Going from the U.S. to Greece in 10 weeks. Anything that I need to know about taking my drone?

[JustJeff]

Hey everyone. As the title states, I'm going to Greece shortly, and want to take my drone with me. I'm strictly a noob at both flying as well as knowing the rules for intercontinental travel. I remember seeing a gentleman on this form who posted videos of/from Greece a lot last year when I was on here a lot. It would be nice if he chimed in and wised me up. But in case he doesn't see this post and give a guy a hand, does anybody else know if I'll be able to take my drone with me, and fly it while I'm there? I'd really love to get some good videos as a keepsake when I'm there. I appreciate any help that anyone can give me, thanks in advance.

 

[slup]

In Europe there are certain registrations & licenses you need to have to fly legally... which you can't escape just because you're a tourist or have done the proper drill in US.

-If you're the responsible for the UAV flight you need to be registered as a drone operator.

-Depending on drone weight (or C-class) you might need to pass a web test & receive your UAV pilot license.

-Follow the air space regulations where you fly.

All EU countries are mostly governed by the same regulator, the EASA... what can differ between countries are where they are in the implementation plan. The registrations & licenses are also valid in all EU countries & the application can be made in any of them.

Also... & a important one.

Don't rely on something that somebody said on a forum or what you've read on some 3:rd party site that tries to compile the rules for a certain country... this information can be false or outdated & it's no excuse if you get busted to claim that "somebody said..."

If in doubt you should contact the official authority for the correct information... in the case of Greece you find it here:

Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority - Releases

 

[FromBerlin]

Can you specify which drone you are flying? Mostly it will boil down whether you hit the 250g limit or not.
under 250g - easy peasy. Register your drone with the greek authority (see General Aviation & Drones), fly according to the OPEN-A1 regulation (ie make sure you dont fly higher than 120ms, dont fly over people congregation, dont (!!) fly with camera in private areas/resorts, ... check out the official guideline by EASA Open Category - Low Risk - Civil Drones | EASA). If you (likely) dont have eID (different to Remote-ID), put a sticker with your registration number to the drone and go.
If your drone is heavier than 250gs and has NOT a european C classification, you will have much higher hurdles (and may consider buying a cheap DJI Mini SE). At minimum, the registration and a A3 certificate (training, multiple choice tests, approx 25$ to pay) will be required - but you still may see severe restrictions flying in the vicinity of populated are (including beaches) (see also the EASA link above)

 

[JustJeff]

Can you specify which drone you are flying? Mostly it will boil down whether you hit the 250g limit or not.
under 250g - easy peasy. Register your drone with the greek authority (see General Aviation & Drones), fly according to the OPEN-A1 regulation (ie make sure you dont fly higher than 120ms, dont fly over people congregation, dont (!!) fly with camera in private areas/resorts, ... check out the official guideline by EASA Open Category - Low Risk - Civil Drones | EASA). If you (likely) dont have eID (different to Remote-ID), put a sticker with your registration number to the drone and go.
If your drone is heavier than 250gs and has NOT a european C classification, you will have much higher hurdles (and may consider buying a cheap DJI Mini SE). At minimum, the registration and a A3 certificate (training, multiple choice tests, approx 25$ to pay) will be required - but you still may see severe restrictions flying in the vicinity of populated are (including beaches) (see also the EASA link above)

I'm flying an Air 2S. But based on what you've just said, I may just go get a Mini 4 so that I can stay under the 250g limit, and have fewer hurdles to jump through to fly. Thank you for your input.

 

[BOREAS]

Slup and FromBerlin have outlined the EASA regs that apply, but be aware that the Greek HCAA has at least one variation (insurance requirements). There may be others, so check with HCAA.

Please be aware that Greece does have a lot of flight restricted areas. Check on the official sight: Drone Aware - GR

 

[wco81]

Slup and FromBerlin have outlined the EASA regs that apply, but be aware that the Greek HCAA has at least one variation (insurance requirements). There may be others, so check with HCAA.

Please be aware that Greece does have a lot of flight restricted areas. Check on the official sight: Drone Aware - GR

My understanding is that you have to apply for permits for each area you want to fly in with the HCAA, similar to how Portugal does it.

If you're already registered in another EU country, both the pilot and the drone, does the HCAA require additional registration?