I've read about Austrian drone laws, but they seem unbelievably strict for some hobby flying, that's why I'm asking some of you Austrians to clarify this to me. I don't want to disturb anyone, I just want to take my drone up to a ski resort and fly over the forest. If anyone could clarify this to me that would be awesome!

I am not Austrian but can confirm from friend's reports that it is insanely strict and expensive. Do a Google search for "Austrocontrol" (this is the authority in charge) and check the conditions there.

Hi.
I’m from Austria and can confirm the drone laws are quite strict.
You have to get a license if the drone is over 300grams (which the spark is:/) this license costs around 300€ as far as I know.
Then there are many other rules, similar to other countries. Not allowed to fly in cities or near people, not allowed to fly higher than 120m, stay in line of sight etc.

To be honest, I don’t have a license, but I try to stay away from trouble and only fly in nature, far away from people.

It is amazing how drone regs change so much from country to country - 300 euro for a licence to fly a Spark for recreational use...

Servus from Bavaria (Munich), yes in Austria flying drones is quite complicated. Just follow Wachtbergers advice. Anyhow flying a 300g drone is not that critical  ;-).

Iceclimber Posted at 2018-1-21 12:57
Servus from Bavaria (Munich), yes in Austria flying drones is quite complicated. Just follow Wachtbergers advice. Anyhow flying a 300g drone is not that critical  ;-).

So no taking it up to the ski resort then

I am from Austria and may confirm that our laws concerning drones are one of the most strictest in Europe. But the good news is that the SPARK might been seen under some circumstances (flying in max ~26m high - not moving) as toy drone. In that circumstances a license from Austro Control is not necessary.
So if then drone is below 250grams or the drone do have less than 79 joule kinetic energy - we may talk about a toy drone in Austria - where also filming and photos are allowed during flight (pls be also aware of Austrian privacy act).
Nevertheless - also a toy drone needs to be operated in VLOS and keeping other people in security and no places like cities! And it would be necessary to have a drone liability insurance as "normal" household insurances would not cover eventually damages of 3rd parties.
So SPARK is one of the few drones where you would be able to have fun in Austria - but I would not suggest using it during skiing...
If you speak German here a link about more details --> ttps://www.konsumkinder.at/2017/05/26/dji-spark-in-oesterreich-unter-79-joule/

Thanks for the help from the users in the forum. I would recommend users contact the local authority and learn more regulation throught the official website: https://www.bmvit.gv.at/verkehr/luftfahrt/drohnen/

Austria is not Australia

TudorD Posted at 2018-1-22 02:44
Austria is not Australia

...indeed - because we do not have kangaroos here

TudorD Posted at 2018-1-22 02:44
Austria is not Australia

...indeed - because we do not have kangaroos here

DJI Elektra Posted at 2018-1-22 02:04
Thanks for the help from the users in the forum. I would recommend users contact the local authority and learn more regulation throught the official website: https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft/landing-page/flying-drones-australia

Dear DJI Elektra here the link for the Austrian regulations
https://www.austrocontrol.at/en/ ... ht_permissions/rpas
You are not the first who ix up AUSTRIA and AUSTRALIA

LOL that one time DJI Elektra’s reading skill is rusty

@FXF, I think you are wrong in that the spark can not be regarded as a toy in Austria. As far as I understand it, if the drone weighs more than 250grams (or 300, I don’t remember) and can go higher than 50meters, it is not considered a toy anymore.
But to be honest, it’s a while ago I read the laws and they were a little confusing

On another note, did you get the license for yourself?

Nikp Posted at 2018-1-22 08:48
[view_image]

@FXF, I think you are wrong in that the spark can not be regarded as a toy in Austria. As far as I understand it, if the drone weighs more than 250grams (or 300, I don’t remember) and can go higher than 50meters, it is not considered a toy anymore.

