RC tracks, model airfields and boat waters in Romania

In Romania, the Federația Română de Modelism (FRMd) brings together all branches of modelling – model cars, aircraft, ships and rockets – and organises the Romanian championships: for RC cars in 2026 including 1:10 touring, 1:10 and 1:8 off-road as well as nitro on-road, and for ship models in Socodor, Bucharest and Buzău, among other places. Our list includes four airfields where competitions for radio-controlled models took place in 2025 and 2026: Sânpetru near Brașov with the 2026 F3K European Championship, Șirna in Prahova with the national championships for RC gliders, Geamăna near Pitești, where the F3C/F3N Helicopter World Championship was held in 2025, and Strejnic near Ploiești with RC scale. In addition, there is the ship model section of CS Farul in Constanța, which races in the Micro-Magic sailing model class.

Where can you drive RC cars in Romania?

We have not yet found an RC track in Romania with current evidence, either on a club website or from the national federation.

Where can you fly model aircraft in Romania?

Club	Location	County	Models
Aerodromul Geamăna	Geamăna	Argeș	Helicopters, Gliders
Aerodromul Sânpetru	Sânpetru	Brașov	Gliders
Aerodrom Șirna	Șirna	Prahova	Gliders, Electric
Aerodromul Strejnic	Strejnicu	Prahova	Gliders, Electric

Where can you sail model boats in Romania?

Club	Location	County	Models
Clubul Sportiv Farul Constanța	Constanța	Constanța	Sailing models

What are the rules in Romania?

These associations are responsible in Romania:

• Romanian Modelling Federation (Federația Română de Modelism, FRMd) – car modelling branch (Automodelism): According to its statutes (as of 5 April 2025), FRMd is the national sports federation for modelling, under the National Sports Agency (ANS), with branches for aircraft, ship, car and rocket models; for RC cars it is a member of EFRA and FEMA. Its car modelling branch (Automodelism) runs the 2026 Romanian championships, including 1:10 touring, 1:10 and 1:8 off-road, 1:12 and 1:10 GT on electric tracks, and 1:10 and 1:8 IC on-road.
• Romanian Modelling Federation (Federația Română de Modelism, FRMd) – aeromodelling branch (Aeromodelism): Within the nationwide modelling federation FRMd, model flying is the Aeromodelism branch; for aircraft and rocket models FRMd applies the rules of FAI and CIAM, of which it is a member, and it reports, among other things, on the F3K European Championship held from 9 to 15 August 2026 at Sânpetru airfield (Brașov). According to its UAS guide (No. 880 of 7 April 2021), members fly under AACR authorisation No. AO-UAS-0001-0001 – they must belong to an affiliated club and hold a sports card with a medical endorsement for the current year; adults also register with the AACR and prove their theoretical knowledge, while juniors under 18 fly under the direct supervision of an adult holding the relevant proof of competence.
• Romanian Modelling Federation (Federația Română de Modelism, FRMd) – ship modelling branch (Navomodelism): Within FRMd, ship modelling is the Navomodelism branch; internationally the federation is a member of NAVIGA for this discipline. Its 2026 calendar includes Romanian championships in Socodor (speed and ECO classes, NS), Bucharest (FSR IC and electric racing boats), Constanța (static models C1–C8) and Buzău (F5 sailing models), plus the NAVIGA NS European Cup in Socodor (12–14 June 2026) and the NAVIGA European Championship for static models in Constanța (14–20 September 2026).

The key points from the law and official pages (retrieved 11/10/2026):

