BlackEnLightnin
New
Flight distance : 4701 ft
United States
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Cheers all. I recently moved to Turkey from the United States with my DJI Mavic Pro. This is my second time living in Turkey, but my first with a drone. I have reviewed the available Turkish Regulations/Policies pertaining to drone possession and flight so that I can get flying as soon as possible. The information below is my attempt to provide some insight based on what I see posted above and what I have learned. I am not a Turkish authority of any kind and ask that you take what I say as another element of your research...this is not necessarily the gospel or how your experience will go.
Travel into Turkey:
I flew from the US to Turkey via London and Athens. I carried the Mavic Pro in my carry on baggage with four (4) batteries that were all removed from the Mavic. Batteries that are not installed in a device are not allowed inside of checked baggage as per my airlines rules. I purchased Explosion Proof LiPo Battery Bags through Amazon to store the batteries in to be sure there was no issue in the aircraft cabin. I also discharged the batteries to ensure they were all charged below 75% prior to my initial flight, as recommended for air travel with Lithium Ion batteries.
The only questions that I ever received about my drone were upon arrival in Athens when I took my carry on bags through security. The aircraft security were not sure what they were looking at and asked what I had. I pulled out the Mavic and explained that it was a drone. After admiring it for a few moments, they told me that I was good to go. Upon arrival in Turkey, I did not have to take my carry on baggage through security again and I was on my way.
Registering Drones in Turkey:
You MUST register any drone you plan to fly in Turkey whether it is for recreational or commercial purposes. That applies to all drones weighing 500 grams or more (the Mavic Pro weighs over 700 grams, if you are wondering--the DJI Spark would not require registration).
The Turkish Civil Aviation Authority has a registration page for those who possess and want to fly drones in the country.The Registration link is found at: https://iha.shgm.gov.tr/public/register. You will need either a Turkish National ID# or a Foreign ID# to register your drone. If you are traveling to Turkey for just a short vacation, then I do not know of any work arounds for you at this time (sorry). For those of you who have the necessary ID# and do not speak Turkish, I recommend that you use the Google Chrome application to load the webpage because it has Google Translate built into the webpage and it will decipher the registration page for you.
I am waiting on my Foreign ID# to come back (takes approximately 2 weeks or less) before I can complete the registration. However, the webpage indicates that registration is completed immediately after submitting the form at the aforementioned Registration webpage (similar to the U.S. FAA Registration, if you are familiar with how easy that process is). --Again, I have not done this yet and I am operating off of what the webpage says. I will provide an update after I complete the process.
Other Notes:
-If you do not register your drone and attempt to fly anyway, then I caution you because the Turkish civil authorities are not ones to play around (if you aren't accustomed to the country and police here). I will not advocate that anyone attempt to do anything prohibited by law, but I also understand that people will do what they want and accept the consequences if they come. Registering the drone is the harder way to go, but will provide you with top-cover in the event that someone questions you.
-Keep your drone in your sight at all times and avoid flying over residential areas/large groups of people.
-Autonomous drones are supposed to be prohibited, so I'd recommend staying away from the Smart Flying modes if you have a DJI or similar drone...fly the thing yourself.
-Do all of the research on your airline carrier that you can in advance, as different carriers have different policies pertaining to traveling with drones and batteries.
-If your drone is taken, then it's not likely that it is gone forever. The police/airport security will probably just confiscate it until it is time for you to return to where you came from. Expect fees if that does happen.
-Do you have/plan to have mobile internet/GPS service where you are going? Take into consideration that recent DJI updates require you to register your drone through their website and be logged in if you want to be able to fly your drone more than within arms reach of you. That means that you will need to have access to mobile internet if you are flying with the use of GPS satellites and mobile internet. Wifi service probably won't do you much good if you are away from your hotel and trying to fly.
-Good Luck, Have fun, and Cheers! |
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