Yay or nay? mavic in Vietnam

[Aekero]

so, update, I went, didn't bring the drone aaaaand... walked off my international flight and out the door, they didn't even scan my bags. (flew into Hanoi) Never scanned exiting an airport in Vietnam, so I guess I would have been ok if I'd brought it.

That said I was in big cities most of the time, and it was super windy in several areas, only place I realistically would have flown in was Halong Bay, next time maybe.

 

[pixl]

I'm there now WITH mine, and as with you I got in without having been checked at all.

 

[pixl]

A further follow-up on this....

Last week I was in the way northern part of Vietnam along the border regions with China and Laos. At one point I was within a couple miles of the border, high on a mountain where the river at the bottom of the valley marked the Vietnam/China border. When I started the Mavic, it FORCED a software update -- surprising because cell data service was not great. On reboot, I got the enclosed screen.

later, when I got a little further away from the China border I deleted DJI Go, and downgraded back to the old firmware, and all was fine.

 

[darth kulas]

Facts:

From my recent trip Oct 4 to Oct 7 to Da Nang Vietnam.

1. Drone or flycams were quarantined after the scanner upon entering Da Nang.

2. Its in my handcarry from Singapore

3. I filled up a claim form. 2copies. 1 copy i kept. To be shown before leaving Vietnam to retrieve my drone.

4. The drone inside your bag will be tamper sealed, and taped with the document attached.

5. Im happy i had my drone back.

 

[pixl]

Facts:

From my recent trip Oct 4 to Oct 7 to Da Nang Vietnam.

1. Drone or flycams were quarantined after the scanner upon entering Da Nang.

2. Its in my handcarry from Singapore

3. I filled up a claim form. 2copies. 1 copy i kept. To be shown before leaving Vietnam to retrieve my drone.

4. The drone inside your bag will be tamper sealed, and taped with the document attached.

5. Im happy i had my drone back.

Well, at least they didn't outright confiscate it. I've been hearing that's a possibility in Australia.

It may be the large expat population in the Danang-HoiAn area that is bringing all this attention. I had zero problem flying international into Hanoi, and then domestic both in and out of Danang.

I protect the Mavic well and put it in my checked luggage, minus the batteries and RC, which I put in my carry-on. I've flown 8 legs so far in this trip, and have encountered ZERO resistance...not even a question.

 

[PhilCal]

I had a new Mavic Pro recently shipped to my new home in Da Nang, Vietnam. I am glad I shipped it instead of carrying it in my luggage, now that I know of confiscations at the Da Nang airport. Today, I was taking the Mavic up for its 7th flight, while along the beach, which is several kms away from the airport. I was being careful to keep it away from people, not fly close to buildings, and not fly above 120 meters. Essentially, I thought I was being conscientious and respectful. Upon finishing the flight, three army soldiers arrived to say it is illegal to fly a "flycam" anywhere in Vietnam under any circumstances. I explained that I had contacted the VN aviation authority as advised, but had gotten no response. They said this time they would give me a warning, but if they ever saw me flying it ANYWHERE again, they would...(the main guy never finished his sentence--he just crossed his hands). I asked him for a link to any document that would state this prohibition, and he sent this link to me:

https://www.google.com.vn/amp/s/hanoiflycam.com/quy-dinh-su-dung-flycam/amp/?
utm_source=zalo&utm_medium=zalo&utm_campaign=zalo&zarsrc=30

Needless to say, I am filled with trepidation at the prospect of any more flights around here. I suppose I will take my motorbike to a location very south of here before I muster the guts to try again.

 

[RC5728]

I had a new Mavic Pro recently shipped to my new home in Da Nang, Vietnam. I am glad I shipped it instead of carrying it in my luggage, now that I know of confiscations at the Da Nang airport. Today, I was taking the Mavic up for its 7th flight, while along the beach, which is several kms away from the airport. I was being careful to keep it away from people, not fly close to buildings, and not fly above 120 meters. Essentially, I thought I was being conscientious and respectful. Upon finishing the flight, three army soldiers arrived to say it is illegal to fly a "flycam" anywhere in Vietnam under any circumstances. I explained that I had contacted the VN aviation authority as advised, but had gotten no response. They said this time they would give me a warning, but if they ever saw me flying it ANYWHERE again, they would...(the main guy never finished his sentence--he just crossed his hands). I asked him for a link to any document that would state this prohibition, and he sent this link to me:

https://www.google.com.vn/amp/s/hanoiflycam.com/quy-dinh-su-dung-flycam/amp/?
utm_source=zalo&utm_medium=zalo&utm_campaign=zalo&zarsrc=30

Needless to say, I am filled with trepidation at the prospect of any more flights around here. I suppose I will take my motorbike to a location very south of here before I muster the guts to try again.

Wow, that's ridiculous.

What beach? Was this in Da Nang?

 

[pixl]

Wow, that's ridiculous.

What beach? Was this in Da Nang?

What's so ridiculous about it? It's a sovereign country. As visitors there we are bound by their rules.

Granted, I flew in defiance of their rules while there, but had I been caught, I wouldn't have found it "ridiculous". Their country, their rules.

 

[PhilCal]

Wow, that's ridiculous.

What beach? Was this in Da Nang?

Yes, this was in Da Nang, at the intersection of the coastal highway and the road that becomes the Dragon Bridge.

 

[AgentOrange2015]

Before loosing your Mavic to a Communist Government and facing prison time, see if you can buy a Quad in Vietnam, namely Saigon (HoChiMinh City). It might not be a DJI product, but if it will capture video, then you are good to go, regardless. The sizes of Quads has reduced a great deal in the past year, you could **** near smuggle one in your pants if you wanted to. Throw it away after filming and save the SD Card. Some quad controllers now look like Nintendo Controllers so it would be easy to fool almost anyone of the border police as to what it is and used for.

 

[AgentOrange2015]

Maybe if you checked with the Government Official in charge of Tourism and offered to make video's exposing the Glorius Government of Vietnam in a positive manner, you might have been given Carte Blanch to the entire country for flying. They are extremely Paranoid of negative publicity and if you show them the positive side to what your doing on behalf of the government, then your in Like Flint, big time. Something to consider brother.

 

[cheolk]

After reading this, I will keep my drone at home, meaning not to bring it overseas. Unless I buy a 2nd hand one so that if it is confiscated, so be it.

 

[pixl]

Yes, this was in Da Nang, at the intersection of the coastal highway and the road that becomes the Dragon Bridge.

Wow, if you were flying there you couldn't have been making a bigger spectacle of yourself if you tried.

Try 10k south at An Bang beach, and be discreet! Publicly flouting their laws will get you in trouble.

 

[paulrawlingson]

I made a few flight in Vietnam's amazing landscapes but avoided condensed areas and found out that the islands such as Con Dao and Phu Quoc (North) where the easiest and nicest places to fly from -

It was tricky for me as well as you never know what to expect but everyone was friendly in all 4 airports taken (Ho Chi Minh, Can Tho, Con Dao & Phu Quoc - not one issue. Nevertheless a friend told me about his drone getting kept in Danang Airport so I decided to make a full research on the country's regulation and turns out it is strict but not fully applied.