Due to the mini 3 having the capability to use a heavier longer flight time battery putting it over 250g they have classified the mini 3 as over the 250g category here when you register it. Apparently it is nothing new in terms of the way they register aircraft here, they register aircraft based on their max weight so in mini 3 terms it is with the battery plus option. Is this the case elsewhere in the world? Kind of defeats the purpose of the under 250g...

Hello there itsdavesdrone. Good day and thank you for giving out these information. I hope that our fellow DJI co pilots can give out the best information with regards to this matter. Just a reminder that the standard weight of the DJI Mini 3 Pro ( including the DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery, propellers, and a microSD card ). Actual product weight may vary due to differences in batch materials and external factors. Registration is not required in some countries and regions. Check local rules and regulations before use. In addition, with the DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, the DJI Drone will weigh more than 249 g ( about 290 g ). Please check and strictly abide by local laws and regulations before flying. Thank you.

In the U.K. at the moment and possibly now for good the weight is that specified by the manufacturer of the drone. You are suffering from the  max take of mass rule

Disappointing news! Sort of defeats the point of having such a light drone. I'm interested in the Mini 3, but I've been hanging back, this info may sway me against buying one as I already have a perfectly functional Air 2 in the same weight class

Lets hope other countries don't follow the trend.  

It is a shame they decided to go the route of MTOM as opposed to MTOW, in my eyes it was unnecessary, if we decided to add the plus battery then it should be flown in the sub 500g category. Hopefully the CAA will see sense and change this, only time will tell, downside now is, we are in limbo now as we do not know whats going to happen seen as they are going to be consulting on the whole shabang, heck, they could change the whole 250g malarky for the worse...

DAFlys Posted at 6-22 22:45
Lets hope other countries don't follow the trend.

It would be unlikely here, I hope. Especially as the heavier batteries are not available here.

Bashy Posted at 6-22 23:03
It is a shame they decided to go the route of MTOM as opposed to MTOW, in my eyes it was unnecessary, if we decided to add the plus battery then it should be flown in the sub 500g category. Hopefully the CAA will see sense and change this, only time will tell, downside now is, we are in limbo now as we do not know whats going to happen seen as they are going to be consulting on the whole shabang, heck, they could change the whole 250g malarky for the worse...

How long until they revise the category down to sub-200gm, for example, do you think?
We've been gradually squeezed down and down in weight categories over the years.
A gradual move to hound us out of the skies do you think?
Just putting another conspiracy theory out there

I had a similar experience in India. The max altitude was 120 m (<250gm). I can confirm this from 2 weeks ago.
Yesterday, after the last geo update on the drone, I can fly up to 500 m now. I have the plus batteries.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-23 06:48
How long until they revise the category down to sub-200gm, for example, do you think?
We've been gradually squeezed down and down in weight categories over the years.
A gradual move to hound us out of the skies do you think?

You may laugh now, but there is nothing stopping them from doing so.
Out of interest, which came 1st, the Dji Mini or the sub 250g law?
Remember, these are the EU rules, the UK is looking at whether or not change is needed.

Have a look at last nights interview...

Its not what the guy says will or wont happen, its what he doesn't say...

Bashy Posted at 6-23 07:38
You may laugh now, but there is nothing stopping them from doing so.
Out of interest, which came 1st, the Dji Mini or the sub 250g law?
Remember, these are the EU rules, the UK is looking at whether or not change is needed.

Yes the rumour mills keep turning.  We won't be left in peace to pursue our harmless hobby.

PM sent, thanks

Are you flying for fun? I thought drone registration isn't required for another year?:

https://www.casa.gov.au/knowyourdrone/registration

If this is for business, does the weight matter? All drones for work need to be registered. If the drone is below 500g the registration is free:

https://www.casa.gov.au/drones/r ... register-your-drone

Bashy Posted at 6-23 07:38
You may laugh now, but there is nothing stopping them from doing so.
Out of interest, which came 1st, the Dji Mini or the sub 250g law?
Remember, these are the EU rules, the UK is looking at whether or not change is needed.

The mini came after the 250g rule. The sub-250g weight category was created in 2015, when the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked a committee of aviation and drone experts to quickly determine the minimum weight of a drone that recreational drone pilots should be required to register. With personal safety the main goal, the committee employed complex formulas involving kinetic energy and terminal velocity to recommend a weight category of 250 grams and above, which the FAA then adopted.

While the 250g limit was intended only as a threshold for registration, it was quickly adopted by other countries as the threshold for many drone regulatory expectations. Any weight below this limit was considered so light that it was unlikely to cause safety problems, and thus there was little reason to impose stronger regulations. DJI later took a more comprehensive look at the science behind the calculations and concluded that the 250g limit was very conservative. In a white paper released in 2017, DJI said drones up to 2.2 kilograms should be considered lowest-risk. However, the 250g limit has become the global regulatory standard for drones that pose a negligible safety risk.

FlashNY Posted at 6-23 12:41
Are you flying for fun? I thought drone registration isn't required for another year?:

https://www.casa.gov.au/knowyourdrone/registration

Registration isn't compulsory yet for recreational flying here yet but it is coming. The sub-250g category means you can fly in areas 250g and above cannot.

itsdavesdrone Posted at 6-23 14:25
The mini came after the 250g rule. The sub-250g weight category was created in 2015, when the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked a committee of aviation and drone experts to quickly determine the minimum weight of a drone that recreational drone pilots should be required to register. With personal safety the main goal, the committee employed complex formulas involving kinetic energy and terminal velocity to recommend a weight category of 250 grams and above, which the FAA then adopted.

While the 250g limit was intended only as a threshold for registration, it was quickly adopted by other countries as the threshold for many drone regulatory expectations. Any weight below this limit was considered so light that it was unlikely to cause safety problems, and thus there was little reason to impose stronger regulations. DJI later took a more comprehensive look at the science behind the calculations and concluded that the 250g limit was very conservative. In a white paper released in 2017, DJI said drones up to 2.2 kilograms should be considered lowest-risk. However, the 250g limit has become the global regulatory standard for drones that pose a negligible safety risk.

yet there are many here who believe that a 275g drone is not a toy and is so capable of hurting or killing someone (or inflicting major damage) that it should be highly regulated and the pilot prosecuted if necessary....until the law is changed and the limit is raise to 300g....then it's ok.

itsdavesdrone Posted at 6-23 14:25
The mini came after the 250g rule. The sub-250g weight category was created in 2015, when the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked a committee of aviation and drone experts to quickly determine the minimum weight of a drone that recreational drone pilots should be required to register. With personal safety the main goal, the committee employed complex formulas involving kinetic energy and terminal velocity to recommend a weight category of 250 grams and above, which the FAA then adopted.

While the 250g limit was intended only as a threshold for registration, it was quickly adopted by other countries as the threshold for many drone regulatory expectations. Any weight below this limit was considered so light that it was unlikely to cause safety problems, and thus there was little reason to impose stronger regulations. DJI later took a more comprehensive look at the science behind the calculations and concluded that the 250g limit was very conservative. In a white paper released in 2017, DJI said drones up to 2.2 kilograms should be considered lowest-risk. However, the 250g limit has become the global regulatory standard for drones that pose a negligible safety risk.

Thank you, so with that in mind, it could always be lowered or have more regulations for the sub 250g then.

The Saint Posted at 6-23 14:50
yet there are many here who believe that a 275g drone is not a toy and is so capable of hurting or killing someone (or inflicting major damage) that it should be highly regulated and the pilot prosecuted if necessary....until the law is changed and the limit is raise to 300g....then it's ok.

Could you honestly say that if a mini drone fell from 120m and hit a baby in the face or head that serious injury wouldn't occur, or worse? I am not talking about how likely this will happen mind...

