Why I didn't fly my drone in Iceland

MAvic_South_Oz · Jan 1, 2023

There is a big difference in trips envisaged here . . . the OP was on a 4 day trip, no doubt a very fast and tight schedule, and seeing the popular, easy to get to places.
As the OP was made in early Sept 2021, it's likely they were there in peak tourist season.

Even more stressful is people on group tours, then it's almost going to be impossible to enjoy the moment and fly in a way to have time to do the type of flying you'd like (not rushed), avoid masses of people in the scene, and keep the group / trip leader happy.

Many of these photographers / videographers that take spectacular footage of the waterfalls, volcanos, seascapes etc are no doubt previous visitors, and know where / what they want to capture, and most would be there for weeks, if not months to get the pro shots they want.

They can wait, as photographers often have to, for the right time of day, light, lack of other people / vehicles etc.

If I was touring Iceland, it would be independent, for a month or so at least, probably 4WD off the beaten path, and no doubt walking in some of the more remote regions.
I would definitely take a drone, probably a brand spanking new M3P flymore

As my post #2 was complimentary of the OP and their decisions not to fly at the times / for reasons they mentioned, I was totally focused on their very short tour scenario.

wco81 said:
Also imagine it's a very popular area, likely to be crowded in June?

June is pretty much 24hrs of daylight, almost as popular as the full Summer months.
July / Aug (Summer) are apparently peak warmest weather for Iceland touring, though daylight is good from May through to Sept, and it can remain reasonably warm through to the first week of Oct.

Yes, June will be busy no doubt.

thewishy · Jan 2, 2023

wco81 said:
I've been researching Iceland and have some questions for those who've flown there or others who've looked into visiting.

No flights in national parks, of which there are 3. Then some wildlife protected areas, which are not so easy to identify as the NPs. There is the possibility of getting permission to fly in those areas.

I'm looking at the following places, seeing if anyone has flown in them or know about local rules there.

1. The whole peninsula where Snæfellsjökull National Park is located. Do they include the coastline the peninsula?

There's the famous Kirkjufellsfoss spot, but that seems east of the Snæfellsjökull NP, which in Google Maps is at the western end of that peninsula.

Also interested in some various coastal lookout spots to the SE, S and NW of the NP, including Hellnar to the SE. Is the entire coastline around the NP also part of the NP?

2. Gullfoss falls - Is it part of the national park there? But I understand it may be very popular so there are either rules against drones or just too many people around.

3. Þórsmörk. Doesn't appear to be near a NP, don't know about wildlife protected area or local drone prohibitions.

4. Fosstorfufoss and other waterfalls in the area. Again, don't know about NP or wildlife protected area or local drone prohibitions.

5. Dyrhólaey/Reynisfjara Beach/Vik - Not a NP but may be wildlife protected? I saw there agency bans drones near bird nesting areas and apparently all cliffs are bird nesting areas so that may rule out Dyrhólaey, which is just west of the Black Sand Beach.

Also imagine it's a very popular area, likely to be crowded in June?

There are a number of drone pics in Google Maps though.

OK, so first let me start with, research is good. But no plan survives contact with the Icelandic weather. You may find that you spend a lot of time planning something, and it's misting rain or winds are ridiculous.

You've not mentioned what drone you're planning to fly, something like a mini will be fine some of the time, but winds can be heavy, and I found my Mavic 3 did a way better job than my Mavic 2 Pro. Absolute tank in the wind.

You've also not mentioned the mode of transport, or how long you might have. I'm presuming rental car, with limited experience of iceland.

Bird nesting. Birds in Iceland are aggressive, and June will be a busy period for nesting. Birds won't just harrass, they will actively attack drones if they have young. See Near Miss, Mavic 3, Bird Attack - Land quickly if you start to see birds.

Iceland is generally very drone friendly, but the heavily touristed spots can be no drone zones. Signage is clear, you don't really need to do much research so much as not be completely bind while walking out of the carpark. Please respect the limited restrictions, as the majority of the country is permitted. Even in the nature reserves, every carpark will have a "no drone" sign. There isn't a national drone app, so the signage is important. Makes prep harder though

On the specific questions

1. I don't know Snaefell as well as other areas. Kirkjufellsfoss only really works from one specific angle though.

2. Gulfoss is heavily touristed, and I *believe* is a no drone zone. Plenty of other waterfalls you can shoot of course.

3. Þórsmörk isn't easily accessible, you'd need to take a bus to get there - even with a 4wd it would be unwise to try and ford the numerous rivers without local knowledge. If you do have a 4wd, f261 has a fantastic view onto Þórsmörk - See my 2022 video.

