The airspace over the majestic Aparados da Serra National Park is open to drone flight operations under tailored ecological guidelines. Home to the breathtaking Itaimbezinho Canyon, deep valleys, and pristine waterfalls, the park offers an unparalleled landscape for legal aerial cinematography. Because it is a strictly protected conservation unit, pilots must coordinate their flights to safeguard both local wildlife and the experience of visitors on the ground.

























Regulatory Framework & Permissions: Drone operations are fully allowed for recreational and educational tracking. Operators must ensure their aircraft is properly registered with ANAC and ANATEL, and flights must strictly follow DECEA regulations (ICA 100-40) for unmanned aircraft.




Flight Authorization & Coordination: Standard flights within the open tourism sectors do not require specialized individual permits, but all pilots must submit their flight intent via the SARPAS system. For professional, commercial, or documentary media creation, it is mandatory to obtain prior written clearance from the park administration (Urbia / ICMBio).

Geofencing & Flight Conditions: The park's coordinates are not restricted by automated Red Zones in drone manufacturer firmware, meaning your drone will unlock and take off without software blocks. However, standard altitude limits apply. Pilots must monitor the abrupt weather shifts, as the canyon is famous for sudden heavy fog (viração) and strong vertical wind drafts.



Environmental Restrictions: To maintain your permission to fly, you must respect the park's biodiversity. It is strictly forbidden to fly close to or disturb nesting birds along the canyon walls (such as endangered eagles) or land mammals. Drones must also maintain a safe distance from the designated tourist trails (like Trilha do Vértice and Trilha do Cotovelo) to protect visitor privacy and safety.


Legal Penalties: Operating a drone in a reckless manner that harasses animals or endangers the public can lead to immediate flight termination by park rangers, equipment confiscation, heavy environmental fines under ICMBio regulations, and prosecution under Article 261 of the Brazilian Penal Code for endangering airspace safety.

# ⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTICE: Drone Operations Prohibited in Aparados da Serra National Park

### 🛑 Authorization Status: CRITICAL PERMIT REQUIRED (RECREATIONAL FLIGHTS 100% BANNED)
* **Recreational/Amateur Flights:** Completely forbidden. There is no instant or paid authorization for tourists inside the canyon circuits.
* **Commercial, Scientific, or Media Flights:** Allowed **ONLY** under strict, advance analysis. You must hold a joint authorization from ICMBio, the private concessionaire (Urbia Cânions), and a cleared flight plan from DECEA.

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**Operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) inside this conservation unit without prior official clearance is illegal due to strict federal environmental laws and catastrophic wind shear hazards.**

### 🗺️ Geographic Map Boundaries (Where it is prohibited)

The flight ban covers the entire official polygon of **13,000 hectares** (130 km²) of the National Park, sitting on the border between the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, including the municipalities of Cambará do Sul, Praia Grande, and Jacinto Machado.
* **North Boundary:** Extends along the deep valleys of the SC state line and complex cliff networks.
* **South Boundary:** Limits with the plateau areas and rural borders of Cambará do Sul.
* **East/West Limits:** Encompasses the entire deep interior of the canyons and the Atlantic Forest slope ecosystems.
* **Critical No-Fly Zones:** Absolute enforcement at the **Cânion Itaimbezinho** (including the Cotovelo and Vértice trails), **Cachoeira das Andorinhas**, **Cachoeira Véu de Noiva**, and the entire **Rio do Boi** trail interior.

### 📜 Key Regulations & Specific Legal Articles

* **ICMBio Normative Instruction No. 61/2020:** This federal ordinance dictates that any recreational operation of unmanned aircraft inside National Parks is completely forbidden without a previously issued environmental permit.
* **Federal Law No. 9,605/1998 (Environmental Crimes Law - Art. 29 & 40):** Protects endangered species. The high-pitched noise of drone rotors causes panic and nesting desertion among rare birds that live directly on the vertical canyon walls, including the **Red-spectacled Amazon / Papagaio-de-peito-roxo (Amazona vinacea)** and various species of eagles and falcons.
* **DECEA ICA 100-40 & ANAC RBAC-94:** The canyon topography acts as a funnel for air masses, generating extreme, unpredictable wind shear, thermal updrafts, and microbursts. Drone operations face extreme risks of immediate structural failure, connection loss, and crashes, which permanently leaves hazardous electronic waste inside pristine, inaccessible valleys.

### ⚖️ Penalties for Violations

Anyone caught operating drones inside the park boundaries without authorization will face strict immediate legal action:
1. **Immediate Equipment Seizure:** Confiscation of the drone, remote controller, and all storage media by Park Rangers or Environmental Police.
2. **Administrative Financial Sanctions:** Fines starting at **R$ 5,000.00** per infraction under Federal Decree 6,514/08.
3. **Criminal Penalties:** Registration of a federal environmental crime report for damaging a federal conservation unit and endangering protected avian species.

### 🎥 Official Media & Research Licensing (How to request)

For institutional, scientific, or licensed commercial cinematography:
* Permits must be requested at least **45 business days in advance** through the [ICMBio SISBIO System](https://www.gov.br) and coordinated directly with the park's concessionaire (**Urbia Cânions**).
* Pilots must obtain specific airspace clearance via the **DECEA SARPAS** system, matching the precise coordinates of the intended sector.

***
*Thank you for respecting the mountain wildlife, protecting the rare Red-spectacled Amazon, and helping preserve the natural integrity of Aparados da Serra.*

The airspace over the majestic Aparados da Serra National Park is open to drone flight operations under tailored ecological guidelines. Home to the breathtaking Itaimbezinho Canyon, deep valleys, and pristine waterfalls, the park offers an unparalleled landscape for legal aerial cinematography. Because it is a strictly protected conservation unit, pilots must coordinate their flights to safeguard both local wildlife and the experience of visitors on the ground.

Regulatory Framework & Permissions: Drone operations are fully allowed for recreational and educational tracking. Operators must ensure their aircraft is properly registered with ANAC and ANATEL, and flights must strictly follow DECEA regulations (ICA 100-40) for unmanned aircraft.

Flight Authorization & Coordination: Standard flights within the open tourism sectors do not require specialized individual permits, but all pilots must submit their flight intent via the SARPAS system. For professional, commercial, or documentary media creation, it is mandatory to obtain prior written clearance from the park administration (Urbia / ICMBio).

Geofencing & Flight Conditions: The park's coordinates are not restricted by automated Red Zones in drone manufacturer firmware, meaning your drone will unlock and take off without software blocks. However, standard altitude limits apply. Pilots must monitor the abrupt weather shifts, as the canyon is famous for sudden heavy fog (viração) and strong vertical wind drafts.

Environmental Restrictions: To maintain your permission to fly, you must respect the park's biodiversity. It is strictly forbidden to fly close to or disturb nesting birds along the canyon walls (such as endangered eagles) or land mammals. Drones must also maintain a safe distance from the designated tourist trails (like Trilha do Vértice and Trilha do Cotovelo) to protect visitor privacy and safety.

Legal Penalties: Operating a drone in a reckless manner that harasses animals or endangers the public can lead to immediate flight termination by park rangers, equipment confiscation, heavy environmental fines under ICMBio regulations, and prosecution under Article 261 of the Brazilian Penal Code for endangering airspace safety.