Flying drones over fog in Germany… thoughts?

Drone News Forum
1

Hey everyone,

I don’t post much, but I wanted to bring something up that’s been happening here in Germany. We’ve had thick fog in the Ruhr area for several days now, and I’ve seen multiple drone videos of people flying way above 120 meters just to get above the fog.

One person even posted a video showing their drone sitting at what looked like 250-350 meters above ground, and they paired it with airplane intercom sounds for laughs. Seriously? These are the kinds of people who ruin the hobby for everyone else.

2

I was in the mountains in Germany recently. There are places where you can get above the fog without going higher than 120 meters.

3

In Germany, you’re required to maintain direct visual contact with your drone. So flying over fog isn’t allowed anyway. That said, it’s not uncommon to reach the fog line at around 115 meters in winter, especially near lakes or rivers.

4

We shouldn’t give those people any attention. I don’t know all the specifics of German drone laws, but if there’s a link to that video, I’d recommend taking it down.

5

Merritt said:
We shouldn’t give those people any attention. I don’t know all the specifics of German drone laws, but if there’s a link to that video, I’d recommend taking it down.

German drone laws are super strict.

6

Merritt said:
We shouldn’t give those people any attention. I don’t know all the specifics of German drone laws, but if there’s a link to that video, I’d recommend taking it down.

Yep, no higher than 120 meters unless you have a special permit. Personally, I never go over 50 meters just to play it safe.

7

I fly responsibly, but some of these videos make it look tempting to push limits.

8

Bran said:
I fly responsibly, but some of these videos make it look tempting to push limits.

How do you maintain visual contact with your drone through thick fog?

9

Wade said:

Bran said:
I fly responsibly, but some of these videos make it look tempting to push limits.

How do you maintain visual contact with your drone through thick fog?

Spoiler alert: you don’t.

10

Wade said:

Bran said:
I fly responsibly, but some of these videos make it look tempting to push limits.

How do you maintain visual contact with your drone through thick fog?

Are you being sarcastic, or…?

11

Wade said:

Bran said:
I fly responsibly, but some of these videos make it look tempting to push limits.

How do you maintain visual contact with your drone through thick fog?

It’s complicated, but I try to follow the rules where I can.

12

@Bran
This is starting to feel like a Chewbacca defense, lol.

13

There are speed limits for cars, but people still speed. Just worry about your own flying and let others deal with their choices.

14

Bailey said:
There are speed limits for cars, but people still speed. Just worry about your own flying and let others deal with their choices.

No way. These people need to be called out every time. Some might not even realize they’re breaking the rules and can be educated.

The real problem is the ones who know they’re flying illegally but don’t care. Those are the people who cause issues and make regulators crack down harder on everyone else.

15

Someone grab a slingshot and take care of this ‘threat,’ haha.