Can I fly my Mavic Mini commercially without A2CofC in the UK

[rrushton]

I work for a small film production company and have been asked to fly my drone on an upcoming shoot (a few shots of a boat on an estuary).

Do I need to pass the A2CofC before flying it? I've registered the drone and have an operator ID, I will also get commercial insurance.

I just want to make sure I'm fully dotting the I's and crossing the T's!

 

[old man mavic]

@rrushton firstly welcome to the forum
the actual commercial classification ,has been removed ,with the advent of the rule changes, and the qualifications you need, depend on the amount of risk that the flight poses in,defining what category your flight falls under
if you are just using a sub250g Mini drone and the flight can be done under the open rules ,then having a A2 C of C ,would not make any difference, it would be up to the company to make sure that the flight had insurance cover appertaining to your flight, and that all the parties present, where informed of what was taking place,you would be responcible for ensuring that the drone was airworthy ,and that you had done due dilligence, in checking that the airspace was not under any sort of TFR, or indeed a permanent flight restriction

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

[Felix le Chat]

I work for a small film production company and have been asked to fly my drone on an upcoming shoot (a few shots of a boat on an estuary).

Do I need to pass the A2CofC before flying it? I've registered the drone and have an operator ID, I will also get commercial insurance.

I just want to make sure I'm fully dotting the I's and crossing the T's!

You will have the devil's own job getting commercial insurance without being able to present proof of appropriate certification, DRONE COVER CLUB (available via the Grey Arrows drone club) will insure you for 12 months as a recreational pilot for £30.... which is a steal considering their policy offers up to £12 million P&P liability cover.
As OMM stated, according to the CAA there is no longer a distinction between someone using their drone for recreational use, or for 'professional' use. You would also be wise to heed his advice about checking the airspace for restrictions beforehand.
You're filming over an estuary, so the risks to third parties are almost non-existent but plan your flight carefully beforehand and make the skipper and the crew of the boat aware of what direction you will be approaching from and what manoeuvres you will be performing.
Also check for bye-laws and moritaria put in place by any local council, but if you TOAL from any static point that lies between mean high tide and mean low tide (sand bars exposed by the tide) you are on Crown Foreshore and Estuary and the Crown Estate grants permission for drone flight from these locations, regardless of local councils.