Hi all!

As German pilots will know the new law about drone labeling with the name and address of the pilot finally has come into force.
The label material has to be water and fire/heat and crash resistent. Sounds to me like metal material. "Nice" idea but no suggestion on the fixing method. Unlikely that glue will handle a fire or hard crash. Typical German law situation. Acting first (without having any clue) and then starting to think that there is no way to label the drone according to this requirements without getting into trouble with the manufacturer of the drone. As glue isn´t an option, only screws make sense. Drilling holes into my drone? No way.

Here a solution and I want to offer it to everybody else.
I have access to a fiber engraving laser. An engraving/marking on the heat sink of the Mavic is resistant against any impact (thermal or mechanical). During the engraving only the color of the anodized layer of the heat sink is changed. There is no thermal impact on the drone. There is no risk to damage anything at all.
Engraving/marking of the heat sink is the only way to label the drone according to the law requirements without getting into trouble with warranty (drilling holes for screws will void for sure) conditions.

Everybody is welcome to contact me. You only have to carry the shipping fee + 5€ for laser use (not my laser). Or you come over to Kassel and bring the drone.

Alex

This sounds like a great idea - until you wish to sell the drone...

ACW Posted at 2017-10-16 00:06
This sounds like a great idea - until you wish to sell the drone...

No, just trying to help.

Schata Posted at 2017-10-16 00:27
No, just trying to help.

I appreciate that - these laws are getting crazy - we're waiting for mandatory registration to hit the UK next year...

In Germany all drones above 2,5kg need to be registered and you need a certificate of competence.

Schata Posted at 2017-10-16 00:37
In Germany all drones above 2,5kg need to be registered and you need a certificate of competence.

same in Australia

Schata Posted at 2017-10-16 00:37
In Germany all drones above 2,5kg need to be registered and you need a certificate of competence.

So basically if you fly an Inspire - but a Phantom or lower is fine.

Thanks for the offer. I got an engraved alluminum sticker (no interference at all) the size of an euro cent coin. Lufthansa opened a website too and they were giving out stickers as well.

To be honest, this is the least of the problems to fly here. To me the issue is that everything seems to be a Naturschutzgebiet (even 4 bloody trees together... and of course every lake or similar thing) also the rivers are banned. If we can't shoot nature, and we can't shoot urban... al we have left is boring fields...

Not much stopping you from putting someone’s info that you dislike into the identifier and flying it threw a window or crash it into a car with head level official inside  just to cause chaos..

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2017-10-16 06:33
Not much stopping you from putting someone’s info that you dislike into the identifier and flying it threw a window or crash it into a car with head level official inside  just to cause chaos..

You just gave me a nasty idea!!!

They stopped requiring registration for Mavic sized quads in the US - of course, just after I registered mine.  ;)

I would check with DJI first before defacing your drone - it might void any care plan you have. Also, as mentioned it will make it impossible to sell a) because of permanent markings and b) the value will be compromised accordingly - I'd never buy one secondhand so marked. Who would provide a replacement clean heatsink plate anyway if I did?

DJ Enertia Posted at 2017-10-16 03:06
same in Australia

Really??? Since when. You mean 25kg?

DJ Enertia Posted at 2017-10-16 03:06
same in Australia

a small RPA (2-25kg) without needing an RPA operator's certificate (ReOC) or a remote pilot licence (RePL)
a medium RPA (25-150kg) without needing a ReOC. (You will require a RePL).

ro_flyer Posted at 2017-10-16 14:57
You just gave me a nasty idea!!!

i would so do it if i was required to with the relaxed leancy that germany put on it..  i would put someone's name i want gone for a long time on my drone and then throw it through windows of a parked police car...

StanfordWebbie Posted at 2017-10-16 15:33
They stopped requiring registration for Mavic sized quads in the US - of course, just after I registered mine.  ;)

They never required registration of drones in the U.S. unless possibly for commercial use (I don't know).  For a very brief time, pilots were "required" to register.  Pilot's registration was "required" to be on each drone.

AG0N-Gary Posted at 2017-10-16 18:18
They never required registration of drones in the U.S. unless possibly for commercial use (I don't know).  For a very brief time, pilots were "required" to register.  Pilot's registration was "required" to be on each drone.

Clearly a significant difference.  Since the registration requirement was based upon the weight of the drone being over a certain minimum, I so mistakenly assumed it was the drone and not me.

DownUnderDrones Posted at 2017-10-16 17:04
Really??? Since when. You mean 25kg?

No i think it used to be up to 2kg for recreational or non profit with out needing license now its like you said 2kg-25kg over your own land on CASA website https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft ... ng-drones-australia

This brochures also on CASA website

I ordered a tiny aluminum-label here:
https://bvcp.de/shop/produkt/kennzeichnungsplaketten/
It is self-adhesive and looks professional.