Bashy Posted at 6-23 18:51
Thank you, so with that in mind, it could always be lowered or have more regulations for the sub 250g then.

It's an interesting topic. The thing with drones is they make all these very strict rules and regulations when you rarely ever hear of them injuring anyone. They add more and more laws here in Australia to them and our government spends millions of dollars setting up more and more air safety rules, regulations, staff and registrations... and for what? To prevent people flying above their house or at a park? It's just crazy. Bikes on roads are far more dangerous than a drone flying in open air space. They don't have to register bikes... You should google the whole 250g thing though, it makes for an interesting read. How countries all around the world basically adopted this very conservative weight as being the safe one without any of their own testing.

Bashy Posted at 6-23 18:54
Could you honestly say that if a mini drone fell from 120m and hit a baby in the face or head that serious injury wouldn't occur, or worse? I am not talking about how likely this will happen mind...

lol lol absolutely i believe a 747 can fall out of the sky and hurt a baby, so what?

itsdavesdrone Posted at 6-23 19:19
It's an interesting topic. The thing with drones is they make all these very strict rules and regulations when you rarely ever hear of them injuring anyone. They add more and more laws here in Australia to them and our government spends millions of dollars setting up more and more air safety rules, regulations, staff and registrations... and for what? To prevent people flying above their house or at a park? It's just crazy. Bikes on roads are far more dangerous than a drone flying in open air space. They don't have to register bikes... You should google the whole 250g thing though, it makes for an interesting read. How countries all around the world basically adopted this very conservative weight as being the safe one without any of their own testing.

100% agree mate

itsdavesdrone Posted at 6-23 19:19
It's an interesting topic. The thing with drones is they make all these very strict rules and regulations when you rarely ever hear of them injuring anyone. They add more and more laws here in Australia to them and our government spends millions of dollars setting up more and more air safety rules, regulations, staff and registrations... and for what? To prevent people flying above their house or at a park? It's just crazy. Bikes on roads are far more dangerous than a drone flying in open air space. They don't have to register bikes... You should google the whole 250g thing though, it makes for an interesting read. How countries all around the world basically adopted this very conservative weight as being the safe one without any of their own testing.

Whilst this is true, there have been a good few drone-related injuries.

The whole idea of the regulations is to mitigate risk and, like you said, injury is rarely heard of, so with that in mind,  wouldnt you say that the regs are working?

Dont get me wrong, i would love to be allowed to fly x amount of distance or up in the clouds or fly my P4P where i can my Mini 2.

The Saint Posted at 6-23 19:23
lol lol absolutely i believe a 747 can fall out of the sky and hurt a baby, so what?

This is a drone forum, lets keep it on topic, no need to go to silly extremes after all, we know what aircraft can do hence why they are very highly regulated, you was talking about a 270g drone...

Bashy Posted at 6-23 19:39
Whilst this is true, there have been a good few drone-related injuries.

The whole idea of the regulations is to mitigate risk and, like you said, injury is rarely heard of, so with that in mind,  wouldnt you say that the regs are working?

the regs are not based on safety.  not even close.

Bashy Posted at 6-23 19:43
This is a drone forum, lets keep it on topic, no need to go to silly extremes after all, we know what aircraft can do hence why they are very highly regulated, you was talking about a 270g drone...

i had to laugh because you were the one to take it there... it's for the kids.

a guy once told me no drones should be allowed to fly over a school.  he said "what if the drone falls out of the sky and puts out a kid's eye."  well, that's not funny but it is ridiculous.

more kids are run over by parent's cars in the parking lot than drones, why not let's start with banning cars within 1000 feet of a school....for the children's safety.  lol

my point, if you're not worried about a 747 falling atop a kid then don't be worried about a drone.

The Saint Posted at 6-23 19:54
i had to laugh because you were the one to take it there... it's for the kids.

a guy once told me no drones should be allowed to fly over a school.  he said "what if the drone falls out of the sky and puts out a kid's eye."  well, that's not funny but it is ridiculous.

