But now there is a general drone ban above Meppel. That has everything to do with the medical drone flights between the hospital of Meppel and Zwolle. It is a test of Isala and ANWB, where real blood samples and other medical items will be flown. It means that from 1 September 2025 to 1 September 2026 there is a flight ban above the largest parts of Meppel. Only Nieuwveen countries and the Noord industrial areas are not included, but the entire center does.
Yet Bert Veldman is not struck very hard. The flight ban only applies from Monday to Thursday. “I usually do not fly during the weekends, because it is so quiet on the street. Then Friday will be over.”
And in the meantime he already has a huge stock of photos ready. “I can definitely go all winter.” Because the ban has been announced in advance, he tried to photograph all places and buildings of Meppel with the drone before 1 September. “That will not work of course. But I have a lot of photos that I can post from the winter. It will be fine.”
He does, however, put some questions about the upcoming flight ban above Meppel. That medical drone is at a height of 200 meters. I usually fly at 100 meters. And I find the strip where you can’t fly quite wide. Drones are fairly accurate, so the whole of Meppel suddenly has to fall under the ban? Anyway, I respect it. “
In any case, he is very busy flying safely with his drone. “I get a lot of requests from people to photograph their street. I always have to take into account where I fly. That I don’t hang over a garden.”
Nowadays he is ‘pretty boss’ drone, but in the beginning he didn’t think this would be something for him. “A comrade of mine had such a thing. He showed me.” That did not end well. “He flew against a tree, and the drone fell into the water. Then I thought:” That won’t be him with me “. But I have watched seriously videos on YouTube and had an afternoon of instructions from a drone instructor. Before I have this thing the air indeed, I was pretty well prepared what it can and what you should not do with such a thing.”