Travel to Europe

[Willard]

Hi guys;

On July 20 my wife and I will travel from Canada to London for an 8 day "glimpse of europe" tour and then 4 extra days in northern Holland before going home.

I'm a very new owner of a Spark and wondered about taking it along. Can I expect any issues travelling between England, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and France?

What's the best way to pack for airline travel? Check the AC, etc. and bring the batteries in my carry on? Bring the whole bag with me as carry on? Will I need lipo bags for my batteries?

 

[klauskkinski]

I can answer for Switzerland - it is very liberal compared to some other countries like Austria or Croatia - flying is in general ok here There are still some no- or limited-fly zones which you can find HERE. Rules are published HERE.

Flying sparks is ok almost everywhere (under 0.5 kg or about 1 lbs) except in nature reservations (which are absolute no-fly). Still, keep common sense -- privacy laws are valid everywhere and don't push it around the airports. No flying over groups of people and maintain visual contact with the drone...

Have a nice trip!

 

[suprPHREAK]

I can't answer for Europe, but having recently flown from Canada:

I brought everything in my carry on. FkyMore w/4 batteries. No need for LiPo bags, and nothing was mentioned in that regard. Could be that they were in the FlyMore bag was sufficient. As far as checking the aircraft itself, I wouldn't. Baggage handlers may not be gentle, and the temperatures in cargo may be well outside of tolerances.

 

[fredoman]

France :
No license / registration required for Spark.
No flight zones : all urbanized areas (towns/villages), national parks, around airports / military areas / power plants...
Restricted areas are mapped here :
Géoportail
red: no flight, light red : height limit <30m, orange : <50m , yellow <100m.
General height limit 150m, no flying above groups of people.

Enjoy flying in France there is a lot of nice scenery !

 

[sparkydt]

Hi guys;

On July 20 my wife and I will travel from Canada to London for an 8 day "glimpse of europe" tour and then 4 extra days in northern Holland before going home.

I'm a very new owner of a Spark and wondered about taking it along. Can I expect any issues travelling between England, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and France?

What's the best way to pack for airline travel? Check the AC, etc. and bring the batteries in my carry on? Bring the whole bag with me as carry on? Will I need lipo bags for my batteries?

I live in the netherlands (northern part near amsterdam) there are some no fly zones around schiphol (near amsterdam and rotterdam are biggest).

There are fantastic flower fields and offcourse windmills to make great footage!

At the beach it is allowed to fly but be aware of intense wind ;-).

Here is a link with all the info ;
Rules for recreational use of drones

And a screenshot with the no fly zones.

 

[Thierry H.]

For recreational pilots (class 1) in Belgium, basically
- altitude <10 m
- weight < 1 kg
- only from/over private terrain (your garden, for example), > 3 km away from airport/field
- away from any risk area (buildings, population, ...)
Link for more detailed info (pdf file in French): https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/resources/files/drone_-_classe1.pdf
See also on Foreign drones/operators/pilots | SPF Mobilité
and on https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/resources/files/asil_2017_01_drone_flying.pdf

Probably one of the most restrictive/stringent legislations/requirements around. Just saying ...

 

[Willard]

Thanks! We will actually be staying in Leeuwarden as we have family living nearby in Steins and Berlikum. The cultural capitol activities will add to the experience. Looks like I won't be flying much there though :+(

I live in the netherlands (northern part near amsterdam) there are some no fly zones around schiphol (near amsterdam and rotterdam are biggest).

There are fantastic flower fields and offcourse windmills to make great footage!

At the beach it is allowed to fly but be aware of intense wind ;-).

Here is a link with all the info ;
Rules for recreational use of drones

And a screenshot with the no fly zones.View attachment 5396

 

[Willard]

Thanks all for the replies! We'll see what space is left in the carry on bag - sounds like there is not much issue with taking everything the Flymore case will hold? Not sure what opportunities I will have to fly, but it will be once in a lifetime footage for me for sure.

 

[Barennes]

For recreational pilots (class 1) in Belgium, basically
- altitude <10 m
- weight < 1 kg
- only from/over private terrain (your garden, for example), > 3 km away from airport/field
- away from any risk area (buildings, population, ...)
Link for more detailed info (pdf file in French): https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/resources/files/drone_-_classe1.pdf
See also on Foreign drones/operators/pilots | SPF Mobilité
and on https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/resources/files/asil_2017_01_drone_flying.pdf

Probably one of the most restrictive/stringent legislations/requirements around. Just saying ...

"Flying below 10m and only over a private place" (!) Looks like a nightmare guys. I can't one second imagine flying the Spark this way ! That's enough to seek for immediate political asylum anywhere...
Hope such a castrating rule will never apply to other CE countries.

for you belgians:

 

[Thierry H.]

"Flying below 10m and only over a private place" (!) Looks like a nightmare guys. I can't one second imagine flying the Spark this way ! That's enough to seek for immediate political asylum anywhere...
Hope such a castrating rule will never apply to other CE countries.

for you belgians:

Something we can only dream of ...
Wonder why some of your fellow citizens move to Belgium; Probably not for flying their drone ! ... ;-)

 

[MartyTravelsTheWorld]

In Germany you'll need a fireproof metal sticker with your details on it attached to your drone and I think liability insurance is mandatory.

Not sure how strict they are at border control. Haven't been home with my drone yet ;-)