In my suitcase, a drone | The Press

For a growing number of travelers, the drone has become an essential exploration companion: it is thanks to it that they capture all those aerial photos and videos, new darlings of social media. Overview of the phenomenon, dreamy videos and advice from the pros, at a time when the regulations of the various countries are changing.

Videos to dream

On video sharing sites - YouTube and Vimeo in the lead - professional and amateur videos captured by drones abound. Here are seven beautiful ones.

The drone boom

When celibacy returned despite himself to his life, it was in Japan that Pierre-Étienne Bordeleau decided to go and digest his breakup. In his suitcase, he took the essentials: his cameras, his GoPro video camera. And his brand new drone.

Nothing extravagant for a cinematographer rolling his bump in television, especially when the latter wishes to report a documentary of his long solo trip. Under the watchful eye of his drone, he traveled the Japanese roads for three weeks aboard a mini caravan to shoot the short film Un roadtrip à l'envers (which incidentally won honors at the most recent Festival du international cinema in Abitibi-Témiscamingue). He has since flown his camera over the skies of Belize and Hawaii.

However, do not believe that image professionals - videographers, directors, photographers - are the only ones to fill their travel bag with a flying camera and its inevitable panoply of cables and batteries. Many recreational dronists departing for foreign countries are transformed into aerial filmmakers to create photo and video travel diaries that they will share, as soon as they return, on social media.

Drones have been booming in popularity over the past year. In the United States alone, an estimated 700,000 drones were sold last year. A 63% increase over 2014, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Since December 21, drones purchased on American soil must be registered with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA). The register already has more than 400,000 names.

The drop in prices charged by the major drone companies, led by the Chinese DJI, is promoting the democratization of the activity: it is possible to obtain a Phantom model, with integrated camera, for less than $700.

Éric Dupin is a privileged observer of this rise in popularity. In 2013, the French businessman founded Dronestagram, a virtual community bringing together dronists from all over the world, eager to share their aerial images.

“I bought my first drone in 2010, but even before that, I was flying remote-controlled helicopters equipped with cameras. When I wanted to share the content I was creating on the internet, I looked to see if there was a Flickr or an Instagram dedicated to drone photography and video. I found nothing,” explains Éric Dupin.

In his spare time, he created Dronestagram, which today has nearly 40,000 members. Market growth is such that Éric Dupin hopes to be able to multiply this number by 10 within two years.

“The enthusiasm for drones is similar to that which we experienced 10 years ago for photography with smart phones. On the other hand, growth will necessarily be less strong than for the GoPro camera, for example. Flying cameras are less easy to use; security is more problematic. The GoPro can be used anywhere. Not the drone. »

The dronists who frequent Dronestagram are both amateurs and professionals. Men are more numerous, at 78%. The images come from France, the United States, Brazil, Thailand. The majority of visitors to the site are Americans. In short, the phenomenon is global.

Accident on the rise

This growing popularity is not without its hitches, however. Several incidents have been reported in the past year.

In Italy, two Israeli tourists were arrested in late December for flying a drone over the Vatican during Sunday mass. In Cambodia, a German tourist was interrogated for six hours after his aircraft flew over the royal residence (while the Queen Mother was exercising in the garden...). Since then, drones have been banned in the skies of the capital, Phnom Penh.

In February, a 27-year-old man who wanted to film the Manhattan skyline sent his drone flying over the walls of the Empire State Building. He reported to security hoping to retrieve his toy, which was stuck on a patio; the guards called the police instead. Flying a drone over New York is strictly prohibited.

For world leaders, drones pose a serious security concern, and for good reason. In April 2015, a device carrying radioactive sands landed on the roof of the office of the Prime Minister of Japan. The pilot wanted to protest against the country's policy on nuclear energy... Respect for privacy is also threatened as soon as a drone is equipped with a camera.

Needless to say, bringing your drone near a government building (the White House, for example), a nuclear power plant or an airport (even local) turns out to be a very, very bad idea, which will attract strong probably the authorities. When it's not a citizen wanting to take justice into his own hands, like the man from Louisville who shot a rifle at a drone flying over his property (and who has expressed, to date, no regrets... ).

It's not for nothing that drone manufacturers prefer to call them "unmanned aerial vehicles" (UAVs) or "quadrotors"; the term "drone" has a military or spy connotation which is not good for business.

A blur to fill

In the already congested airspace, the proliferation of drones is also giving headaches to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In the United States, the FAA recorded 650 incidents involving drones and planes between January and August 2015 alone. A collision could have disastrous consequences.

Countries are trying somehow to legislate the use of drones on their territory. Some forbid them outright; Cuba in particular. Others, such as Peru, the Dominican Republic or Kenya, require that a permit application be made several days in advance. All the others (Canada included) have their particularities concerning the weight of the devices, the allowed altitude, the authorized zones...

Clearly, there is no international uniformity at the moment. Worse, updates of the various national regulations are made several times a year. Result: a blur hangs over the legislation of several countries. Under these conditions, even the best-intentioned dronists expose themselves to illegality.

“When I was in Japan, it was never clear if I could fly my drone or not, remembers Pierre-Étienne Bilodeau. There were some gray areas, but since I was outside the major centers, I didn't have a problem. »

The speed at which the market evolves does not help matters. The heaviness of government machinery often creates a gap between regulations and reality. “Technology is advancing faster than legislation,” says David-Étienne Durivage, professional drone pilot who has flown his cameras over many countries, including Guatemala, the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia.

In the coming months, it's a safe bet that the laws will tighten in several countries, especially if accidents continue to increase.

