Guys, going to Venice Italy in September, anyone know what permissions (if any) I will need to film?? I've seen plenty of youtube footage of Venice so it can be done - I just want to do it all legally
Filming in Venice Italy???
- Thread starter Robin Slater
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Boy I will start paying close attention to threads like these - I want to bring mine to southeast Asia. Italians tend to be pretty easy with "rules", but around the cathedral and some of the tight waterways, who knows. I hope the coast is clear for you ... of course we expect a video when you get back!!
I live in Italy and I didn't understand nothing about rules, because they are too complicated has normally happens in this fancy country. That's a good news and bad in the same time, depending on the cops you face.
Flying over people is normally prohibited unless you have a special permit to ask to ENAC (our FAA but more burocratic), but you need a license for that. Too add more, each municipality can rules on their own, and may be that in San Marco square they can make big difficulties to a drone..
Anyway you can try.. You get no jail for that, I hope.
I would be very careful in such a crowded area. There are many pitfalls to consider as well. Buildings are close together and lots of potential interference from various sources. If the authorities were to confront you and confiscated your drone, chances of getting it back would be slim. It wouldn't be for me!
I'm also going to Venice, Tuscany, and Rome in September. My wife doesn't want me to bring my p3 :-(. But man the scenery would be so great! Really torn in this one!
Bring it with you !!
But be careful on crowded areas and keep away from monuments, if something go wrong you risk serious trouble!! In other places, in the worst case, cops will tell you to bring your P3 down... Don't fly it in San Pietro square in Rome for example, nor in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Apart this, in Tuscany if you go in the open fields, hills and small towns you will get really nice footage... at no risk.
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Guys, I was in Venice many times. I live 160 miles North of Venice but I'm not Italian actually.
For my opinion you should come very early in the morning before the sunrise. I was in Venice typically at around 4:20 AM. Left my car at the parking lot and then I was walking towards San Marco square. It was still completely dark at 5 AM but you could see some light on the East at that time.
This is what you get at the early hours. (I'm sorry but I tried to add it as a photo. Unfortunately it didn't work.)
I can tell you the San Marco Square was completely empty till 7 AM and at that time they started cleaning it. There were just some very rare tourists at the market and some people were walking to work.
You're free to contact me for more info.
PS. I didn't fly my P3P in Venice yet since I only have it for some more than a month.
For my opinion you should come very early in the morning before the sunrise. I was in Venice typically at around 4:20 AM. Left my car at the parking lot and then I was walking towards San Marco square. It was still completely dark at 5 AM but you could see some light on the East at that time.
This is what you get at the early hours. (I'm sorry but I tried to add it as a photo. Unfortunately it didn't work.)
I can tell you the San Marco Square was completely empty till 7 AM and at that time they started cleaning it. There were just some very rare tourists at the market and some people were walking to work.
You're free to contact me for more info.
PS. I didn't fly my P3P in Venice yet since I only have it for some more than a month.
So did you fly in Venice? Was there any trouble?
Planning to visit next month and would like to know the possibility of flying there..
To be on safer side - plan to fly early in the morning (between 6am - 7am) or evening (after 7pm); and plan my flight path to be mostly not flying over the buildings + plan a flight path over water adjacent to buildings to avoid trouble..
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I was in Venice Italy this morning and was flying there with my Phantom 3. That includes flying over San Marco square.
The thing is you have to be there at the sun rise. That's was at 5:40 AM today. I had to wake up at 1:45 AM to get that at the sunrise. Forget the sunset.
Sunrise is the best choice where ever you go. That's valid for the US national parks also. The thing is the areas aren't crowded at that time. People like to sleep at that time and have fun. So all the areas are nearly empty. But for US national parks. The park rangers only arrive at 8 AM.
But in the evening all of the areas are crowded.
There are some tricks that are good to know for flying your drone in Venice. Like. What's the best spot to fly over San Marco square and surroundings.
Screenshots from my DJI GO applications. BTW. I was flying over the water so many times because two huge ships were landing at the port and I was flying by those ships and over them.
The thing is you have to be there at the sun rise. That's was at 5:40 AM today. I had to wake up at 1:45 AM to get that at the sunrise. Forget the sunset.
Sunrise is the best choice where ever you go. That's valid for the US national parks also. The thing is the areas aren't crowded at that time. People like to sleep at that time and have fun. So all the areas are nearly empty. But for US national parks. The park rangers only arrive at 8 AM.
But in the evening all of the areas are crowded.
There are some tricks that are good to know for flying your drone in Venice. Like. What's the best spot to fly over San Marco square and surroundings.
