Drone Rules for Lagoa Grande
Drone flights are allowed around Lagoa Grande in Ponta da Fruta for recreational and commercial purposes. Pilots must strictly avoid flying directly over people, maintain a safe distance from residential homes along Avenida Espírito Santo, and log their flight on the SARPAS NG platform before taking off.
Lagoa Grande is a large, scenic freshwater lagoon situated in the neighborhood of Ponta da Fruta, Vila Velha. The surrounding area comprises a mix of residential properties, local commerce, and open nature, making it an excellent spot for aerial photography and video.
While the airspace is open for operations, pilots must adhere to standard safety distances under Brazilian law, meaning the drone must stay at least 30 meters away from any non-consenting bystanders unless the pilot holds a specific waiver. Geographically, Ponta da Fruta sits just south of the active training zones used by the Aeroclube do Espírito Santo (Barra do Jucu) and the Jucu Army Training Camp. Because of this proximity, it is vital to keep the drone within visual line of sight (VLOS), strictly obey the altitude limits granted by the air traffic control system, and immediately ground the drone if low-flying manned aircraft or helicopters are spotted.
Regulatory Authorities: DECEA (Department of Airspace Control) and ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency).
Primary Framework: Air Force Command Instruction ICA 100-40 (Access to Airspace by Unmanned Aircraft Systems) and ANAC RBAC-E No. 94 (operational safety distances).
Flight Planning Portal: Standard flight requests and localized maximum altitude ceilings must be checked and registered via DECEA's official SARPAS NG platform.