Sicher Fliegen in jedem Land

FPV drones and drones in general are still a topic that is associated with "mixed feelings" in many countries. Now that the restrictions are slowly being eased, many of you are no doubt drawn to the great outdoors again. I bet you want to fly your drones to all the beautiful places and take great pictures. And I'm totally with you on that!

But there's always that one issue that makes me nervous: how legal is it in the country I want to travel to? There are some countries where you are not allowed to take drones, such as Saudi Arabia or Morocco. But there are also many countries where you can discover "whole new worlds" with a drone.

How do I know what is allowed? If you are reading this article, you probably already have an A1/A3 drone driver's license or are planning to get one. That's the first step in the right direction! Unfortunately, however, most countries have their own licenses. And if you're only traveling to such a country for 1 or 2 weeks: you can't do without this license, which usually involves a course and an exam. In my experience, you are much more relaxed if you have a drone license from the country in question.

Then there are a few other things you should check before you start:

Probably the most important question: is it legal to take my drone into the destination country? Just google the country. Then you should quickly get a result. Once you have checked this, the 2nd question arises:
What are the general restrictions? You can find general rules online if you search for <country name+drone laws>. Caution: read the laws and regulations on at least 3 different sites, as the information may be out of date.
Am I allowed to fly at this particular location? Do you already have the appropriate flying license? But do you also know the air and flight restriction zones? Download the airmap.io app to your cell phone and make sure that you are actually allowed to fly at the spot you have chosen. It's better not to do anything dubious, because if you get caught, it can very quickly have serious consequences for you and the entire FPV community.
Listen to your common sense! Would you fly over a group of people in your own country? Make sure you stay away from cities and groups of people. Follow your common sense and be sure that what you are doing is not perceived as "shady". If you fly with a clear conscience, that's half the battle. If you still want to do something special, ask for permission. For example, I wanted to fly over a historical site in China and approached the security officer. In this case, he agreed as long as I stayed away from people. Before you scream out loud, he was watching through a second pair of glasses and I also had a translator and a guide with me who translated everything I wanted to do.
Follow the frequency laws on site. This should be easy. Sometimes the frequencies we use at home are not legal in the vacation destination. Then of course you should adjust them.
Always have a spotter with you... and I can't emphasize this enough! Always have someone with you to keep an eye on your drone and your surroundings. Someone who tells you "Watch out, there's a family" when you land can save lives and your drone. And the same goes for your protection. If you have goggles on, you can't see what's going on around you.

If you are moving to another country, the same applies as for a short vacation. Find out exactly what laws apply in the country in question and what permits are required. For example: I've just moved to Australia, and that means I'm doing my licensing here under the protection of CASA. Some of the laws are slightly different to those in Europe. Therefore, I want to be sure that everything I do here is legal and safe for me, my fellow man and the FPV community.

If you want to know more about traveling with a drone, have a look at my post"Traveling with a drone in an airplane".

Or take a look at YouTube and see what I have with me on the road: