The Drone Map is an application in which you can see, by country, what the official regulations are for flying drones. In each country you will be able to see both the regulations and the map with the areas where you can fly and where you must request permits to fly. With this, I want to facilitate and provide you with a tool that provides you with the information to request permissions in one site.
Drone map in Spain
To fly a drone in Spain, all users must register as drone operators with AESA and obtain an operator number according to European regulations. On the website I have a section where I explain how to register as a drone operator: DRONE OPERATOR REGISTRATION IN AESA. It is also mandatory to have public liability insurance and it is advisable to have some pilot training. From here I recommend that you at least have the A1/A3 which can be done from the AESA website itself, it is free and there is a lot of information about the regulations.
And, of course, in general, we cannot exceed 120m in height, we must not fly less than 8km from an airport, we cannot fly over groups of people and the drone must always be within visual range.
Drone map in Portugal
To fly a drone in Portugal, the organization that regulates the use of drones is the ANAC (National Civil Aviation Association). In addition, to take images and videos with a drone you must register with the AAN (National Aeronautical Authority). Once you register with the AAN, you have to sign a document that they send you to the email with which you registered. Once the registration and signing process is completed, within the application you have to register your drones and you have a section where you can see the areas in which you can fly and those in which you have to request permissions. To request permission it is very simple, from the “areas” section you can select where you want to fly and they will take care of doing all the necessary procedures with whoever is necessary. Of course, keep in mind that all requests to fly must be made 10 days in advance.
One of the big differences with Spain is that you can manage all the permits from the website itself, there is no need to contact several institutions, they take care of everything. And another difference is that there are areas limited by height.
You also have to download an app called Voa Na Boa, in which you can see on your phone the map where you can fly and where you can’t. It is really useful and very well implemented. This app is official from the ANAC and there you have all the information about the flight zones.
As a general rule, the drone should not exceed 120m in height, it cannot be flown at night, it cannot fly over groups of people and it should not be flown near military bases, embassies or airports.
Drone map in Italy
The organization that regulates drones in Italy is called ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority). If you are going to fly a drone recreationally, what you have to do is register as an operator on the D-Flight portal, approved by ENAC. Once you register, you must register as a drone operator with your data and register your drones and your civil liability insurance. As a detail to take into account, recreationally, the drone cannot exceed 70m in height. The rest is similar to Spain: It is prohibited to fly near airports (less than 5km), you cannot fly at night, you cannot fly over groups of people and you must always keep the drone in sight.
Drone map in France
French authorities allow drone flights under DGAC (Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile) regulations, so you have to register your drone there before flying it. AND BE CAREFUL, if you are going to fly recreationally, you cannot exceed 50m in height. You need to sign up in Alpha Tango if your have a dron with 800gr or more. To fly a drone in France there are some differences. Maximum height is 120m and that depending on the areas there are height limitations, as in Portugal. You also cannot fly at night, do not lose sight of the drone, do not fly over people…
Drone map in Iceland
Flying drones in Iceland is amazing. It’s a country with much fewer restrictions than other countries and all the information about drone flying is highly provided by the competent authorities. On this website (https://island.is/en/drone-operation) you have all the information about the use of drones in Iceland, but in any case I will detail it below:
- The drone must be marked with your name, address and phone number.
- You cannot get closer than 2km to international airports or 1.5km to other types of airports.
- You cannot fly more than 120m. You also cannot get closer than 150m to public buildings or 50m to urban areas without the owner’s permission.
- In many areas there are signs prohibiting the use of drones. You have to check them before flying.
- If the flights are for commercial purposes, they must be registered here https://eydublod.samgongustofa.is/236366267589355795371. On recreational flights it’s not necessary to register.
- If we want to fly in a specific category, here are all the conditions, which change a little: https://island.is/en/specific-category
In the next button I leave you the drone map of Iceland, where you can see the natural parks where permission is required to fly the drone. The largest is the Skaftafell nature park. In this url you have all the information about the general rules for flying drones there and the form to request permission: https://www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/thjodgardurinn/reglur-um-notkun-flygilda-i-afthreyingarskyni
As an extra, I advise you to keep an eye on this website https://island.is/en/o/transport-authority, in case there is any news that prohibits the use of drones due to weather conditions. For example, due to the eruption of a volcano or things like that.