Drone Rules for Aero Club of Sorocaba
Controlled airspace requiring mandatory permission across the Aero Club of Sorocaba and Sorocaba International Airport (SDCO) sector. Standard drone operations are restricted within the flight training areas and active airport traffic circuits. All missions must be pre-authorized by DECEA via the SARPAS NG system.
The Aero Club of Sorocaba is integrated directly into the Sorocaba International Airport (SDCO) complex. Sorocaba is widely recognized as one of the premier executive aviation and maintenance hubs in South America, generating a high volume of corporate turboprops and private business jets. Concurrently, the Aero Club serves as an active civil aviation flight training facility.
Because of this specific operational blend, the airspace experiences an immense amount of low-altitude, high-frequency activity. Student pilots frequently perform flight training patterns, emergency maneuvers, and touch-and-go landings, sharing traffic circuits with larger executive aircraft. To protect both student aviators and corporate flight tracks, spontaneous drone flights are completely restricted. Any drone operation within this terminal zone requires a logged flight plan, strict adherence to low-altitude grids, and real-time coordination to ensure manned aircraft always maintain absolute right-of-way.
Regulatory Authorities: DECEA (Department of Airspace Control), ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency), and Rede VOA (Airport Infrastructure Administrator).
Primary Framework: Brazilian Air Force Command Instruction ICA 100-40 (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rules) and ANAC Operational Regulation RBAC-E No. 94.
Flight Planning Portal: Real-time safety boundaries, maximum altitude grids, and official airspace approval requests are managed exclusively via DECEA's SARPAS NG platform.