Italian GIS system Sheds Light on National Drone Landscape

Editor’s note: All links to iptsat webs resources are translated via Google Translate.

An Italian aerospace company has something valuable to offer European drone pilots – peace of mind.

Iptsat Ltd, a GIS satellite company dedicated to cartography and UAV mapping, has deployed a SAPR mapping solution which allows drone users flying over Italian territories to have access to the latest rules and regulations translated to a GIS map to include “no-fly” zones. Upon registration to the SAPR website, users will be able to access GIS data from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), the satellite industry, and (in development) NOTAM real-time flight data.

“The purpose of the mapping for SAPR is to respond with a clear and effective interpretation of the regulations and most common rules of the air,” Iptsat spokesperson Valerio Caroselli said. “[The system will increase] the safety levels of the industry, introducing a cartographic detail specific to drones and understandable by all.”

The Italian system is similar to its American cousin, Mapbox, which offers interactive map of all the no-fly zones for UAVs in the U.S. As reported in DRONELIFE, Mapbox is a work in progress and developers have made the data they collected available for anyone to use. If users know of other no-fly zones that aren’t on the map, they can add that data to a public repository started on Github.

As Wired magazine’s Betsy Mason points out, the need for a better understanding of the legal landscape by drone pilots is necessary: “The FAA has tried to assert control and insist on licensing for all drone operators, while drone pilots and some legal experts claim drones do not fall under the FAA’s purview. The uncertainty—and recent attempts by the FAA to fine a drone pilot and ground a search and rescue organization—has UAV operators nervous.”