Droning along...

Clearly legal...possibly legal....clearly illegal...and illegal but no one cares. That's the spectrum I've encountered when flying the drone internationally thus far. Not sure how many times my father has said..."Remember, Andrew...not everyone will appreciate that thing." I know, Dad.

A quick rundown...

US: Register with the FAA and keep it away from airports and below 400 feet. Totally legal.

Morocco: No idea on legalities. Random nomads will joyfully mount a donkey or camel and chase it down for you, should it get lost. It's also a magical place where the drone can fly between power lines.

Fly it near a UNESCO site, and you're likely to get a much colder response from the authorities.

(I later learned from William Gloege, a fellow RTW adventure rider, that drones are highly illegal in Morocco and they will be confiscated on sight. Lucky me.)

France: Flight zones are clearly published...and enforced. A friend of a friend on a motorcycle was flying one in Nice, just minding his own business, when a young French man walking by suddenly became very aggressive and threatened to turn him in to the police. He apparently took pictures of the drone, the pilot, and the guy's motorcycle. No amount of apologies could deter the local from delivering his barrage of angry threats. Man, that would be rough on the poor, innocent pilot. That motorcyclist should probably leave France and never return. I, on the other hand, got a couple good pics outside the city...and then exited the country.

Italy: Wouldn't know. The silly drone broke itself. DJI has regional repair support, which is useless in my case. Can't ship it to the US and have it repaired and returned to Europe--would be costly and I have no idea where in the world I'll be. I offered to hand-deliver it to a repair shop in Frankfurt, but DJI said support wouldn't be provided. Shame on them. Poor customer service. But...their tactic worked in this case. I bought another one.

Balkans: Likely legal, but still mine was broken.

Greece: Marcela, my importation liaison (girlfriend), hand-delivered a new Mavic...let's call it "Goose" since Maverick is down for the count. Regulations for use in Greece? Probably best explained by our new friend, Christos (who you'll hear lots about later):

"Look, everything in Greece is illegal...but nothing is illegal. How many police have you seen in the last week in Greece?"

Took a second... "Mmmm, none."

"Exactly...if you want to see one, go to a coffee shop."

It's true. Apparently there are traffic laws in Athens. Hence, why driving like Grand Theft Auto is the norm.

But, in Santorini...some parts of the island are just fine...