Dear Nikp -  I am a little bit curious - your Avatar shows South Africa but you are from Austria - how is life without our mountains?
Concerning SPARK you are right that the drone is over 250gr and our law see only drones below 250gr as toy. But there is another measure - that is the kinetic energy in the law (and this is an or regelation, not an and regulation). As long the drone's kinetic energy in free fall is below 79joule - it is also seen as toy. As the SPARK has 300gr a calculation gives around 26 meters you may rise her up to be in the regulation as toy.
Please see also my link from post 7 there you find a good article in German and an interesting discussion about this issue.

Ah! Yes I remember reading about the kenetic energy... and then I remember waking up
Well I believe you then! This means with the spark you are allowed to fly if you stay under 26m...

And life without our mountains is very livable!
Im in south Afrika on vacation and enjoying all the things we don’t have in Austria!
I will make a video of all those things once I’m back for you to see

Nikp Posted at 2018-1-25 23:47
Ah! Yes I remember reading about the kenetic energy... and then I remember waking up
Well I believe you then! This means with the spark you are allowed to fly if you stay under 26m...

...kinetic energy is also not a real speciality in my education....

but as I understand the regulation in Austria and readings of concerning articles ... yes - we are allowed to fly the SPARK in Austria as a toy drone.

Enjoy your days in South Africa and in any case --> post your footage !!

I’m currently skiing in Austria, have put my Spark up once (conditions and location issues). I have seen two other Sparks out on the mountains as well.  But  I think it’s a faff you don’t need sking, battery life is pretty poor and to set your shot up, if it’s an action shot, you need a quiet piste that’s easily lappable. I think there is an issue with active track not descending, and if you’re controlling you’ll have to set up, shoot, recover then catch up with your group unless you stay static and have them lap the piste

CtotheE Posted at 2018-1-26 08:48
I’m currently skiing in Austria, have put my Spark up once (conditions and location issues). I have seen two other Sparks out on the mountains as well.  But  I think it’s a faff you don’t need sking, battery life is pretty poor and to set your shot up, if it’s an action shot, you need a quiet piste that’s easily lappable. I think there is an issue with active track not descending, and if you’re controlling you’ll have to set up, shoot, recover then catch up with your group unless you stay static and have them lap the piste

May I ask where in Austria are you skiing? Just out of curiosity, it may or may not have been me who you've seen

glorantv Posted at 2018-1-26 14:15
May I ask where in Austria are you skiing? Just out of curiosity, it may or may not have been me who you've seen

I was around Saalbach Hinterglemm, the Spark I saw was at the top of the fun park in Leogang

I am from Austria and can confirm the strict rules. Right now I am living in the US for 1 year and bought my Spark here. However, after all, I am considering returning it since I will hardly be able to use it at home...thats sad

I am curious how the pilots can get punished. Does the policeman measure the drone's weight or something? Let's say if I fly my spark away from people and a policeman arrives then I say that it is only a toy. I think he will not do anything and he will leave me because he is not a drone expert. What do you think?

FXF Posted at 2018-1-21 13:31
I am from Austria and may confirm that our laws concerning drones are one of the most strictest in Europe. But the good news is that the SPARK might been seen under some circumstances (flying in max ~26m high - not moving) as toy drone. In that circumstances a license from Austro Control is not necessary.
So if then drone is below 250grams or the drone do have less than 79 joule kinetic energy - we may talk about a toy drone in Austria - where also filming and photos are allowed during flight (pls be also aware of Austrian privacy act).
Nevertheless - also a toy drone needs to be operated in VLOS and keeping other people in security and no places like cities! And it would be necessary to have a drone liability insurance as "normal" household insurances would not cover eventually damages of 3rd parties.

so how can i obtain a  permit to fly the drone ?

the cost is 250 euro per year!

the cost is 250 euro per year! if you dont have this licence you get in big trouble with big fines, avoid flying in Austria!! anything over 250g is not allowed without an approval, it is does not have a fixed cameria then things are different!

djiuser_opcU1zHv59Ys Posted at 2018-6-24 08:42
I am curious how the pilots can get punished. Does the policeman measure the drone's weight or something? Let's say if I fly my spark away from people and a policeman arrives then I say that it is only a toy. I think he will not do anything and he will leave me because he is not a drone expert. What do you think?

