
6. Filing the préfecture notification in the five départements
7. Recurring events and temporary restrictions
8. Decision table: city, constraint, step, lead time
9. Printable regional checklist
10. Official sources and updates

Included: 15 checklist items and 4 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This regional edition is for anyone who has to fly a drone, or commission a flight, between the Loire estuary, the Mayenne countryside, the Sarthe and the Vendée coast. It brings together what is specific to Pays de la Loire: the Nantes-Atlantique control zone, the secondary aerodromes, the industrial sites along the estuary, the coastal nature reserves, the major events that close the airspace, and how the prior notification works in each of the five départements (the French administrative counties, each run by a préfet).

Two ways to use it. If you are preparing one specific job, go straight to the decision table (chapter 8) and the checklist (chapter 9). If you are planning a multi-site or year-long programme, read it in order: chapters 2 to 7 explain why two addresses a few kilometres apart are not prepared the same way. The general EU and French framework (open and specific categories, STS-01 and STS-02, training, registration) is only recalled where it changes something locally.

Up to date as of 30 September 2026. C-DRONE is not the French civil aviation authority (DGAC), nor a préfecture, nor any official body: this guide is a planning tool. Only the official texts, the Géoportail drone restriction map, and the AIP, SUP AIPs and NOTAMs published by the French aeronautical information service (SIA) are authoritative. Restrictions change: always check them at the exact address, in the week of the job and again the day before.

What is different about flying in Pays de la Loire

The region has neither the Paris no-fly zone, nor Brittany's nuclear naval bases, nor the Rhône valley's power plants. That does not make its sky open. Seven specifics separate a well-prepared job from one cancelled on site.

1. The Nantes-Atlantique CTR covers much of the metropolitan area. The airport sits at Bouguenais, just south-west of Nantes, and its flight paths pass over the city. Many Nantes addresses, including the city centre and the Île de Nantes, fall in areas where the permitted height is reduced or zero without prior agreement. This is the first cost driver of any Nantes quote, ahead of urban density.
2. The estuary is a chain of sensitive industrial sites. From Nantes to Saint-Nazaire: the Airbus plant at Bouguenais, the Donges refinery, the LNG terminal and port terminals at Montoir-de-Bretagne, the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard and the Airbus plant in Saint-Nazaire. Several are SEVESO (major-hazard) sites or restricted-access port areas: no flight without the operator's written consent.
3. No nuclear plant, but aerodromes everywhere. Saint-Nazaire-Montoir, Angers-Marcé, Le Mans-Arnage, Laval-Entrammes, La Roche-sur-Yon, Cholet, Les Sables-d'Olonne-Talmont, La Flèche: every major town has its airfield. Constraints are lighter than in Nantes, but Géoportail often shows reduced maximum heights a few kilometres from the runways.
4. Le Mans closes its sky in spring. Around the Le Mans 24 Hours (cars in June, motorbikes in April), temporary restricted areas and, in some years, a temporary CTR are published by SUP AIP. During those periods, flying within several kilometres of the circuit and the Arnage aerodrome is ruled out without a specific protocol.
5. The coast is protected almost everywhere. National nature reserves (Baie de l'Aiguillon, Marais de Müllembourg on Noirmoutier), the hunting and wildlife reserve of the Traicts du Croisic, Natura 2000 sites on the salt marshes and the Vendée coast, the Brière regional nature park: low overflight of wintering or nesting birds is never trivial.
6. Lac de Grand-Lieu and the Marais Poitevin are major wetlands. The first is a national nature reserve south-west of Nantes, the second a regional nature park shared with Nouvelle-Aquitaine. In both, the protected area's own rules add to aviation law.
7. Five préfectures, one channel, local habits. The prior notification for flights over populated areas is filed online on AlphaTango (the DGAC's drone portal), which forwards it to the préfecture where the flight takes place, at least 10 working days ahead. During the switch to the new cerfa 15476*04 form, some préfectures still ask for the PDF by email: check the préfecture's drone page.

For regional industries and prices, see our guide to drone services in Pays de la Loire.

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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