Hello,

I bought a Mavic 2 Pro earlier this month. Unfortunately, I didn't get much involved with the new European drone regulation 2020 before I bought it.

Now this regulation stipulates that all drones over 250g must be equipped with an ADS-B receiver.

I then have to assume that my new Mavic 2 Pro will violate the law from July 2020 as soon as it flies.

What measures is DJI taking to ensure that I can continue to fly my Mavic 2 Pro in compliance with the law for the next years?

Or can I dispose of the drone because I can't fly anywhere?

Thank you!

DJI will not take any action regarding your Mavic 2. After July 2020, you can use your drone for 2 more years.

then I can only advise everyone not to buy a drone from dji until the end of this year, because the drone can no longer be used at the latest in July 2022. Unless you want to break the law.

fansbc2fd972 Posted at 10-22 09:23
then I can only advise everyone not to buy a drone from dji until the end of this year, because the drone can no longer be used at the latest in July 2022. Unless you want to break the law.

Rest assured that by 2022 your Mavic 2 Pro will be pretty much obsolete as a gadget. You'll be either bored by this hobby or you'll owe new, much more advanced and ADS-B equipped drone(s). My opinion - of course - is based on assumption that by 2022 your M2P will be still in good shape to fly, legally or not . For now don't worry much and just enjoy this amazing piece of technology ...

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 10-22 10:02
Rest assured that by 2022 your Mavic 2 Pro will be pretty much obsolete as a gadget. You'll be either bored by this hobby or you'll owe new, much more advanced and ADS-B equipped drone(s). My opinion - of course - is based on assumption that by 2022 your M2P will be still in good shape to fly, legally or not . For now don't worry much and just enjoy this amazing piece of technology ...

I agree with you, who knows what's going to happen in two years. But I'm still annoyed that I bought the drone now and not at the beginning of next year. I have made this investment with the aim of using it for longer than two years.

Actually, it's more like 2021 (in this year more or less all eu members have to implemented new drone regulations into action, i think) than 2022.
And i do find this ads-b thing little bit bs, in conjunction with all that bs regulations that is going on around the globe, related to (civilian) drones:

Yes, it would be great to have system where all civilian drones will be seen in the air, but what about ultralight planes, paragliders, hobby models etc etc? I know fro sure not all of them are equipped with them, and constantly braking rules about altitude, proximity, noise levels what ever.
They find another milking cow (drone users) which will have to pay big annual fees, make pile of paperwork fro every flight etc, just to take damn photo or video in the sky, i doesn't have to be even for professional use. Other thing is (imo) civilian drones are become so much advanced, that somebody it's not pleased to see that and other one is not too happy chinese company is making so much money (basically millions of drones are being sold by dji annually, if i'm not mistaken) instead of them.

p.s
yes, i do have drone license, by the way (well sort of, by my information so far it won't be usable or ta least upgradable to new regulations, so i also waste my time and money on that already).
p.s.2
that are ads-b  transponders available to buy today, which i guess could be installed on drones without them, but this changes drone weight, probably flight dynamics etc. and yes, dji could (as other drone makers) or should support kind of upgrade to new standard or drone demands, imo.

fansbc2fd972 Posted at 10-22 09:23
then I can only advise everyone not to buy a drone from dji until the end of this year, because the drone can no longer be used at the latest in July 2022. Unless you want to break the law.

why just dji, regulations aren't valid for other manufactures? it's kind of rhetorical question, see my comment before..

izotop Posted at 10-22 12:30
why just dji, regulations aren't valid for other manufactures? it's kind of rhetorical question, see my comment before..

DJI is the market leader and I own a DJI drone. The other manufacturers do not interest me therefore first of all.

And, the European Drone Regulation has been known since at least June 2019. But DJI continues to sell the expensive drones knowing that this next year will no longer be legally compliant and doesn't want to do anything. This acting is not in the sense of the customer!

izotop Posted at 10-22 12:18
Actually, it's more like 2021 (in this year more or less all eu members have to implemented new drone regulations into action, i think) than 2022.
And i do find this ads-b thing little bit bs, in conjunction with all that bs regulations that is going on around the globe, related to (civilian) drones:

Thank you, I absolutely agree with you!

fansbc2fd972 Posted at 10-22 13:22
DJI is the market leader and I own a DJI drone. The other manufacturers do not interest me therefore first of all.

And, the European Drone Regulation has been known since at least June 2019. But DJI continues to sell the expensive drones knowing that this next year will no longer be legally compliant and doesn't want to do anything. This acting is not in the sense of the customer!

dji haven't realesad any new drone since 2018, if i'm not mistaken, but i'm sure that other manufactures did (parrot, skydio, yuneec etc) and i can't remember any of those have transponder installed..

izotop Posted at 10-22 14:07
dji haven't realesad any new drone since 2018, if i'm not mistaken, but i'm sure that other manufactures did (parrot, skydio, yuneec etc) and i can't remember any of those have transponder installed..

they still produce and sell the Mavic 2 Pro, don't they? Therefore I still see the manufacturer as obliged to offer a retrofit or something similar. My opinion.

