Hey guys,

I'm still kind of new to drone flying and I'm at a point where I can fly confidently in most situations. I was wondering if the Mavic is good at recording footage at night, if so what are some settings you recommend?

Thanks so much!

http://forum.dji.com/thread-74890-1-1.html

Illegal in the US so it seems, but there might be some info you can refer to in my thread i started last week

Danny-B- Posted at 2016-12-12 06:29
http://forum.dji.com/thread-74890-1-1.html

Illegal in the US so it seems, but there might be some info you can refer to in my thread i started last week

Ah yes I forgot! Thank you so much.

The FAA rules do not say anything about not being able to fly at night for the hobbyist. They do however mention Commercial drones can only fly during the day. F.Y.I. hobbyist have Safety Guidelines, and Commercial operators have Operating Rules.

Fly for Fun

You don't need permission from the FAA to fly your UAS (aka drone) for fun or recreation, but you must always fly safely.
Before you fly outside you must:
Register your UAS if it weighs more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds
Label your UAS with your registration number
Read and understand all safety guidelines
You must be:
13 years of age or older (if the owner is less than 13 years of age, a person 13 years of age or older must register the small unmanned aircraft)
A U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident*
* Visiting foreign nationals must register their UAS upon arrival in the United States (online registration serves as a certificate of ownership).
To register, you'll need:
Email address
Credit or Debit card
Physical address and mailing address (if different from physical address)
Registration costs $5 and is valid for 3 years.
Register UAS that weigh less than 55 lbs. and more than 0.55 lbs. online
Register UAS that weigh more than 55 lbs. by paper
Label your UAS (PDF)

Safety Guidelines
Fly at or below 400 feet
Keep your UAS within sight
Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports
Never fly over groups of people
Never fly over stadiums or sports events
Never fly near emergency response efforts such as fires
Never fly under the influence
Be aware of airspace requirements
Note: there is nothing about nightflights. This was copied from the FAA website.

In Australia, one of the first CASA rules for recreational flying is :

          No night flying (generally).

It is not really clear what the "generally" refers to so there may be some wiggle room..... I have asked them to clarify.

The first rule for Commercial Under 2Kg Operators is :

        You must only fly during the day and keep your RPA within visual line-of sight.

Although it is possible for certified (ReOC) operators to get permission for night flights.

Free Bird Posted at 2016-12-12 10:13
Fly for Fun

You don't need permission from the FAA to fly your UAS (aka drone) for fun or recreation, but you must always fly safely.

Night flying is restricted for commercial use, as stated by the FAA. But no stated restrictions for hobby flying at night.

There is a lot of confusion over the regulations for flying at night. The FAA website does not make it very clear (likely for good reason). But if you do some digging, the FAA website refers to the SUMMARY OF SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT RULE  (PART 107) on several occasions. This is the official document that governs UAS flight. Below is an excerpt from the document as well as a link to the entire document.

Rule 107


Daylight-only operations, or civil twilight (30 minutes before
official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset, local time)
with appropriate anti-collision lighting.

Heavysledz Posted at 2016-12-12 13:41
There is a lot of confusion over the regulations for flying at night. The FAA website does not make it very clear (likely for good reason). But if you do some digging, the FAA website refers to the SUMMARY OF SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT RULE  (PART 107) on several occasions. This is the official document that governs UAS flight. Below is an excerpt from the document as well as a link to the entire document.

Rule 107

I have to say I was adamant at first about night flights being illegal, based on what I learned during obtaining my Part 107 license. After sticking my foot in my mouth and more research, it is in fact legal for hobbyists to fly at night, while licensed commercial pilots are limited under the time constraints you listed under Part 107. As a hobbyist, you are not subject to Part 107 rules. Hobbyists are also limited to flying below 400ft, whereas a commercial pilot may be performing tasks above that altitude.
I would imagine as WebCo said above, a waiver could be obtained for commercial purposes.

HangTime81 Posted at 2016-12-12 16:27
I have to say I was adamant at first about night flights being illegal, based on what I learned during obtaining my Part 107 license. After sticking my foot in my mouth and more research, it is in fact legal for hobbyists to fly at night, while licensed commercial pilots are limited under the time constraints you listed under Part 107. As a hobbyist, you are not subject to Part 107 rules. Hobbyists are also limited to flying below 400ft, whereas a commercial pilot may be performing tasks above that altitude.
I would imagine as WebCo said above, a waiver could be obtained for commercial purposes.

Thanks for clarifying....I wish the FAA made the rules more black and white os it wasn't so hard to interpret....