Eric Dupin, however, believes that the democratization of the activity can work in favor of drone operators. He cites the example of France, which introduced very restrictive rules in 2012. “Only professionals were taken into account; it was even forbidden to fly a drone above his garden. All private individuals who stole for pleasure were outlawed. The rules updated in 2016 have been relaxed. »

One fact remains. Regardless of the country concerned, offenders are exposed to hefty fines (up to $250,000 in the United States, $25,000 in Canada), lengthy interrogations, and harsh arrests.

Nothing that is in the pantheon of the dream trip.

Tips from the pros

A few tips from seasoned dronists, to travel with a drone without worrying.

Transport your drone by plane

First pitfall that awaits drone tourists: can they take their drone on board a plane? The answer is generally yes, “but it is better to check with the airline beforehand each time,” explains Maxime Contour, a French blogger specializing in travel videos.

However, the main problem posed by flying cameras is not so much the aircraft as its batteries. “The drones work with lithium batteries which cannot be put in the hold under any circumstances. If they catch fire, no one will have access to put out the fire. »

This is why the professional drone pilot and founder of the Dizifilms agency, David-Étienne Durivage, recommends transporting the batteries - fully discharged - in separate fireproof bags to avoid short circuits. “No metal part should come into contact with the batteries to avoid overheating. »

Maxime Contour adds: “To avoid any confusion at customs, I always have on hand a printed copy of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) rules concerning the transport of batteries. Air Canada, Air France and Air Transat comply with this regulation: the batteries must accompany the passenger in the cabin and must not exceed 2 g of lithium. If their energy is below 100 Wh, no permission should be requested beforehand.

Preparing your drone for travel

Most dronists surveyed prefer to keep their aircraft in their carry-on when traveling by plane. Close to the eyes, close to the heart, they say.

“Passengers must, however, comply with our weight and dimension (baggage) policy,” explains Debbie Cabana, director of marketing, social media and public relations at Air Transat.

Impossible to fit all the necessary equipment in a simple carry-on bag? False, answers Pierre-Étienne Bilodeau. The proof: his transport bag meets the standards and he manages to put the drone and its console, the batteries and the spare propellers, the photo cards, the wiring, the polarizing filters, the laptop and even the photo cameras there. .

Maxime Contour prefers to leave his drone in the hold, in a carrying bag placed inside his suitcase. “Thus, I don't have any unpleasant surprises at screening, with security agents asking questions. He also fears being forced to put his bag in the hold if the airline considers that there is a carry-on baggage surcharge for the capacity of the aircraft. "In that case, don't forget to say that you have lithium batteries so they don't go in the hold!" »

Find out about the legislation in place

It has been said: the laws concerning the use of drones are constantly changing. How do you know where and when to use your drone once you reach your destination?

No website lists the existing regulations for all the countries of the world. Some sites, such as that of UAV Systems International, cover several countries, but the information is not necessarily up to date.

In fact, other dronists may be in the best position to inform us. “Discussion forums specializing in drone video are excellent sources of information,” believes Pierre-Étienne Bordeleau. Consulates can also provide details of the regulations in place.

To be careful

Other factors should also be considered. Strong winds, rain, extreme cold are all reasons to leave the drone stowed.

“You have to monitor the battery level, advises David-Étienne Durivage. The drone should always return with a minimum charge of 30%. We should not wait for the device to send us a low battery signal. »

“The drone must always remain in our field of vision. And we don't fly if the winds exceed 25 km/h; if you have the wind at your back on the way there, you risk running out of battery on the way back. However, a falling drone can be very dangerous, with its four propellers like knives. You have to be serious: you don't invest $2,000 in a device just to see it crash! »

Hence his last piece of advice: “Take a short course before starting! »

Where to fly your drone?

During a music festival?No

Who says festival says crowd and unless you have a permit, you cannot fly a drone above the public. In Canada, the drone must not approach within 150 m of an individual, an animal or a vehicle. In the UK the distance is 50m. "In France, it is de facto forbidden to fly over crowds and even a city," says Éric Dupin. To film a simple public square, you have to make a request to the prefecture, the police services are involved, a security perimeter must be drawn... "As if Steven Spielberg landed in Brive-la-Gaillarde...

In a national park? It depends

Drones are prohibited in all US national parks as well as some 350 beaches, recreational areas or national monuments (the Golden Gate or Mount Rushmore, for example). Ditto in Canada, where Parks Canada prohibits drones in all parks under its jurisdiction. At Parcs Québec, we are still thinking about the question: "The SEPAQ is evaluating the drone file" in particular with regard to "their impact on the protection and the experience of visiting our territories", according to Lucie Boulianne, responsible for communications to Parcs Québec.

At the beach?Yes

As long as there are no other humans in the area and the beach (or field, forest, waterfall, mountain) is not part of a drone-banned zone . However, the United States is working on a bill that could allow the use of drones in public under certain conditions. In any case, the drone must always remain in the pilot's field of vision and cannot exceed the maximum altitude allowed. Drones cannot exceed 90 m altitude in Canada, 122 m in the United States, 150 m in France.

During a fireworks display? No

Even if they are not prohibited in all countries, night flights are strongly discouraged by the regulations, even if the aircraft is equipped with a lighting or camera system allowing night vision. Some cities, or even countries, may impose no-fly hours. In Chicago, drones must remain on the ground between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Near an airport? Never

In Canada, drones must stay 9 km from any airport, heliport or aerodrome. In the United States, anyone planning to fly their quadcopter within 5 miles of an airport must first obtain special permission. Another situation where drones are a nuisance: above the scene of fires or natural disasters. They can interfere with the work of rescuers, the transport of equipment or the evacuation of victims by air.