Hey guys,

Since the Mavic mini tips the scales at 249g it manages to bypass many of the CAA laws here in the uk. I have tried to find out what they all are but to no avail. Could someone help clarify them? e.g with the Mavic mini would I be able to fly it anywhere? I'm pretty sure the law states that a drone can't be more than 50m near a person so would a drone under 250g bypass that?   

Also something else about the Mavic, range. Would the range still be 4km in the UK? Isn't there a range limit for ALL drones in the uk?


Thanks.

You don't need to register a sub 250g drone, but all other rules still apply as the CAA class 20kg or less as a Small Unmanned Aircraft.
So the drone code still applies to the Mavic Mini.

No registration required, every other drone rule applies the same. UK Drone Code applies 100%.

Visual line of sight, about 500m max for larger drones, a lot less for the Mavic Mini due to its smaller size.

alright okay, thanks for the helpful advice

You can learn the rules here - https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/drone-code

At the moment you don't need to register, unless you add something to the base Mini like the label kit or prop guards but that might change if the UK adopts the EU rules next year.

I

Bright Spark Posted at 11-6 11:31
I understan adding prop guards etc does not raise mm weight  for registration since it's the craft with everything required for lift off that counts.

However, drone code still apllies, and next year may see a distinction between 'toys' and  serious devices , ie with a decent camera.

I wouldn't take a bet on propguards etc not being taken into account when it comes to takeoff weight above or below 250g. (Even though it would be cool if only the bare TOW counted for flight rules)

And I wouldn't take a bet on UK adopting new EU rules next summer either....

Fair comment!

Certainty very hard to find .....

From today until 31 October 2020 you may purchase a Mavic Mini, read the manual throughly then fly it in line with the regulations set out in the UK CAA drone code. There is presently no need to register the drone with the CAA as it weighs <250g. Any additional payload added to the drone will obviously increase it's weight and you will need to complete the CAA 'Drone and Model Aircraft Registration Scheme (DMARES)' which will require you to go onto the CAA website and complete the online training and pass the basic foundation remote pilot test to obtain a fly ID free of charge and valid for three years before having to register yourself as a drone operator, pay the £9 annual registration fee and label the drone with your Operator ID to use only for recreational purposes in line with the drone code.

From 01 November 2020 the laws for flying drones in the UK will change significantly. The Mavic Mini is obviously equipped with a camera and as it is capable of being flown above 400' AGL it is not classed as a toy. Weighing <250g with a max speed of <19m/s or 42.5mph it is classed as a C0-none Toy drone. However, as the CE classification has not be approved as yet and the drone came to market before 01 July 2022 it will be classed as a legacy drone. This means that from 01/11/20 you will need to complete the entire basic DMARES process to fly the drone, irrespective of it being <250g and you will be able to fly it in the 'Open Category', A1 subcategory-legacy. The good news is that despite being a legacy class, this specific category does not have any limitations/transitional period so you will still be able to fly the Mavic Mini under the same category after 01 July 2022 unlike the other drones that are presently not classified and will fall into the A3 subcategory. The A1 subcategory will enable you to fly the drone 'over uninvolved people but not over crowds' and you will not be required to take any further training or tests such as the A2 CofC - that is about as good as it gets in these new categories. You may also, with the right liability insurance, be able to use the drone for commerical purposes in this category though with more restirctions than if flying in a higher category with increased risk such as the Specific category rather than Open.

Aj where can I read up on all that? UK P3 owner here.

Sean-newbie Posted at 5-17 05:20
Aj where can I read up on all that? UK P3 owner here.

The "Horse's Mouth"... https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1789%20April%202020.pdf

Thanks but "Oh my" back to school, guess I better clean my glasses lol

After brexit, UK can modify laws as it wants

djharrisx Posted at 5-18 05:30
The "Horse's Mouth"... https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1789%20April%202020.pdf

There's a rather alarming disparity in the document I linked to above issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, compared with the source document... the EU's very euphemistically titled "Easy Access Rules for Unmanned Aircraft Systems". I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else and it affects the Mavic Mini (or at least the MM2!).

The CAA document defines Class CO as:-

Class C0 - (can be flown in all subcategories) Very small unmanned aircraft, including toys, that:
▪ are less than 250g maximum take-off mass
▪ have a maximum speed of 19m/s (approx. 42.5 mph)
▪ are unable to be flown more than 120m (400ft) from the controlling device

While the EU document uses this wording:-

A class C0 UAS shall comply with the following:
(1) have an MTOM of less than 250 g, including payload;
(2) have a maximum speed in level flight of 19 m/s;
(3) have a maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m;

The third bullet point has two very different meanings and is much more than just a translation issue?

I would advance the argument that, in the context of the EU's wording, the MM's maximum attainable height can be limited to 120m -- albeit by the pilot setting the maximum height in the app. Either way, as I understand it, the MM will fall into the legacy classification but, by virtue of its <250g take off weight, can be flown under the A1 rules (i.e. over people but not over crowds).

My point is that it doesn't reflect well on the CAA that they have published guidance which appears to be badly wrong.

Oh, and while I recognise a tongue that's in a cheek when I hear one, I don't think Brexit is an issue here. It seems very clear that -- for now at least -- the UK is adopting the EU Regulations in their entirety.


CAA document -- https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1789%20April%202020.pdf
EU document -- https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites ... ircraft_Systems.pdf