Read the original article on Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). By F.Q.
The man justified himself by saying he wanted to take spectacular photos in the center of Milan, but was unaware of the permits. According to the Navigation Code, Piazza Duomo is a “red zone,” and he risked up to three years of imprisonment.
He wanted to use his drone to take spectacular photos and videos in the center of Milan. But after a few seconds of flight, the municipal police intervened to order him to land the device, issuing a €33,000 fine and reporting him for violating the Air Navigation Code. The person in trouble was a 41-year-old Mexican tourist, strolling in Piazza Duomo on July 6th, a few hours before the start of the Italy match.
Under Italian law, the drone is assimilated to an aircraft: therefore, it cannot take flight if its “pilot” does not have the necessary authorizations. This also applies to the smallest devices, like the one belonging to the fined tourist, a small Mavic Air 2 of just half a kilo that the man had flown from the Duomo’s parvis, passing over the line of people waiting to enter and admire the church.
The drone was seized by the police. But it could have been worse: Article 1231 of the Navigation Code provides for imprisonment of up to 3 months for “non-compliance with navigation safety rules.” In the police report, officers also referred to the fact that Milan’s Piazza Duomo is considered a “red zone” for flying drones. This is the third seizure since the beginning of the year: the last one involved an American tourist, who was also reported and fined €30,000.
While acknowledging the irregularity of the tourist’s action, the lawyer Andrea Aloi, who is handling the case, is convinced that the penalty is “disproportionate” because it refers to “a small drone of about 500 grams used for amateur filming.” Furthermore, Aloi believes that drone pilots, especially tourists, are not adequately warned about the flight rules in force in Italy: “An adequate information campaign, perhaps including the placement of multilingual signs, would be appropriate,” he suggested.
See also
- Milan, drone in Piazza Duomo: Mexican Tourist Fined €33,000
- Milan, Flying a Drone in Piazza Duomo: €33,000 Fine and Complaint for a Mexican Tourist
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