4. Fosstorfufoss looks small enough that it wouldn't have restrictions. Skógafoss itself is no drone, again, heavily touristed area...

5. Dyrhólaey has restrictions, I don't think the black sand beach itself has. Vik is likely too close to buildings. Freak waves as "common" on this section, read the signage and keep your eye on the water. Numerous tourists have died.

The below are the last 3 years I've ended up in Iceland (Long story, won't be going again for a few years!). I've added location details for each.

2020:
2021:
2022:

wco81 · Jan 2, 2023

Thanks thewishy, very helpful information.

What is f261? Is there a system of labeling places?

I would be renting a car and I see SUVs listed but I don't know if that necessarily means 4x4.

thewishy · Jan 2, 2023

wco81 said:
Thanks thewishy, very helpful information.

What is f261? Is there a system of labeling places?

I would be renting a car and I see SUVs listed but I don't know if that necessarily means 4x4.

f261 is a road; Icelandic roads are generally just numbers, these are the "main" roads; they may be tarmac or gravel.
The "f" prefix indicates a mountain road, which means that the road is
1) Suitable for 4x4's only (ish, locals see this as guidance, but they know the road far better than you. Some tourists may also drive a 2wd on an f-road, but their insurance won't cover any damage / recovery, and they're basically morons)
2) Open only in the summer (Some will be open in June, you'd need to check closer to the time)
3) Maintained to a basic standard - think of it more as route markings than anything that's actually a road.
4) Fords, not bridges
5) Don't expect a petrol station

Some f roads are fairly OK to drive in a standard SUV, others will not. And also rivers swell, so an f road which is passable one week, may not be the next. Very much a "use your judgement" activity. The hire car agencies will mark the cars as "f-road capable"; most SUVs will include a 4wd system. Typically you'd be looking at a dacier duster or somesuch. Geysir.is have been OK with me over the last few years; reviews vary (Gold insurance = we're not going to check the car very thoroughly for damage). You probably don't want a new car if you're doing f-roads.

f261 should appear on google maps, it's basically the opposite side of Þórsmörk - a little bit of shallow fording, but nothing too scary. Road 35 and 550 are good, technically not f-road, but hire car companies insist on a 4wd. f26 to Landmannalaugar also recommended... You can find road 35 and f26 on my videos. All of the f-roads are arse end of nowhere, so no problems flying. Only difficulty is finding somewhere to pull up..

I know the country pretty well at this point, so go ahead and ask if you have any questions; it would be useful to know where you're coming from and how long you're staying

wco81 · Jan 2, 2023

If I did this trip -- nothing booked yet -- I would be coming from Stockholm or Copenhagen, after visiting them in late May or early June. Thinking of 7 or 8 days, returning to Copenhagen before return trip to US.

So probably would be in Iceland the first week of June.

I'm thinking a couple of days in Reykjavik, then pick up car and drive towards Gullfoss. Thinking only of overnighting in that area and then proceeding towards Vik, maybe 3 nights there, then probably back to Reykjavik for a night before flying out.

The driving distances in Google Maps, if they're indicative, make it seem very to go further east and probably not going to make it up to the Snæfellsjökull area. I guess I would also have to be prepared for bad weather making driving more difficult.

This is my first visit so even if I can't fly my M2P as much as I'd like, I could still use my Nikon a lot.

Robert Prior · Jan 2, 2023

wco81 said:
The driving distances in Google Maps, if they're indicative, make it seem very to go further east and probably not going to make it up to the Snæfellsjökull area.

When I was there I was told you can drive around the island in less than 20 hours on the ring road. (No idea what weather and law-breaking assumptions are embedded in that figure.)

I would recommend a 4wd vehicle. If you don't have one there are many small roads you aren't insured on.

Reykjavik to Vik is an easy drive. Lots to see along the way, especially if you get off the main road when you can.