Pre existing drones will be slowly faded out, and EASA have made provision for this , I have been involved in this process since the beginning and you need not worry that you have a mavic 2, you can still fly it quite legally in 2020 and until it is no longer able to fly.

You will not break any law beyond 2022 flying your Mavic 2. Simply it will be enter in the so named A3 EASA category which is a restricted category regards distance from people and buildings. But you will be able to fly with it.

All these safety restrictions are a part of constantly evolving preparations for more and more densely populated (polluted?) airspace every year. Certain layers and NFZ cylinders of this space must be reserved for a particular type of humanoids activity, starting - perhaps - from the very bottom layer reserved for recreational UAV pilots. Next up we will have a layer for commercial drones (Amazon?) etc. etc. Eventually ADS transponders will evolve into equivalent of a trackable licence plate, with no place to hide. If not, exponentially growing number of TV helicopters and private small planes will start colliding with us. Hard 400' attitude limit is a matter of time, no matter how loud we will cry for freedom. Meantime, stop whining and fly this damn thing where you can and while you can ...

By 2022 there will probably be a module to attach to your drone to make it legal,  with home built FPV drone usage increasing they will need a solution to this too.

Worrying about how a drone from 2018 will fit into 2022 is unnecessary. The way things are going in the industry, by 2022 it will be a generation or even two generations behind the market, and many owners will have upgraded to newer models by then anyway.

djiuser_Kf4iPA3DtL3S Posted at 10-23 00:52
Worrying about how a drone from 2018 will fit into 2022 is unnecessary. The way things are going in the industry, by 2022 it will be a generation or even two generations behind the market, and many owners will have upgraded to newer models by then anyway.

Cheaper to buy a new drone than the ADS-B modules, at least at the current price - https://www.unmannedtechshop.co. ... -ads-b-transceiver/

By 2022 they will be built into the drones, and will be much smaller and cheaper, just like every technology. So I wouldn't worry now. Mavic 2 Pro is top ofthe line today, but by 2022 I will probably have a much better drone that will comply with this regulation out of the box.

after hearing from you Dji manufacturers should learns from from UAV Market report may be it will help them :-- >>report link >> https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/unmanned-aerial-vehicles-uav-market-662.html which i found to be best !

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market

hallmark007 Posted at 10-22 14:30
Pre existing drones will be slowly faded out, and EASA have made provision for this , I have been involved in this process since the beginning and you need not worry that you have a mavic 2, you can still fly it quite legally in 2020 and until it is no longer able to fly.

In what way have you been involved?

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 00:33
In what way have you been involved?

I am involved through the UAAI Irish association for Drone flying, we made a number of submissions to EASA regarding new rules for drones and have advised from a user perspective.
As a group we were invited to attend their seminar in Switzerland a paid trip by EASA .
I have also attended their seminar in Dublin and meetings on behalf of UAAI in London .

hallmark007 Posted at 11-27 02:33
I am involved through the UAAI Irish association for Drone flying, we made a number of submissions to EASA regarding new rules for drones and have advised from a user perspective.
As a group we were invited to attend their seminar in Switzerland a paid trip by EASA .
I have also attended their seminar in Dublin and meetings on behalf of UAAI in London .

Oh cool!
I do feel like it is an improvement from where we are right now.
Although there are some questions unanswered for me.
Especially regarding what I can do with my MP after 2020.
And some practical explanation on flying over buildings etc. How they will enforce that.

This may clear up a few things. For me as nothing more than a hobby flyer who flys in the middle of no-where, away from people and buildings and regulated airspace with self-built models, it has little to no impact on me. For those of you who may wish to follow some sort of commercial interest within the relaxed <900g category then there will be some provisions you’ll have to adhere to.

Nidge

djiuser_Kf4iPA3DtL3S Posted at 10-23 01:10
By 2022 they will be built into the drones, and will be much smaller and cheaper, just like every technology. So I wouldn't worry now. Mavic 2 Pro is top ofthe line today, but by 2022 I will probably have a much better drone that will comply with this regulation out of the box.

i don't agree with this one.  take cars fo example: yes, new technology is coming, but we don't just ban old cars etc, same goes for driving tests etc (i'm mentioning this from my perspective, since i do owe advanced m2p drone and caa permit, which will be obsolete after 2022 or even 2020, not sure exactly, since they messing with this all the time and i cant get any straight to point answer from them).
this is not how you do things, you can't just make something illegal, what was before legal and confirmed by same agencies etc. with this kind of system you can ban things till eternity every two years or so, same goes for pilot licensing etc, this is not legally valuable and i bet it can be rejectied on some eu commission hearings etc.

and by the way, dji: is air sense technology (aka transponders) complied with new ce 0-4 certification, ore we have been screwed also with this one? i don't know what the deal is with this drone thing, but they taking things to whole new level od stupidity, really. if they don't us to fly this toys, just banned them and call it a day, since this alternative is worse, imo.

