Can you take a drone on board?

Can you take a drone on board at а plane?

In this article, you will determine whether and under what conditions it is possible to take your drone with you when you travel by plane.

You may have thought how great it would be if you took your drone on your next plane trip so you could take pictures of the places you'll be visiting outside of your country. Here, we'll look at the topic of taking your drone on board an airplane. How can this be done, and what do you need to consider?

Whether you can take your drone on the plane depends entirely on the company you will be travelling with. It is also important to be aware of the rules for piloting drones in the country you are flying to.

If you have confirmation from the airline that you can take this baggage with you, this is not enough. You need to take care of how the drone and batteries are carried and stored.

How to prepare for the plane journey?

Carrying a drone on a plane

If the company allows you to take your drone with you, you need to take care of how you carry it. This means you need to pack your drone to protect the device and any passengers from accidents. It is best if you purchase a suitcase, backpack or storage bag.

When transporting the drone, there are two probabilities - it will be transported as checked baggage or as hand luggage. Check with your airline for requirements. Typically, most companies require the drone to be part of carry-on baggage for security reasons. However, if your device exceeds carry-on dimensions, you will need to comply with the airline's decision. Due to the size, you may need to check it in. If you're on a small model, such as those in DJI's Mavic series, you're more likely to have to take it as hand luggage.

Most companies don't allow such luggage to be transported in cargo due to the fire hazard. Because of that, you may not be permitted to transport a larger size drone at all.

How do you transport drone batteries on a plane?

Drones are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which give off a large amount of heat. That is why there are safety restrictions.

If you transport lithium-ion batteries, keep in mind that they should not be more than 100 Wh. At this capacity, there is usually no limit to the number of batteries. However, if the battery has a capacity between 101 and 160 Wh there are regulations that do not allow carrying more than 2 batteries. All spare batteries must be individually short-circuit protected. Also, these batteries must be stored in hand luggage.

It is good to have the batterie charge to be around 30% to prevent fire. This is also good for the batteries.

Use a suitable bag or case for drone travel

Proper storage will make it easier to carry, but will also protect your device and any passengers. We advise you to choose a hard-shell bag for maximum protection.

When you travel, make sure you remove and pack all data carriers well - we're talking about SD cards. This way you won't lose any of your data. It's best to transfer all your information to another device before your flight.

Getting the drone through customs

Usually, at airports, a country's civil aviation authority acts as a regulator for this type of specific baggage. In different countries, these authorities may have different names.

It is not only the names of these authorities that are different. Each country may have different requirements for importing a drone. Before buying your plane ticket, check the current drone laws in the country you will be travelling to.

What is good to check as information?

• What are the drone laws in the country
• Whether it is legal to use your drone in that country
• If you are allowed to pilot a drone in that country, check for any laws specific to foreigners. You may need to get permission from the relevant agency.
• Some countries require you to take an aeronautical knowledge test, while others require you to show proof of airworthiness.

Do not take drones into countries that categorically ban them or have regulations that prevent you from operating them.

If the country has no laws in place, that is no reason to act without caution. It is possible to have your drone confiscated even if there are no laws in place.

To be calm and prevent possible unpleasant consequences, study everything we have described here. Of course, we hope you have a smooth trip and return with plenty of impressive footage of your destination.

If you want to purchase a drone, SD card or drone storage, welcome to our online store. Contact our team if you need assistance.