September 8, 2024, 10:02 am | Read time: 3 minutes
A tourist in Rome actually just wanted to take some nice pictures of the Colosseum, but when he landed his drone again, he was arrested. The Frenchman is now facing a hefty fine.
Since drones have become increasingly affordable, they have also become more and more popular among amateur photographers. Once in the air, the mini robots equipped with a camera move almost silently through the air. They can even reach remote or hard-to-reach places. At the touch of a button, fascinating shots can be taken from a bird’s-eye view. These can either be videos or photographs. More and more people are doing this and decorating their social media accounts with spectacular photos and clips.
However, a holidaymaker in Rome has now found out that you can’t fly your drone everywhere without hesitation. He had done what many would like to do and did it unnoticed. Namely, capture one of the Eternal City’s main attractions from above.
As reported by the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica”, among others, the 31-year-old Frenchman flew his aircraft over the Colosseum in Rome last Thursday to film the interior of the gigantic amphitheater. There, he was observed by a professional soldier from the Italian military. He then informed a group of police officers who were walking near the Colosseum.
However, his carelessness regarding any prohibitions got him into trouble. When the Frenchman brought his drone back down to the ground, the police arrested him. They took him to a police station nearby, and confiscated his aircraft. The man now has to answer for violating aviation law, which is regulated by the Italian aviation authority, ENAC. As the online portal “The Local” reports, the Frenchman faces a fine of up to 113,000 euros. However, when asked by TRAVELBOOK, ENAC spokesperson Loredana Rosati left the exact amount of the possible fine open.
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Clear guidelines apply to drones in Rome
“The regulation on the control of unmanned aerial vehicles stipulates that privately operated drones may only fly over unpopulated areas, i.e. outside the city,” explains the ENAC spokesperson. According to the guidelines, drones in private use in Italy may not weigh more than 25 kilos. They may also not fly higher than 70 meters. They must also remain within a maximum radius of 150 meters from the pilot. Drones are also not allowed to fly closer than 80 meters from private property.
Although drones are becoming increasingly common and more and more people own them, a small mistake – flying too high or intruding into private areas – can quickly have consequences. For drone flights that serve a commercial purpose, pilots will generally need a permit from the ENAC, as spokeswoman Loredana Rosati explained to TRAVELBOOK. However, there are two areas in Rome that are generally not allowed to be flown over at an altitude of between 0 and around 1000 meters for safety reasons. “These areas include the city center and therefore all public buildings, as well as the Vatican and the Colosseum.”
It was not the first incident of its kind in Rome. In January, according to the Corriere della Sera, police arrested a Chinese photographer. He was on vacation in the Italian capital and had also taken pictures of the Colosseum from the air with a drone.
In Germany, too, hobby pilots must adhere to certain regulations when using drones. For example, they may only fly their flying object as far as they can still see it with the naked eye and at a maximum height of 100 meters.
The Federal Minister of Transport ,Alexander Dobrindt, also announced are-regulation of the use of civilian drones in order to reduce hazards in the airspace and on the ground. The BMI cited the steadily increasing number of devices as the reason for this.
The original version of this article was published in 2016.