3 things they won't tell you about drones

They'll tell you they're not a toy, that you need to be careful. But there are things that few people still want to say, or know how to say.

Articles, TV reports and spotlights on drones, quadcopters and hexacopters of every size keep multiplying. Some outlets do a good job, others ride the wave of general curiosity by reporting approximate news and continuing to speak to the reader's gut rather than their head, and others give completely wrong information. As in every field.

But there are many topics relating to regulations and technical specifications of drone technology that are still not explored enough, in fact hardly at all.

We discussed them at length during the recent Xoff Lecce, on Sunday, October 26. Among the information we shared, including during the long and highly participatory debate, we've picked 3 that you'll hardly read anywhere else:

1 - The author of a very beautiful video paid a very hefty fine.

In Italy, because of the ENAC rules that prohibit quadcopters from flying over areas with gatherings of people, it is impossible to offer a similar parcel delivery service. Unless the rule changes (but at the moment that is not planned), making videos or offering similar services would be dangerous and impossible. (Whether that's a pity or a blessing, everyone can decide for themselves).

[Contact us for more and more detailed information on ENAC regulations]

2 - Regulations vary (a lot) from country to country.

If you buy a drone certified in France, Australia, the USA, etc., and you know and apply the rules of those countries, you still need to learn about the Italian regulations if you want to operate in Italy, because our rules are much more restrictive.
For example, in Australia there are small parcel delivery services, which are allowed also thanks to the immense, empty spaces between one urban area and another. But the parcel is delivered to a specially designated, uninhabited area. So even in Australia the parcel is not delivered to your garden.

[In a week we will publish a summary table comparing the regulations of different countries]

3 - Manufacturers don't want everyone to use drones.

It's not a contradiction. For a manufacturer of any other tech product, the more widespread it becomes, the higher the chance of profit. But a drone is not a mobile phone. A drone used badly by inexperienced hands unaware of the ENAC rules can cause a lot of damage. Moreover, the national regulation is still being defined; in some respects it can be said to be a regulation in the making.

So, if an inexperienced user causes damage to objects and people in a given geographic area, there is a risk that bans on flying over that area will be issued for everyone (including expert pilots, who have always followed rules and regulations); furthermore, ENAC could also impose further restrictions following each accident, especially if the media stir up a fuss and put the drone phenomenon on trial (because of the issue mentioned above, of speaking to the gut and not the head).

Every application of drone technology has rules that are sometimes just common sense, and at other times much more complex. This is also why, for anyone seriously interested in working with a drone, it is important to take a course run by certified bodies.

There are some all over Italy (Aerialclick is obviously among them), where fortunately the high level of engineering and the presence of strict rules, more restrictive than in other countries, put certified companies a step ahead!