Drones in Sicily

I hope you are prepared to invest some time in learning the ins and outs of this. It's more complicated than most people expect. There are lots of rules. There are MANY places where it is prohibited (or requires getting through a lot of bureaucracy to get a permit). Don't wait until the last minute to begin the process, it may take a while to complete.

Some background: Much depends on the kind of drone you have. Things are simplest with very small, very light drones without a camera or other sensor/recording device. If the drone is small enough (under 250 grams) you can skip some (not all) of the requirements; but even a small (under 250g) drone is highly regulated if it has a camera (as most do). The bigger (heavier) a drone, the greater the regulations and restrictions apply. The airspace restrictions (numerous, extensive, and taken very seriously) may seem daunting.

In most EU member states (such as Italy), drones are regulated by the EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency), the EU's rough equivalent to the US FAA. You can find EASA regulations here: EASA website, Civil Drones (unmanned aircraft, AKA UAS). Most (not all) of the web pages are available in both Italian and English. Use Google or find an Italian for pages without English versions.

In addition to the common EU-wide regulations, most EU member states have some additional national regulations that go beyond the EASA regulations. Here's a summary of the national-specific rules for Italy: Regulation of Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicles (English translation)

Generally speaking, all non-EU residents/visitors need to go through several steps, including:

1. You need to register as a drone operator
2. You need to study the EASA materials and pass a test. This can all be done online; there are fees but they are not high.
3. Apply for authorization
4. Most important of all: you must know where it is, and where it is not, legal to fly, and know where YOU are (it's the operator's responsibility to know) - and the drone operator must understand safety issues (these are not toys). Fines may be very high for violations. Please take safety seriously, and be considerate of others who you might be disturbing.

There's a tremendous amount of out-of-date info posted on websites that purport to explain the rules, be careful that you're accessing official sources, or trustworthy sources that are up-to-date.

All that said, here are the top-level, most basic rules and requirements as best I can tell:

• At all times, the drone must be within line-of-sight view of the operator
• You must register (if your drone has a camera, it doesn't matter if it weighs nothing, you still need to register)
• The drone must have a visible registration number
• A license is required for most drones (depends on how heavy/if it has a camera), The license is good across EU nations that have adopted the EASA rules.
• Maximum altitude is 120 meters (just under 400'). That's the maximum altitude anywhere (similar to in US airspace) but is often lower.
• Stay far away (5 kilometers/3 miles) from all airports and heliports (not just big international airports with jets; there are a lot more airports than most people think). Give way to any crewed aircraft that comes near.
• Respect privacy of others
• Liability insurance is required
• Minimum age for drone pilots is 16
• No flying over groups of people, near military/police installations or sensitive national assets (very broadly interpreted)
• Many parks, natural areas, most historic sights, and local jurisdictions have no-fly zones; check locally
• No flying after dusk

Yes, that's a lot. (It's serious stuff.)

I hope this helps point you in the right direction.

Let me add some more on the EU/EASA regulations.

As a non-EU resident visitor you need to register as a drone operator with the National Aviation Authority of the first EASA country (EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Iceland) you intend to operate from. It’s then valid for all other EASA countries.
In order to avoid any language issues I think your “intended first country” should be Ireland.
You need to read through the rules an pass an multi-choice online exam.
https://www.uaai.ie/drone-laws-ireland

In addition to EU wide rule there may be additional country specific requirements like a compulsory liability insurance that includes drones.
I use following web site (German only) to get an quick overview about country specific rules
https://drohnen-camp.de/drohnen-gesetze-in-italien/

Following Web-APP gives an overview about no-fly and restricted zones in Italy.
https://www.d-flight.it/web-app/
link to user manual https://www.d-flight.it/new_portal/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/D-Flight-Manuale_Utente_3_giugno_en.pdf

It requires some homework but is for sure doable.

I'm glad this subject came up and appreciate all the informed responses. I have seen gorgeous drone footage of European destinations and thought how much fun it would be to take one when traveling. This is certainly an eye opener.

In 2016 we were in Koblenz at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. A gentleman was flying a drone in the park there. He had set up a station from which he would launch and control the drone, including roping off a landing area. I'm sure he had gotten permits to fly, since it was a busy site and he would be flying over the crowd.