If he's not a drone expert and can't judge whether your flight is legal, he might also just confiscate your drone or even take you and the drone in for questioning, until they're sure it's just a toy. At least that's what I'm guessing.

A CW Posted at 2018-1-21 12:26
It is amazing how drone regs change so much from country to country - 300 euro for a licence to fly a Spark for recreational use...

right.. insane

Austrian here. I get it that there need to be some regulations but this again is a  typical stupid law as many stupid laws we have in Austria. Remember that you are not allowed to save any pictures or videos if you fly a drone in Austria, even in uninhabited areas. You are only allowed to use video to navigate your flight.

So, to sum up, you have to pay 330 euros for license per year (and the licensing procedure will take 1 month at least as I've heard) to fly a drone in the wilderness where you are not allowed to take any pictures or videos. I wonder why drones are even sold in Austria at this point. We have a beautiful country but because of this and many other insanely stupid regulations I left the country years ago to work abroad.
Cheers.

Hi all   
I am about to obtain mavic pro, but this topic... How I can legally save pictures and video in Austia from drone?

Do you have any detais about fines... because... you know... 3-5 days in a year for flying and recording during freeride trours in completely inhabitate areas... does it really cost 300 euros?
Why I shouldn't pay anything for recording on a gopro in public places ?

Nikp Posted at 2018-1-21 12:21
Hi.
I’m from Austria and can confirm the drone laws are quite strict.
You have to get a license if the drone is over 300grams (which the spark is:/) this license costs around 300€ as far as I know.

WOW 300 Euros just for a Hobby Drone, that is insane.   It's just so they can make money.!!!

Wow, just wow. Its too strict in my opinion. Like the Belgian laws, 10 meters Max altitude, that’s just plain crazy.
Why do the governments hate drones???
Safe Flying.
Alex.

Hi folks,

As an Austrian, I am also affected by our too strict regulations. Beside the Spark, I have two bigger drones (one 4kg, one 5.7kg) which are properly registered, and yes that does cost you at least 300 Euros per year per drone and can easily take 2 months to get the permit from AustroContol. And that only allows you to fly over unpopulated areas. If you need to fly over populated areas, there is more paperwork and more fees. And you need proper insurance.
Maximum altitude above ground is 150m. Pilots needs strict line of sight at all time and need to know about NFZs.
Model pilots with no onboard cameras and drones below 250 grams of takeoff weight are excluded from registration, but pilots are still required to stick to the rules.
Fines are /up to/ 20,000 Euros. I am flying drones for more than 15 years now and have never heard anybody got ticketed for unauthorized drone flying (current law is in effect since 2014), if there was no accident (crash) involved.

Yes, they make money out of this. But I also see why this regulations have been imposed: it is due to some idiots that are so cool at flying near airports, at densely populated areas, at highways or industrial facilities and endanger other aircrafts like rescue helicopters. And of course, ignoring everybodys right on his privacy.

I admit I haven't registered my Spark. I only fly it on a large empty field with permission of the land owner.

I personally hope that EASA will imply new, a bit more relaxed rules.

Cheers,
Wolferl

Wolferl Posted at 2018-8-19 12:29
Hi folks,

As an Austrian, I am also affected by our too strict regulations. Beside the Spark, I have two bigger drones (one 4kg, one 5.7kg) which are properly registered, and yes that does cost you at least 300 Euros per year per drone and can easily take 2 months to get the permit from AustroContol. And that only allows you to fly over unpopulated areas. If you need to fly over populated areas, there is more paperwork and more fees. And you need proper insurance.

