IMPORTANT NOTICE: Drone Operations Prohibited in Serra dos Órgãos National Park

AUTHORIZATION STATUS: CRITICAL PERMIT REQUIRED (RECREATIONAL FLIGHTS 100% BANNED)

• Recreational / Amateur Flights: Completely forbidden. No online registration, instant paid permits, or tourist licenses are available for remote-controlled aircraft anywhere inside the park's mountain circuits.
• Commercial, Media, or Research Flights: Allowed ONLY under exceptional circumstances. Requires a mandatory, minimum 45-day technical review, environmental licensing from ICMBio, and strict flight path registration through DECEA due to high-altitude mountain rescue corridors.

Operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/drone) inside this federal preservation sanctuary without prior official clearance is illegal due to strict environmental protection laws, public safety along vertical mountaineering routes, and severe alpine aviation hazards.

🗺️ Geographic Map Boundaries (Where it is prohibited)

The flight ban applies to the entire official polygon of 20,030 hectares (200.3 km²) of the National Park, spanning across the municipalities of Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Magé, and Guapimirim in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

• High Mountain Peaks Sector: Includes the Dedo de Deus spires, Escalavrado, Pico do Açú, and Pedra do Sino (the highest point at 2,275 meters). Flying here is strictly monitored.
• Trekking Trails Corridor: The entire 42-kilometer Petrópolis-Teresópolis crossing route. Unauthorized drones along these narrow ridges endanger hikers and climbers.
• Lower Forest Sector: Areas surrounding the Teresópolis headquarters, structural waterfalls, and natural pools characterized by dense Atlantic Forest canopy.

📜 Key Regulations and Specific Legal Articles

• ICMBio Normative Instruction No. 61/2020: Federal administrative ordinance governing all Conservation Units in Brazil, completely banning recreational remote-controlled aviation inside National Parks.
• Federal Law No. 9,605/1998 (Environmental Crimes Act - Art. 29 & 40): Penalizes any acoustic action that alters wildlife behavior. High-frequency drone noise induces intense stress in endangered species like the Jaguarundi, Neotropical Otters, and native birds of prey that nest on the vertical granite rock faces.
• DECEA ICA 100-40 & Severe Weather Hazards: The mountain range is notorious for sudden, violent micro-bursts of wind, thermal updrafts, and dense fog (viração). Drones face extreme risks of instant battery voltage collapse due to rapid temperature drops, causing aircraft to crash into inaccessible canyons, leaving hazardous lithium-polymer waste.

⚖️ Penalties for Violations

Failure to comply with these federal regulations will result in immediate legal actions:

1. Immediate Equipment Seizure: Physical confiscation of the drone, remote controller, and all storage media by ICMBio Federal Rangers or Environmental Police.
2. Administrative Financial Sanctions: Severe environmental fines applied by ICMBio starting at R$ 5,000.00 under Federal Decree 6,514/08.
3. Criminal Penalties: Detention and criminal prosecution under Article 261 of the Brazilian Penal Code for endangering air transport safety and mountain rescue helicopter operations.

🎥 Official Media and Research Licensing (How to request)

For institutional, scientific, or licensed commercial cinematography:

• Permits must be requested at least 45 business days in advance through the official ICMBio SISBIO System.
• Pilots must obtain specific airspace clearance via the DECEA SARPAS system, matching the precise flight window coordinates.

Thank you for protecting the mountain wildlife, respecting mountaineering safety, and keeping the skies safe for emergency aviation.