Isnt every dji drone (even the P4) detectable by DJI's own system called AeroScope? https://www.dji.com/de/aeroscope
The EU wants to get our money in 2020 - nothing more.
The Mavic 2 is detectable, the country you life in just has to make sure they use the right system (imo). I'm not gonna upgrade my drone just because the goverment forces me to do it - i mean, besides this, i need get a pilot license for 300€ (!!!) just because the Mavic 2 is 7g above the 900g limit.

Its nothing more than gaining more money from the people, since the real possible terrorist/harmful drones, which are DIY builds, doesnt need any of the things mentioned above. Its just for the people that spend 1k  and more for a drone.
PS: Lets be honest, even if its a EU wide regulation, every country can adjust these for their own (i'm in germany so i guess it will be a 1:1 adaption - typical german things lol). But i guess it wont be as hard as we imagine. I was never asked by the police what i'm doing with my drone and i'm sure nobody will invest money to educate the police about the new laws.

yes, some things like no-fly zones etc will be transferred to local agencies to decide, but in general they have to follow exact rules from 2019 directive in all eu members after 2020/2022. this means all things, seen in chart above, drones which comply new c0-c4 ce classes etc.
and dji system is not be taken as legal, as it's not recognized as something mature enough, this was conformed to me as from our local caa agency person, as i can see in official easa presentation of new eu regulations in holland, i think (can be found on youtbe now, it have ben uploaded on 10th of december). what easa want for now, is that all drones have to somehow broadcast it's serials numbers etc, so they can check, who the operator is etc if necessary, since database off all eu registered operators will be available on international/eu level (if i did understand whole thing correctly).
anyhow, this madness went way too far, imo. they could this with much mores sense..

forgot to mention (maybe dji is listeing on zhis one):
they could mybe just manufacture lighter battery for mavic series (for japan, they make half lighter battery for mini), so it falls under 900g and that would be it (maybe slow done a drone in firmware, if neccesry). but then again, you have to have round edges?, serial number broadast and all that, so they play us again..

p.s.e
here are some new ce rules, if somebody is interested:


long story short, they add that new drones ion c0-c2 class need to have edges, which are not sharp (what in the world that means to them, as let say toy drone, is beyond me) and if possible, some propeller protection. and this is how they simply ban all old drones to fly where you would really want it and fr what you actually buy drone for (so, to take videos and pictures of some houses, people etc).
i just not except, we should change our toys every 2 years and that's it. this things has evolved on level high enough to be considered for safe use, even in hands of complete rookie (mini is not maybe best testimony of that). but human stupidity factor will always bue present, as is in case of cars, guns etc..

fansbc2fd972 Posted at 10-22 10:23
I agree with you, who knows what's going to happen in two years. But I'm still annoyed that I bought the drone now and not at the beginning of next year. I have made this investment with the aim of using it for longer than two years.

Look on the bright side...you'll probably crash it or it will fly away before then.

There is so much misinformation about the new EU drone rules, it's best to just read the actual papers from the EU commission.

************Article 20 (of COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/945)

Particular provisions concerning the use of certain UAS in the ‘open’ category

UAS types within the meaning of Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (9), which do not comply with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and which are not privately-built are allowed to continue to be operated under the following conditions, when they have been placed on the market before 1 July 2022:

(a) in subcategory A1 as defined in Part A of the Annex, provided that the unmanned aircraft has a maximum take-off mass of less than 250 g, including its payload;

(b) in subcategory A3 as defined in Part A of the Annex, provided that the unmanned aircraft has a maximum take-off mass of less than 25 kg, including its fuel and payload.

*********

Simply put, DJI drones that do not meet the new requirements but have been put on the market before 1 July 2022 can still be used as if they do meet the requirements, as long as you don't fly near people and/or buildings.

JohanH Posted at 2-27 08:16
There is so much misinformation about the new EU drone rules, it's best to just read the actual papers from the EU commission.

************Article 20 (of COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/945)

I fully agree, people love speculation, I for one will be happy enough when rules are in place, I can travel throughout Europe and fly under basically the same rules which fo4 me is a big bonus.

