newbie here and seeking advice to fly in Finland

[anotherEd]

Welcome to the forum from the beautiful woods of Maine!

appreciate it!

 

[JimSteadman]

hello all!

will be headed to Finland end of December and hope to get some aerials of Helsinki and Saariselkä.
main challenge is of course temperature. plan to keep batteries inside coat and keep flights close and short.
would greatly appreciate any suggestions and personal experiences!

I was in Helsinki in December, 2018 and even then the area of Helsinki that was the most photogenic (around the Cathedral and government buildings) was clearly marked (in English) as a NO DRONE ZONE. Not owning a drone at the time, I didn't really pay attention to the perimeter of the zone, but I am sure you can pull it up on line. In December there is a great Chistmas Market in that square in front of the Cathedral, but the only way to do photo shooting above it is to climb the endless staircase to the Cathedral and focus down on it. Not like having a drone, but better than nothing. Temps were not significantly colder than England in the winter. Helsinki is on the Baltic, which moderates the climate a bit.

I am not sure how far north you are going, but we went up north of the arctic circle and rode dogsleds and snowmobiles. I do not recall any areas that had NO DRONE ZONE signs posted. As to the temperatures, frankly we were surprised that it was as warm as it was. We were prepared for sub-zero (Farenheit) tems, but it was only a few degrees below freezing. This was early December, so it likely gets colder further into the season. I have often flown my drone in temps that low or lower with no problems. If you do, be careful to wrap it up when you come inside and let it warm up slowly to avoid condensation on the drone or lens of the camera.

Finland is a wonderful country, full of helpful genuinely nice people. Enjoy your trip.

 

[waynorth]

I was in Helsinki in December, 2018 and even then the area of Helsinki that was the most photogenic (around the Cathedral and government buildings) was clearly marked (in English) as a NO DRONE ZONE.

Yes, in some areas in Helsinki drone flying is prohibited. Here is a map showing which areas are No Drone Zones:

Where is flying prohibited? | Droneinfo

In Finland there are many areas where flying a drone is prohibited (e.g nuclear power plants, oil refineries and state administration areas).

droneinfo.fi

 

[anotherEd]

Welcome to the forum from the beautiful woods of Maine!

thanks!

 

[anotherEd]

Yes, in some areas in Helsinki drone flying is prohibited. Here is a map showing which areas are No Drone Zones:

Where is flying prohibited? | Droneinfo

In Finland there are many areas where flying a drone is prohibited (e.g nuclear power plants, oil refineries and state administration areas).

droneinfo.fi

thanks for your first hand experience and will check out your links!

 

[anotherEd]

I was in Helsinki in December, 2018 and even then the area of Helsinki that was the most photogenic (around the Cathedral and government buildings) was clearly marked (in English) as a NO DRONE ZONE. Not owning a drone at the time, I didn't really pay attention to the perimeter of the zone, but I am sure you can pull it up on line. In December there is a great Chistmas Market in that square in front of the Cathedral, but the only way to do photo shooting above it is to climb the endless staircase to the Cathedral and focus down on it. Not like having a drone, but better than nothing. Temps were not significantly colder than England in the winter. Helsinki is on the Baltic, which moderates the climate a bit.

I am not sure how far north you are going, but we went up north of the arctic circle and rode dogsleds and snowmobiles. I do not recall any areas that had NO DRONE ZONE signs posted. As to the temperatures, frankly we were surprised that it was as warm as it was. We were prepared for sub-zero (Farenheit) tems, but it was only a few degrees below freezing. This was early December, so it likely gets colder further into the season. I have often flown my drone in temps that low or lower with no problems. If you do, be careful to wrap it up when you come inside and let it warm up slowly to avoid condensation on the drone or lens of the camera.

Finland is a wonderful country, full of helpful genuinely nice people. Enjoy your trip.

good info and will keep them in mind. we’re only there for a few hours as it basically our stop over as we head up to Sodankyla.
we’re excited and thanks!

 

[SpitFire]

Welcome to the forum from Chicago the Windy City.
FLY SAFE

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[mullern88]

Hi, I strongly suggest you read the official information on the page of Finland's regulation authority

To the skies, responsibly – common rules for safe drone flying | Traficom

With the coming of spring, more and more drones are also taking to the skies. If you are thinking of flying one, be sure to prepare in advance for the peak flying season: familiarise yourself with the rules, register as a drone operator and complete the theoretical examination. Responsible drone...

www.traficom.fi

You need to register your drone (even a Mini2), and you need to strictly adhere to the restriction in airspace, which are in effect in many areas across the whole country.
I have been in Finland many times and was in contact with the mentioned Patrick Soederstroem

 

[anotherEd]

Hi, I strongly suggest you read the official information on the page of Finland's regulation authority

To the skies, responsibly – common rules for safe drone flying | Traficom

With the coming of spring, more and more drones are also taking to the skies. If you are thinking of flying one, be sure to prepare in advance for the peak flying season: familiarise yourself with the rules, register as a drone operator and complete the theoretical examination. Responsible drone...

www.traficom.fi

You need to register your drone (even a Mini2), and you need to strictly adhere to the restriction in airspace, which are in effect in many areas across the whole country.
I have been in Finland many times and was in contact with the mentioned Patrick Soederstroem

thanks for the info and I’ll certainly reach out to Patrick!

 

[anotherEd]

well I’ve been back awhile from the trip and thanks to all!
first off, no problems getting through airports (SFO, CDG, HEL and IVL).
did not fly in Helsinki due to just being there over night.
kept battery inside my jacket until flying. did three short, VLOS flights with no issues (temp 14F).
wished I was a little more daring but was still anxious about losing it out there… oh well, next trip.

 

[SeaPig]

Thank you for the follow up post Ed. Very good information here.

 

[JimSteadman]

I was in Helsinki the year before I had my first drone. I do remember all the No Drone Zone signs around the government buildings near the Cathedral. I hope you were able to see the Aurora at Ivalo. They photograph better than they appear, and having slept in one of those glass igloos, we had a great view. Thanks for posting.

 

[GFields]

well I’ve been back awhile from the trip and thanks to all!
first off, no problems getting through airports (SFO, CDG, HEL and IVL).
did not fly in Helsinki due to just being there over night.
kept battery inside my jacket until flying. did three short, VLOS flights with no issues (temp 14F).
wished I was a little more daring but was still anxious about losing it out there… oh well, next trip.

Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[anotherEd]

I was in Helsinki the year before I had my first drone. I do remember all the No Drone Zone signs around the government buildings near the Cathedral. I hope you were able to see the Aurora at Ivalo. They photograph better than they appear, and having slept in one of those glass igloos, we had a great view. Thanks for posting.

yes, I was aware of the NFZ but I hoped that I could get a shot or two of the “red” building which is just outside the NFZ the next morning but it wasn’t bright enough when I ventured out before our flight.
the igloos were indeed very cool (actually very warm inside as you probably know). unfortunately we saw no auroras as it was cloudy during our entire stay…