Thanks for the detailed answer

Could you please clarify one more thing. What is about recording video from drones for personal use and also for selling videos on stocks or ytube monetisation?

Roman Key Posted at 2018-8-20 00:19
What is about recording video from drones for personal use and also for selling videos on stocks or ytube monetisation?

Hi Roman,

This concerns two problem areas: unmanned aerial vehicle flight and privacy laws.
As soon as your drone has a camera onboard, drone and pilot are obligated to registration.
You can take pictures or record videos for your personal use. If you plan to show these to the public by any means (YT, FB, press...), you need approval from every person visible on that video or photo.

Having your drone properly registered gives you an advantage also: you do not need approval of the owner of the land you fly over. It is airspace, it belongs to everyone.

Cheers,
Wolferl

FXF Posted at 2018-1-21 13:31
I am from Austria and may confirm that our laws concerning drones are one of the most strictest in Europe. But the good news is that the SPARK might been seen under some circumstances (flying in max ~26m high - not moving) as toy drone. In that circumstances a license from Austro Control is not necessary.
So if then drone is below 250grams or the drone do have less than 79 joule kinetic energy - we may talk about a toy drone in Austria - where also filming and photos are allowed during flight (pls be also aware of Austrian privacy act).
Nevertheless - also a toy drone needs to be operated in VLOS and keeping other people in security and no places like cities! And it would be necessary to have a drone liability insurance as "normal" household insurances would not cover eventually damages of 3rd parties.

FxF
How can I get in touch with you?
Thanks in advance

FxF can you please contact me?
Thanks in advance

burstl Posted at 8-6 10:07
Austrian here. I get it that there need to be some regulations but this again is a  typical stupid law as many stupid laws we have in Austria. Remember that you are not allowed to save any pictures or videos if you fly a drone in Austria, even in uninhabited areas. You are only allowed to use video to navigate your flight.

So, to sum up, you have to pay 330 euros for license per year (and the licensing procedure will take 1 month at least as I've heard) to fly a drone in the wilderness where you are not allowed to take any pictures or videos. I wonder why drones are even sold in Austria at this point. We have a beautiful country but because of this and many other insanely stupid regulations I left the country years ago to work abroad.

This is very disappointing. Was hoping to take my Mavic Air on holiday to Austria and take pictures of forests and countryside.  That won't be happening.  Thanks, Austria.

Guys, maybe not correct but I do fly quite a lot in Austria without the local licence,,this when I visit family. However the flying takes place away from any towns or built up areas, mainly out in the quite country side and always in VLOS.

Hi folks,

the often told 250 or 300 grams rule to be classified as a toy in Austria isn't really the whole truth.
If a drone does not have more than 79 Joules kinetic energy, then it is toy, and can thus be legally flown over non inhabitated ares (that means: 100m laterally away from buildings, people, roads, ski slopes etc.).
The energy depends on the dropping velocity (which depends on the max altitude) and the weight of the aircraft. My Spark (totally original with battery, no prop guards) weighs in at exactly 301.0 grams.
So lets calculate the maximum altitide you'll need to enter in the Go4 app to stay legally safe:
(E=kinetic energy in J, v= max dropping velocity in m/s, m=aircraft mass in kg, h=height in m, g=gravity constant 9.81m/s)
E = m *v² / 2
v = SQRT(2 * g * h)
Lets combine the 2 formulas and solve to "h":
h = E / (m * g)
Plugging in the values for the Spark now gives you a maximum flying altitude above ground of 26m.
If you are not going higher, and prove it if a police officer asks you, you're safe.

Cheers
Wolferl

Wolferl Posted at 11-10 04:26
Hi folks,

the often told 250 or 300 grams rule to be classified as a toy in Austria isn't really the whole truth.

And wasn't that for the mavic about max 14 m height?

Just: That is for a drone with just up/down movement.
Fly it somewhere with 50kph, your math needs correction.
(In case I understood it right, the time I looked into this for a upcoming very short visit to Austria)