What are your thoughts on taking th plus in luggage abroad? My family and wife are in colombia with some beautiful opportunities to fly and take amazing videos. Anyone taken large drone abroad?
Taking th plus abroad
- Thread starter Standageadrian
- Start date
Never pack Lithium batteries in checked baggage! Read up on checked luggage do’s and don’ts if not familiar.
The rest... you’re at the mercy of baggage handlers with your baby, unless you also find a way to pack in a carry-on size case.
The rest... you’re at the mercy of baggage handlers with your baby, unless you also find a way to pack in a carry-on size case.
PatR
Premium Pilot
There are several things to consider before taking a drone abroad. The first thing to do is consult the Colombian Embassy to inquire about the legality of doing so, and obtaining sources for information pertaining to local regulations once in country. If you can take it, do not even think about violating any of their laws or recording images of political figures or activities involving social unrest or drug activities. You can quickly die if you do. Bear in mind that Colombia has been using drones to surveil drug and rebel activities for quite some time. You don't want to be mistaken for a government anti drug agent.
If drones are legal to import, before you depart this country obtain a document from our Department of State that lets you list the items of value that you will be taking with you. That does a couple things; it establishes you bought and owned the drone in the U.S., avoiding questions of country of purchase and import duties, and establishes you are the owner of the property before arriving in Colombia. That can end up extremely important as several South American countries are noted for seizing expensive photographic equipment when either entering or leaving their countries. Carry a few extra SD cards in order to change them after every flight. That prevents losing all your imagery if you become separated from your system for any reason. Have a card with a couple of innocuous scenery photos on it and inside the camera when you pass through customs to depart the country. An empty card would arouse suspicion. Don’t volunteer info about videos and photos stored in temp files in the controller.
There are indeed some tremendous photo opportunities but only you can decide if they are worth the risk of sacrificing an expensive drone, or your freedom, in a country where you will have little hope of recovery if you or the drone are seized. The monetary, political, and drug situations in much of South America are not good by any standards, and the social atmosphere can become tense very quickly. When in a foreign country the worst thing we can do is draw attention to ourselves. It can be worth the risk, but only if you can afford to make sacrifices.
Despite all the above, I hope you have a great trip abroad.
If drones are legal to import, before you depart this country obtain a document from our Department of State that lets you list the items of value that you will be taking with you. That does a couple things; it establishes you bought and owned the drone in the U.S., avoiding questions of country of purchase and import duties, and establishes you are the owner of the property before arriving in Colombia. That can end up extremely important as several South American countries are noted for seizing expensive photographic equipment when either entering or leaving their countries. Carry a few extra SD cards in order to change them after every flight. That prevents losing all your imagery if you become separated from your system for any reason. Have a card with a couple of innocuous scenery photos on it and inside the camera when you pass through customs to depart the country. An empty card would arouse suspicion. Don’t volunteer info about videos and photos stored in temp files in the controller.
There are indeed some tremendous photo opportunities but only you can decide if they are worth the risk of sacrificing an expensive drone, or your freedom, in a country where you will have little hope of recovery if you or the drone are seized. The monetary, political, and drug situations in much of South America are not good by any standards, and the social atmosphere can become tense very quickly. When in a foreign country the worst thing we can do is draw attention to ourselves. It can be worth the risk, but only if you can afford to make sacrifices.
Despite all the above, I hope you have a great trip abroad.
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