Drone Rules for São Miguel do Oeste Airport
Critical No-Fly Zone covering Hélio Wassum Airport (SSMO). All unauthorized drone flights are strictly prohibited within this airspace to eliminate collision risks with regional executive aircraft, medical evacuation flights, and agricultural aviation. Onlyoperations with explicit DECEA clearance via SARPA.
Hélio Wassum Airport (SSMO) is a strategic regional airfield located in São Miguel do Oeste, in the far west of Santa Catarina. While it does not handle heavy commercial airline traffic, it serves as a vital logistical hub for the region, accommodating steady executive aviation, government transport, emergency medical evacuations, and low-flying agricultural aircraft.
Because the airfield is situated near local highways and expanding rural-urban borders, arriving and departing aircraft operate under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at low altitudes directly over the surrounding terrain. Due to the unpredictable nature of medical and private flight schedules, any uncoordinated drone activity in this vicinity poses an immediate threat to flight safety. Spontaneous or recreational drone flights within the airfield perimeter or its active traffic patterns are completely banned under federal law (Brazilian Penal Code, Art. 261).
Regulatory Authorities: DECEA, ANAC, and the Municipal Administration of São Miguel do Oeste.
Primary Framework: ICA 100-40 (DECEA) and Article 261 of the Brazilian Penal Code.
Flight Planning Portal: Operational safety grids and airspace restrictions are managed via SARPAS NG and Aisweb.