BalticSeaPilot Posted at 2017-10-16 20:36
I ordered a tiny aluminum-label here:
https://bvcp.de/shop/produkt/kennzeichnungsplaketten/
It is self-adhesive and looks professional.

Nice and its very light

BalticSeaPilot Posted at 2017-10-16 20:36
I ordered a tiny aluminum-label here:
https://bvcp.de/shop/produkt/kennzeichnungsplaketten/
It is self-adhesive and looks professional.

And how you want to fix it on the drone? Adhesive isn’t allowed as it is not fire resistant.

Schata Posted at 2017-10-16 22:21
And how you want to fix it on the drone? Adhesive isn’t allowed as it is not fire resistant.

I can't speak German so I'm not going to attempt to locate the law.  But are you sure it says that the affixing method must be fire resistant?  For example, CVRs and FDRs are routinely ejected from aircraft upon impact.  They are fire and crash resistant.  But there's nothing that states they must stay attached to the aircraft during the crash event.

If this German law says that it must, then so be it.  I'm just asking about the details.  Maybe with a cite and translation if anyone is bored.

Schata Posted at 2017-10-16 22:21
And how you want to fix it on the drone? Adhesive isn’t allowed as it is not fire resistant.

Lufthansa opened this website and started offering labels on a discounted price to encourage drone pilots to get it, so I'm assuming that it's valid https://www.safe-drone.com/de/drohnenplaketten-im-neuen-kleid/

My label is alluminum engraved and adhesive, the polizei saw it once and didn't complain (they came to me curious about the drone, not to enforce anything) and I actually had to explain the regulations as they were not sure.

By the way, this is the one I got: https://shop.drohnen.de/

It looks really tiny placed on the back of the drone.

CuaC Posted at 2017-10-16 23:11
Lufthansa opened this website and started offering labels on a discounted price to encourage drone pilots to get it, so I'm assuming that it's valid https://www.safe-drone.com/de/drohnenplaketten-im-neuen-kleid/

My label is alluminum engraved and adhesive, the polizei saw it once and didn't complain (they came to me curious about the drone, not to enforce anything) and I actually had to explain the regulations as they were not sure.

Sure, the Lufthansa labels are valid. Thats not the question. The problem is that no glue will resist a hard crash or fire. Fire resistent labels without fire resistent glue? Doesn´t make much sense to me.

§19 of the German drone law says that the identifier needs to be permanent and fire resistent. https://www.bgbl.de/xaver/bgbl/s ... .pdf#__bgbl__%2F%2F*%5B%40attr_id%3D%27bgbl117s0683.pdf%27%5D__1508229220190
Go to page 683 of the pdf.
The label itslef is fire resistent but the adhesive is not. When you crash and the identifier gets lost, it is the same as your drone never had one.

And how should the police complain anything? As you wrote, you had to explain the law to them. This is really crazy but I think it is still better as in Canada where drones are practically banned.

The plate must be fire resistant, not the way you put it onto the drone:

....."muss vor dem erstmaligen Betrieb an sichtbarer
Stelle seinen Namen und seine Anschrift in dauerhafter
und feuerfester Beschriftung an dem Fluggerät
anbringen."

https://www.bmvi.de/SharedDocs/D ... lob=publicationFile

Dirk52 Posted at 2017-10-17 01:02
The plate must be fire resistant, not the way you put it onto the drone:

....."muss vor dem erstmaligen Betrieb an sichtbarer

This. The one I bought is approved by the State Departement. ( Bundesministeriums für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur (BMVI).

Happy Landings, BSP

Makes sense to me that if you are required to have a label on your drone that must be fire retardant then it stands to reason the adhesive used (or other fixing method) would have to be also fire retardant. Makes no sense to me to have a label that withstands fire but not the fixing!

Having said this and thinking it through one stage further ..... the Mavic is not fire proof so I think I just argued against my own point!!

Hi, I have a question. I have my CAA licence/permissions after completing the full course in the U.K. which means I’m also fully insured globally. Do I have to Do a full German course to fly my drone commercially here now?

Hi, I have a question. I have my CAA licence/permissions after completing the full course in the U.K. which means I’m also fully insured globally. Do I have to Do a full German course to fly my drone commercially here now?

Jamie dudds Posted at 2017-10-20 06:15
Hi, I have a question. I have my CAA licence/permissions after completing the full course in the U.K. which means I’m also fully insured globally. Do I have to Do a full German course to fly my drone commercially here now?

Up until 2 kg take-off weight you do need liability insurance.
Over 2 kg you need a licence.
Over 5 kg you need a permission to take-off in every single event.

Hey,

You can inform yourself about the new German "Drohnen Plakette" here https://translate.google.com/tra ... en%2F&sandbox=1  (Original site: https://versichertedrohne.de/blog/drohnen-plaketten/ )

Hope it helps!
GermanPilot