• The competent authority for drones and model aircraft is the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority (Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română, AACR): it runs the competency examinations and issues or confirms operational authorisations. In the open category you need neither a prior operational authorisation nor a declaration – under Article 3(2) of Government Decision HG 859/2021 your flight is deemed authorised if it takes place outside airspace where air traffic control services are mandatory, the aircraft is insured where the law requires it, and you comply with all open-category requirements (Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947); otherwise a fine of 2,000–4,000 lei applies (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne – Ghid de utilizare a dronelor înmatriculate civil).
• As an operator you must register if your aircraft in the open category has a maximum take-off mass of 250 g or more or could transfer more than 80 joules of kinetic energy on impact, and also below that if it is equipped with a sensor able to capture personal data (toys under Directive 2009/48/EC excepted); the registration code must be marked on the drone. You register only in the EU member state where you reside – in Romania the competent authority is the AACR – and may not be registered in more than one member state at the same time, so if you are already registered in another EU country you do not register again in Romania (EUR-Lex – Regulamentul de punere în aplicare (UE) 2019/947 al Comisiei, articolul 14).
• If you fly in subcategory A1 with a class C0 drone, reading the user manual is enough; with class C1 you also complete the online training and examination with the AACR. For subcategories A2 (class C2 under 4 kg, keeping a safe distance from uninvolved people) and A3 (classes C3/C4, keeping a safe distance from urban areas) you likewise complete training and an examination with the AACR (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne – Ghid de utilizare a dronelor înmatriculate civil).
• In the open category, the unmanned aircraft must be kept within 120 m of the closest point of the surface of the earth during flight; the only exception is when overflying an obstacle (Article 4(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947) (EUR-Lex – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 4).
• Remote pilots in the open and specific categories must be at least 16 years old; no minimum age applies, among other cases, to privately built UAS with a maximum take-off mass below 250 g. Member states may set a different minimum age for remote pilots in model aircraft clubs and associations (Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947) (EUR-Lex – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 9).
• Club flying is governed by Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947: at the request of a model aircraft club or association, the competent authority – in Romania the AACR – may issue an authorisation. If you fly within a club or association holding such an AACR authorisation, you need no additional operational authorisation or declaration, and outside airspace with mandatory air traffic control your flight is deemed authorised under Article 3(2)(g) of HG 859/2021 (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne – Ghid de utilizare a dronelor înmatriculate civil).
• Under Regulation (EC) No 785/2004, liability insurance is mandatory for aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of 20 kg or more; under HG 859/2021 a flight is only deemed authorised if the aircraft is insured against third-party damage where the law requires it. Flying without the required insurance is an offence under Article 11(a) of HG 859/2021, punishable by a fine of 25,000–40,000 lei (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne – Ghid de utilizare a dronelor înmatriculate civil).
• Romania’s geographical UAS zones are shown on the digital map of the air navigation service provider ROMATSA (flightplan.romatsa.ro/init/drones) – according to ROMATSA, if the map shows no purple zones this does not mean there are none. Control zones (CTR) around aerodromes are split in two there: near the runway the zone conditions are mandatory, while in the wider circular or polygonal zone you may fly up to 120 m if you inform the tower (the conditions appear in the zone’s pop-up); failing to follow the civil-military procedure in airspace with mandatory air traffic control is punishable by a fine of 5,000–9,000 lei (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne – Ghid de utilizare a dronelor înmatriculate civil).
• In Romania, flights for photography, filming and mapping generally require an opinion (aviz) from the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) (Article 5(1)(e) of HG 859/2021). With a drone in the open category you only need it for photo and video flights in the UAS restricted zones whose point of contact is aerofoto@mapn.ro; you then apply through the MApN AEROFOTO application (aerofoto.mapn.ro) at least 7 working days before the flight – flying without the aviz is punishable by a fine of 15,000–25,000 lei (Ministerul Apărării Naționale – Aviz filmare / foto aeriană).
• If you fly over Bucharest below 3,000 m (restricted area LRR3), you need an overflight authorisation from the MApN (Secția survol, relații și reglementări aeronautice), to be requested at least 5 working days before the planned take-off; flying without it is punishable by a fine of 15,000–25,000 lei. According to the guide on mai.gov.ro, exceptions include drone flights in reserved airspace and in restricted zones established for unmanned aircraft (Ministerul Apărării Naționale – Aviz filmare / foto aeriană).

Frequently asked questions

Where can I fly model aircraft in Romania?

Our list includes 4 airfields where competitions for radio-controlled models took place in 2025 and 2026 – documented by the FRMd’s calendar and results. Nobody there publishes guest rules for normal flying days; ask the federation or the host club beforehand.

Are there RC tracks in Romania?

Yes: in 2026, the FRMd organises Romanian championships in several RC car classes, but its calendar only lists the club and city. That is why we have not yet included a fixed track with a documented date.

Do I need to register again in Romania?

No: you only register in the EU country where you live, and you may not be registered in several member states at the same time. If you are already registered in another EU country, you do not register again in Romania.

Do I need insurance in Romania?

Under EU law, liability insurance is compulsory from a take-off mass of 20 kg; under Romanian law, your flight in the open category is only considered authorised if your model is insured where the law requires it. If you fly without the necessary insurance, you face fines of 25,000 to 40,000 lei.

Where can’t I fly freely in Romania?

The zones are shown on the drone map of the air navigation service provider ROMATSA; special conditions apply in control zones around airfields. For photo and film flights in restricted zones, you need an opinion from the Ministry of Defence, which you apply for via the AEROFOTO application at least 7 working days in advance; over Bucharest, you need an overflight permit below 3,000 m.