Looking to goto Italy in May and want to know can I fly my Spark or Air. I am aware that the Italians do have rules. Sorrento is not near any airports and I wasnt planning on flying very high anyway. maybe along the coastline.
Any advice would be helpful
Many thanks
Indeed I have.
Mainly (wherever I am) I use my “three golden rules of drone flying common sense”.
- Launch/land somewhere really quiet with nobody about.
- Fly away from where people are, and NEVER low(ish) over them, and
- Make each flight as brief as possible.
In Italy I was mainly taking photos, not video, so a quick flight to position, take pics, land … was my routine.
These three rules meant I usually flew without anyone even knowing that I was there, let alone able to make a fuss or tell me that I shouldn’t be flying there.
Even at a few more touristy attractions (eg. even at Basilica of Francis of Assisi!), I was always able to find a quiet place to fly from.
Being mid summer, and REALLY hot, in Southern Italy, many sizable villages/towns are nearly deserted between midday and 3pm for their “siesta”. That proved to be an enormously useful window to satisfy my rules 1 & 2, even in the town squares of most hill-top villages … a particular passion of mine.
I was not in traditional touristy areas or in large cities, so I never saw a “No Drones” sign in 3 months. Sorrento … perhaps more touristy.
TBH - I did always look briefly for signs, but I never asked anyone. Asking only primes people to have an opinion, and then there’s the problem of knowing exactly who to ask.
In short - avoid pissing people off! 
2 Likes
Fantastic response mate
I really appreciate it, sadly Spark only shoots at 30fps and Air shoots more and up to 4k. Guess take a chance, and maybe take the Air and abide by common drone rules and your comments.
Appreciate it 100%
Let you know when I get out of jail how I got on…LOL
Cheers
Barry
1 Like
I must admit that ,during 3 months, there were many instances where I wanted to fly, but didn’t … and kind of regret missing some great opportunities.
One time I was on a semi-motorway, and could see a stupendous castle off to the right. The road was really quiet and I was SO tempted to stop in the emergency layby and have a quick flight … but I resisted.
Sometimes I look back and think I was a tad too cautious … but that occasion was perhaps best to miss.
1 Like
Hi. I flew at Sorrento and Amalfi. Beautiful. No problem. Just flew as quick as possible to get to sea. Only issue I had was the phone got so hot it had CPU overload warning with jerky video. So I kept phone cool before flying. It was an iPhone 6. Not sure if this was pure heat or DJI Go App issue at the time.
Enjoy.
2 Likes
Just in the process of buying a CrystalSky monitor from “Jcborden” here on Grey Arrows so that should be no problemo
Barry
1 Like
Thinking of taking my MA to Italy
Does anyone know of any restrictions in Italy or at Gatwick ?
1 Like
This may help re Italy. Flown there a lot - never had any problem from the police, other than one that wanted pics of his house. 
I tend to fly in more remote places, so often nobody knows I’m there.
Can’t help re Gatwick … I’ve only ever driven to France/Switzerland/Austria/Italy/Belgium/Germany with my drones.
3 Likes
I have been through Gatwick last year, twice, Once to the Caribbean (Bridgetown), once to Sofia in Bulgaria, I had no problem with my Mavic Pro.
I think the UK Security is getting use to them now.
They never even stopped me and asked to check my bags.
The only advice I can give you is what I done.
I had my Mavic Pro in the same case as my Canon Camera, with its single battery (in case they wanted to power it up).
Make sure your batteries are ALL in your cabin baggage, with terminals protected against shorting, AND in Fireproof Bags.
NOTE: ALL the batteries must not have more than 25 to 30% charge in them when you fly, that is what the CAA recommend.
I had the other 2 batteries, remote, etc in my small suitcase that I took in the Cabin, together with the Camera Bag.
If you are stopped at the Gate and asked to put your Bags in the hold, tell them “you are not allowed to place Lipo Batteries in the hold” insist that they MUST go with you in the Cabin (Loading Personnel SHOULD know this!).
Follow that, and your should have no problems !
2 Likes
where in italy
Piedmont
Land of Barolo! My favourite wine!
2 Likes
Some of you may recall from another thread that I’m off to the Cineuqe Terre area in early October to meet up with friends from around Europe that also happen to be photographers. It’s our 7th or 8th such meetup.
Anyway, due to the nature of flights I’m staying on in the country for 2 full and 2 bit extra days and looking for suggestions of places you’d want to go or could recommend for me to a. fly my drone and take pics / video and b. take pics with my DSLR. As per my title this is mostly the Northern part of Italy and specifically Tuscany and nearby areas.
One place I want to go back to (sans family) is San Gimingano (or St Jimmy Jammies as my family named it) - I suspect this will be purely DSLR type photography though due to tne natureof this town,
So come on folks - tell me where you’ve flown / taken pics or plan to and why?
My current thinking is:
Part day 1 - leave AirBnB and make my way to San Gimingano / Siena / Arezzo area stay overnight here.
Day 2 - head to San Marino for a day then head up to outskirts of Venice stay overnigth here
Day 3 - Spend day in Venice, shoot sunrise and sunset if weather allows and generally be a tourist
Part day 4 - early start to Pisa - do a tourist bits then fly home.
Any - forget that or how about …? No accommodation yet booked for these extra nights so 100% flexible.
https://dronesafetymap.com/ is a good starting point for where not to fly.
Like for the UK, DJI NFZs are a simplistic global solution to preventing collision with commercial aircraft and avoiding some other sensitive areas.
That map uses more accurate data that’s relevant to drone flying.
It’s the same data as the NATS’ Drone Assist app. Perhaps there’s an Italian app … but chances are the text will be in Italian, so that site (in English) is useful in many countries.
1 Like
Thanks for that - I’m sure I’ve seen it before but had forgotten it.
And in all honesty, the drone side of it I’m not too worried about and very much more after suggestions of what I could shoot - drone or DSLR.
Have you been to Venice before? If not, I’d probably maximise time there: there’s no shortage of things to photograph, or just to see in general. I’ve been a couple of times and would go back tomorrow if I had the chance.
Yeah… I spent 4 days for my 10th WA there but that was many moons ago and I am considering that as an option.
1 Like
Of course, between Venezia and Pisa is the never-to-be-missed-even-if-you’ve-been-there-ten-times-before Firenze (Florence). … and Padua, too.
If you’re headed to Arezzo, the extra distance to Assisi should be considered.
More than cities and culture, I’m passionate about medieval Italian villages, especially those perched atop hills. Frontino (near San Marino) and Anghiari (near Arezzo) are still in my list to visit.
Some of these can be devoid of tourists … #bonus.
3 Likes
Excellent suggestions - I too like medieval Italian villages so will investigate and add these to my list of possibilities.
Florence I shall leave for a return trip with SWMBO as she’d like that as well.