Screenshots from my DJI GO applications. BTW. I was flying over the water so many times because two huge ships were landing at the port and I was flying by those ships and over them.
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No way to fly over San Marco square! If you don't have an Italian RPAS valid license, you may fly only for fun, like if you are flying a RC plane. This means outside cities/buildings, max height 70 mt (210 feet) and max distance 200 mt. Daylight and Vlos. Or use a RPAS weighting LESS than 0,3 kg (0,66 lb) with prop guards... Italian rules may be found (in English also) here: Enac - Regolamento "Mezzi Aerei a Pilotaggio Remoto"
I was in Venice Italy this morning and was flying there with my Phantom 3. That includes flying over San Marco square.
The thing is you have to be there at the sun rise. That's was at 5:40 AM today. I had to wake up at 1:45 AM to get that at the sunrise. Forget the sunset.
Sunrise is the best choice where ever you go. That's valid for the US national parks also. The thing is the areas aren't crowded at that time. People like to sleep at that time and have fun. So all the areas are nearly empty. But for US national parks. The park rangers only arrive at 8 AM.
But in the evening all of the areas are crowded.
There are some tricks that are good to know for flying your drone in Venice. Like. What's the best spot to fly over San Marco square and surroundings.
Screenshots from my DJI GO applications. BTW. I was flying over the water so many times because two huge ships were landing at the port and I was flying by those ships and over them.
Thank you very much.. I really appreciate the screenshots - interestingly pretty much the same path that I was planning to fly..
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Hey you’re welcomed. Glad to help.
Please be informed that if you’re standing at the Punta della Dogana and you’re flying around Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute or even over Grand Canal, but very close to the Basilica, you may be disconnected from your drone. It happened to me for a few times. It’s a good idea to set your Return to Home height to at least 100 meters since these buildings are all lower than 100 meters. The Tower at San Marco square is 99 meters tall.
There are many seagulls around but no one attacked my drone.
If you need any additional info please let me know.
Please be informed that if you’re standing at the Punta della Dogana and you’re flying around Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute or even over Grand Canal, but very close to the Basilica, you may be disconnected from your drone. It happened to me for a few times. It’s a good idea to set your Return to Home height to at least 100 meters since these buildings are all lower than 100 meters. The Tower at San Marco square is 99 meters tall.
There are many seagulls around but no one attacked my drone.
If you need any additional info please let me know.
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BTW. I use my Osprey Aether 70 backpack to wear my DJI Phantom around. It doesn't make me look suspicious.
Thanks a lot for the info.. the part of flying I plan near SanMarco, I would mostly plan it on Litchi App..
A very good tip on the RTH height..
Enjoy your trip & flights !!
I know this thread is old but if anyone else is planning to drone in Venice, Italy please be aware that Venice is a no fly zone for drones for many obvious reasons. In the best case scenario you will be fined
Sent from my SM-N920I using PhantomPilots mobile app
I'm going in two weeks to Cavallino, was planning on going to Venice to get some good footage and pictures. Thanks for the info.
Do you know if Rome is a no fly zone?
-I plan on renting an apt. unit on the top floor of a 5 storey building with a private large terrace (perfect for launching safely) in Rome, in-between Piazza Venezia one way the Colliseum the other and over-looking the forum straight ahead.
I only want to go straight up 20 metres one time at before dusk to take some pics and come straight back down fast.
I read we can't fly in "restricted areas" but there's no definition for restricted.
Would you know the restrictions in Rome?
But then again...I think going straight up and down fast won't attract police or anybody's else's attention. I think it's a safe gamble.
But I still want to know what's legal.
Thank you
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I personally wouldn't fly in Rome...I had a drone with me pretty much everywhere in Italy and only got to fly it in Lake Como area, very early in the morning with almost no one around. And even then DJi Go app displayed a message asking if I knew what I was doing.
Rome is very busy at all times. If you get caught, expect a hefty fine at best and another nail in the coffin of drone regulations. There was a French tourist who got caught flying a drone over the Coliseum (!) that is now risking €100k fine (I read about it in the paper).
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For my opinion drones are the future and they are here to stay no matter what. You will see them all over the cities probably in less than 10 years. And that will look pretty normal to anyone. It’s just that some people always resist the change and can’t adopt.
But we’re currently at the same stage as the car industry was when the first cars were introduced some more than a century ago. At that time many opposed to the cars just like many oppose to the drones these days. But no matter that most of us drive cars now and I can’t see anyone still uses a horse for any other use than a hobby.
Well some people simply don’t think what they are doing. This is why they get caught. Sometimes you have to ask for permission and you won’t believe that even the police would allow you to fly even when it’s prohibited. But sometimes you have to work undercover to avoid being detected.
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