I think you and your grandson should sit down and go over the requirements. After that, map out your itinerary and overlay the restrictions and see how many true opportunities there will be. Also, anything larger than a DJI Mavic Mini is a pretty big kit that would add to your luggage burden.

For almost all of that spectacular drone footage one sees, either:

1) The operator has gone through an extensive (often shockingly bureaucratic) permitting process (I'm guessing all the drone footage that one sees in any Rick Steves TV shows has required this); or, more commonly...

2) The flights were done clandestinely and illegally (happens every day in many places). Plenty of people ignore every rule/regulation/law, either out of simple ignorance or open contempt. People do regularly get caught violating the rules, and if/when they decide to make an example, the consequences can be severe (big fines). I believe the vast majority of footage one sees on YouTube involves blatant airspace violations (surprise: authorities can and do use footage posted online to prosecute violators).

In remote locations, it's not hard to find places to fly legally and yes you can get some beautiful footage (although in practice, many remote places turn out to be no-fly zones, too: typically all national parks, most wildlife areas, most historical monuments, and many large cities are completely off limits; in EU countries there are many designated "natural" areas that have such protection).

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be challenging just to know what is and is not restricted (which many violators point to as their excuse when caught, all plead ignorance...that does not carry much weight). At least here in the USA, all the airspace restrictions are pretty clear, because all airspace is under the jurisdiction of the FAA, a federal agency (and they make finding airspace status quite simple, if one bothers to look). But the FAA only regulates the airspace itself, and countless other jurisdictions also regulate where a drone can operate from...not the airspace itself (only the FAA can regulate that), but where drones can legally takeoff and land, which can be regulated by any private owner, town, county, park, or other jurisdiction...unfortunately, those restrictions are not always immediately obvious, and it may require some effort to figure out that Township XYZ has a blanket ban on drone operations.

Unfortunately, even if you want to follow all the rules, it can be complicated and frustrating. As an example, I just tried to find an airspace map for Sicily (where the OP is headed). I went to the "d-flight" website linked above, which is the service that shows Italy's restricted airspace graphically; I was unable to accomplish that because their system requires registration, registration requires (among other things) an Italian "Tax ID" number (equivalent to a US SSN). My attempts to register for the site all failed (I'm guessing because of the tax ID number). Can't register, can't see the airspace map, can't know what's allowed or not. This is not unusual, as each nation set up its systems for its own citizens, not for visitors, and IME one often runs into this kind of technical "Catch 22."

@Paul636 - If you know how a non-Italian can register for the d-flight web service, please post here or send me a PM. The OP will probably run into this same problem if they want to fly their drone in Italy.

the consequences can be severe (big fines)

Not just fines, last year two men were sent to prison in Norway for illegal drone flights.

I hate to be the jerk here, but I would advise leaving the drone at home. They are extremely obnoxious to pretty much everyone but the drone operator. We have a second home in the mountains of Colorado and have encountered the damn buzzing whine of these things at high altitude lakes as well as beside our deck.

If your grandson wants to go through Sicily drawing the ire of the locals then by all means bring the drone.

I registered on D-Flight so it works fine. Was simple, quick and easy. Your first step is to register with the US government as a drone operator. Your second step is to create the free account on D-Flight. The site shows all the restricted airspace on an easy to read map. I checked Sicily and almost the entire island is open for drone use up to 120 meters. A few cities and airports and parks are off limits.

Your next step is to register with ENAC. For Italy you have to pay 6Euro to register as a drone operator annually. That can be done on the D-Flight website in the market place. That too is simple. The more complicated step is registering your drone if it weighs more than 250grams. (That is almost all drones.) I believe that costs 50 euro and is a one time requirement. Since you are not an EU member you need to follow the instructions here: https://www.enac.gov.it/en/safety-security/uas-drones/are-you-an-operator-holding-an-operational-authorization-issued-by Filling out the form is a pain in the major ....... as it's in Italian. There is a link to the form on the above page. I am traveling to the Dolomites, Rome and Amalfi coast for three weeks in September and October to do some photography and drone footage myself.

Lastly, if your drone carries a mounted camera (not on board camera) then there are strict requirements for flying. I suggest you stay away from drones with cameras mounted. Using something like a DJI mini or DJI Mavic Air don't fall under those restrictions.