Dji ? Just develope a battery weighing 8 grams less

JohanH Posted at 2-27 08:16
There is so much misinformation about the new EU drone rules, it's best to just read the actual papers from the EU commission.

************Article 20 (of COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/945)

What's your point? i think we all understand new regulations just ok. Fact is, after july 2022, with drones like mavic 2 series (few grams over the 900g limit), you could (ot even this to be determined, read all together):
1) fly them only in open areas (a3), without any buildings or people in area . this exclude probably majority of things, you buy drone for.
And is just one thing, other two are:
2) you have to take new training and test (for piloting drones over 900g), which are on much higher level and basically means doing mini pilot test and even ones with current caa licenses (i for example have one) will have to re-do all thing again (and pay, it wasn't just 15€).
3) technically, as mentioned before, after 2022 any drone currently in the market must comply new C0-C2 certification (which they don't, even the most current ones). So this, if i understand correctly, ground all this "old" drones, it doesn't matter id you fly in in A3 area or not, doesn't matter the weight, your drone is juts not officially ok, to be in the sky.
4) there's a question about (localy) transmtiing drone sereil number and all that, how this will be delat with?..


I'm saying this is not ok, they delicately change just fee minor things, juts to expel current line-up of the skies. this is not how is done.

But, if you have any kind of more precise information about this, you're more then welcome to explain..

dronie1965 Posted at 2-27 14:07
Dji ? Just develope a battery weighing 8 grams less

Yes, this is one thing, they could do for costumers, this are not cheap gizmos. But as i mentioned, weight is not whole picture, easa really should explain, why they mean with this sharp edges and all that...

izotop Posted at 2-28 10:52
What's your point? i think we all understand new regulations just ok. Fact is, after july 2022, with drones like mavic 2 series (few grams over the 900g limit), you could (ot even this to be determined, read all together):
1) fly them only in open areas (a3), without any buildings or people in area . this exclude probably majority of things, you buy drone for.
And is just one thing, other two are:

My point is what I mentioned clearly in my post and was in reply to the first post in the thread. I agree it sucks the Mavic 2 is just a few grams above the 900grams. That said...

1. I don’t know where you are from but: you can’t fly near buildings or over people under the current regulations either in the Netherlands and several other EU members states. In fact the new EU rules do allow flying over buildings and people (not crowds) and opens up a lot of airspace for me. In any category and regardless of weight you need to keep a safe distance from people already.

2. There are dozens of websites posting flat-out incorrect information and it seems a training refreshment isn't such a bad idea. Especially since you clearly show you do not understand the new regulations "just ok". It will be cheaper than the fines involved in violating the rules and will keep the careless fools giveing others a bad name out of the air. If you can afford a Mavic 2, you can afford training and a license.

3. The whole point of Decision No 768/2008/EC is to prevent the situation you speculate. Drones that were on the market before 2022 do NOT have to comply and can be flown after 2022. Re-read my post carefully. New drones after July2020 have to comply, older drones do not. If you disagree, I'd love to see what article in the EU regulations describes what you claim.

4. Broadcasting E-identification requires an easy technical solution that can be addressed by a simple firmware update and is already supported in many drones today. Nothing to worry about. And AGAIN, drones that were already on the market before July 2022 do NOT have to comply with the requirements in 945, which includes E-identification.

5. No need to worry about the “sharp edges” part either, not for drones pre-July and is something for manufacturers and self-builders, not DJI drone owners.

For more “precise information”, read the actual official docs as I suggested in my previous post, not some summary of some click-hungry website.

- https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/regulations/commission-delegated-regulation-eu-2019945

- https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/regulations/commission-implementing-regulation-eu-2019947

JohanH Posted at 2-29 07:48
My point is what I mentioned clearly in my post and was in reply to the first post in the thread. I agree it sucks the Mavic 2 is just a few grams above the 900grams. That said...

1. I don’t know where you are from but: you can’t fly near buildings or over people under the current regulations either in the Netherlands and several other EU members states. In fact the new EU rules do allow flying over buildings and people (not crowds) and opens up a lot of airspace for me. In any category and regardless of weight you need to keep a safe distance from people already.

After reading the new EU Regulation, I don't see clear that we are going to have more airspace for flying, at least in Spain. I will explain myself. I think that at least the Spanish Administration will add all the areas where you can't fly nowadays to the restrictions imposed by the new regulation. And, for the people with existing drones not complying with the regulation, we will have to fly at least 150 meters away of any residential, commercial, industrial or recreational area. That means we will be able to fly almost nowhere, as far as I understand.

I think that they were too strict classifying existing drones in less than 250 grams or between 250 grams and 25 kilograms. Probably this was to force people to upgrade their drones to the more limited and controlled ones, that with all their limitations seems as unattractive as keeping an existing one over 250 grams, at least for me.