Spain : flying and filming in RVF areas

[FredericEP]

Hi,

I'm planning to fly in Lanzarote during some holidays. Based on the official Enaire Drones map ( ENAIRE Drones ) a large chunk of the island is covered by the Lanzarote CTR which can't be flown into, but another chunk of the island is covered by RVF areas where flying seems to be possible/allowed but taking pictures or videos requires authorization.

I'm wondering if anyone on this board has ever requested (and received) such authorization to fly in RVF areas as a recreational user ? Is it worth doing it ?

Thank you.

 

[colinfowler]

hi
just came back from lanzarote
I was mainly in the southwest that has no flight restrictions.
no flying in the national park that is all of the north west and obviously around the airport.

 

[FredericEP]

Hi @colinfowler ,
thanks for your reply.
In what areas have you flown there ?

 

[BrianB]

@FredericEP Did you ever find out the answer? The same issue applies in Mallorca. More than half the island is covered by RVF rules and I can’t find how to apply to fly.

 

[FredericEP]

@FredericEP Did you ever find out the answer? The same issue applies in Mallorca. More than half the island is covered by RVF rules and I can’t find how to apply to fly.

If you want to fly in RVF zones, you need to create a document that explain when, where and why you want to fly and send it to the spanish authorities.

Here is the answer I received when I contacted the spanish authorities :

To take aerial images in the photographic prohibited or restricted flight zone must provide us through the email address [email protected] , the following documents:
- Company or applicant for the technical conditions (Name, address, phone, email, etc.) and if as the operator.
- class photograph (oblique, film, video, etc ...) or nature of data collection by sensors.
- Working areas, as detailed as possible (sketch) and indicating the sheet number 1 / 50,000 National Map.
- Airport to use (aircraft) / takeoff point with coordinates (for RPAS).
- Aircraft to be used (type and registration) / model and no. standard (in the case of RPAS).
- House, objectives, types of sensors, etc ...
- Flying height (in no case less than the minimum heights established in the applicable regulations AMSL).
- Recipient of photographic work, specifying if it were a private person or a private company, its nationality and the reason or purpose of the work.
- Date of conducting aerial work.
These requirements must be sent in ".PDF" format.
As for operational coordination (flight itself) shall comply with the provisions in national AIC 04/17 published in AIP SPAIN.

Note the document and all exchanges with authorities are to be done in Spanish.

 

[hippa]

Those "zona restringida al vuelo fotográfico" (RVF) is something I dont understand. Strange VERY large boxes where flying is accepted but video or filming is forbidden. Usually helps to know WHY something is not allowed. Is this considered as "urban area" or something?

Local people in Spain, how do you live and use your drones inside those areas? Somebody explain please!

And are all following areas "no no" NFZ:s?

.

Just visited 2 weeks in Gran Canaria, but without my drone.

 

[FredericEP]

Those "zona restringida al vuelo fotográfico" (RVF) is something I dont understand. Strange VERY large boxes where flying is accepted but video or filming is forbidden. Usually helps to know WHY something is not allowed. Is this considered as "urban area" or something?

From what I understood in each of these area there is usually somekind of military facility.
And this is a large area because it was matching an official paper map.

 

[BrianB]

If you want to fly in RVF zones, you need to create a document that explain when, where and why you want to fly and send it to the spanish authorities.

Here is the answer I received when I contacted the spanish authorities :


Note the document and all exchanges with authorities are to be done in Spanish.

Thanks for all your help, I replied in more detail in your message.

 

[BrianB]

Those "zona restringida al vuelo fotográfico" (RVF) is something I dont understand.

And I understand the legislation, dates back to the 1950’s and all about security. Despite many tourist helicopter rides, users of paragliders etc and now drones (as all can carry a camera) the legislation still stands!

 

[hippa]

Yes I remember "old days" 1960 and early 70´s in my own home country.... Aerial photographing needed a prior semi-military permission, and that permission number must have been marked on flight plan (FPL) item 18.

Not any more.

Nowadays we are living space-time. Satellites can see all. Can bureaucrats in Spain ever undestrand this fact, and cancel these RVF areas?

 

[Alicante Design]

RVF areas are still active for military exercises. I lived near the edge of RVF 914 Guardamar del Segura. Theres no local military facility nearby. I used to fly out on the edge of the area into clear air space heading towards Santa Pola. Guardia Civil would stop, look for the drone, give me a wave and go on their way. I would guess they were more concerned about being a safe distance from property. The local Polica and the Guardia Civil had a days drone training about 2 years ago.

Most of the time RVF 914 is actively used by jets coming from the sea and flying inland. Sometimes the Guardia Civil helicopters have a low flying day. Last January there was some sort of exercise over several days with troops carrier helicopters. This is may be where the restrictions to video come in. The military doesn’t want their exercise filmed. I would be more concerned about being the drone pilot gate crashing a military exercise.

One of the things I had to watch out for was airforce water bombers. In the summer they put out grass fires near Guardamar del Segura. The flight route was pick up water in the North and fly low over where I might be flying on route to the fire. As soon as I heard them coming it was drone down and go home. I did not want to be the drone pilot in the path of an airborne fire engine. They did not have time to issue a NOTAM.

It’s possible to fly in the RVF zones with military authorisation. I’ve just noticed a NOTAM for drones at Finistrat (near Benidorm) RVF zone in August. If I have the time I’m going to go and see what’s happening.