Your analogies are poop, this is about drones and how we mitigate risk, not doing something illegal helps towards that goal. Not only that staying away from schools is good practice, there's the safety aspect and theres the privacy and CHILDREN, we here in the UK  have areas marked for schools etc.

In the UK at least, the 250g regs are for safety, 100%.

Back to the actual subject in hand, I dare say the public would much prefer a drone of legal standing flying over their town than a drone illegally flown. There has to be a line and that line was drawn at 250g, you may not like it but that's just the way it is, if you break the law and get away it then result, but break the law and cause injury and it will be a different matter. If you play the game, you have to accept the prizes.

Im not sure what you're bleating about, to be honest, the EU/UK 250g regs don't apply to you except for registration purposes, is that correct?

Blériot53 Posted at 6-23 06:44
It would be unlikely here, I hope. Especially as the heavier batteries are not available here.

They are available here,  there's a guy on eBay selling the Fly More plus kits,  he's importing them and selling them on.

DAFlys Posted at 6-23 22:54
They are available here,  there's a guy on eBay selling the Fly More plus kits,  he's importing them and selling them on.

Have you gone for it yet?

DAFlys Posted at 6-23 22:54
They are available here,  there's a guy on eBay selling the Fly More plus kits,  he's importing them and selling them on.

There's a way round every regulation if you look hard enough I suppose.

Bashy Posted at 6-23 23:01
Have you gone for it yet?

No,   I just want a single battery and as soon as I see one I will grab it.   

Although I was reminded of a guy on the forum that posted he was visited by the UK police because he was flying from the garden and his neighbour complained.  The police visited twice for two separate complaints and they did check the weight of the drone.  So if I do fly with it somewhere built up I will make sure I have a normal battery handy.

Here in the United States it’s not like that but definitely hope they don’t follow that restriction.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-23 23:10
There's a way round every regulation if you look hard enough I suppose.

Heliguy and Moment were selling the Mavic 3 bits that added weight until DJI clamped down in it.   In the Australia example though they are using max take off weight and ignoring what's actually for sale locally.  

DAFlys Posted at 6-23 23:21
Heliguy and Moment were selling the Mavic 3 bits that added weight until DJI clamped down in it.   In the Australia example though they are using max take off weight and ignoring what's actually for sale locally.

Not good for the Ozzie droners then

Blériot53 Posted at 6-23 23:24
Not good for the Ozzie droners then

It could happen anywhere too,   it would nice to just get the rules set and have them stick to them.  

DAFlys Posted at 6-23 23:28
It could happen anywhere too,   it would nice to just get the rules set and have them stick to them.

Roger that!  

EU also is talking about this.
For now we just pretend that is not the case

DAFlys Posted at 6-23 23:15
No,   I just want a single battery and as soon as I see one I will grab it.   

Although I was reminded of a guy on the forum that posted he was visited by the UK police because he was flying from the garden and his neighbour complained.  The police visited twice for two separate complaints and they did check the weight of the drone.  So if I do fly with it somewhere built up I will make sure I have a normal battery handy.

Yep, i can see that happening for sure. We had some moaners here and they posted on the village site, then the parish councillor joined in and said that the flights were legal, he too flys lol i think he either locked the post or removed it

This will potentially be an issue for me as I'm in Oz later this year. Is there a link regarding this recent categorisation?

Bashy Posted at 6-24 03:50
Yep, i can see that happening for sure. We had some moaners here and they posted on the village site, then the parish councillor joined in and said that the flights were legal, he too flys lol i think he either locked the post or removed it

I rarely fly now from my garden to avoid such issues.  

DAFlys Posted at 6-25 00:12
I rarely fly now from my garden to avoid such issues.

To be honest, i dont do it as much, but if i do, its normally for a test run and i don't hang about over folks gardens. Makes laugh though, we have a steam rally every year with helicopter rides over the village and local areas, no one complains about that, no sunbathing naked for me on that weekend lol