Mavic 3 Classic worth when living in London?

[SeaSaltSky]

Hi everyone,

Nice to meet you!

I’m considering buying a Mavic 3 Classic to shoot awesome videos once I travel (EU / Extra EU) (going to the Maldives in December) however I’m just rethinking now my decision as I live in London and:
1- from the little I have seen there basically is no zone where to fly (Richmond park and a couple of other minor spots?)
2- although the classic is C1 certified there seem to be a lot of restrictions to fly in the UK overall and I don’t think the same easier EU C1 regulations apply here?

I’m a little confused to be honest by all the regulations and lack of alignment of the CAA with the EU.

I suppose the Mavic 3 Classic would fall under the A2 category so I would need to always be 50m away horizontally from people and can’t fly over? Also would I need to get the flyer ID and operator ID right?

Sorry for the long post.. final question.. what does A2 transitional mean? Apparently up until 2026?

Thank you so much for your help,
A keen pilot

 

[GFields]

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

I suppose the Mavic 3 Classic would fall under the A2 category so I would need to always be 50m away horizontally from people and can’t fly over? Also would I need to get the flyer ID and operator ID right?

According to CAA in UK, any drone under 25 kg (also the Mavic 3 classic) can be operated in the A3 category, if you follow these rules:
- No uninvolved people present within the area of flight.
- Maintain 50m separation from any uninvolved people
- No flight within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial or recreational area

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP2012_Drone_Rules_Factsheet_V11.pdf

Lots of information for UK flyers here:

Flying in the Open category | Civil Aviation Authority

Guidance for people flying in the Open category

www.caa.co.uk

 

[archoptical]

A drone weighing more than 250g in London adds further complexities imo. Is there anywhere 150m away from residential areas etc... ?

I have a mini 3 pro, and find plenty of places to fly, even in central London, although DJI have made that even more complex by adding extra no fly zones into their software. But essentially, you can fly just about anywhere except the obvious airport exclusion zones (including Battersea Heliport), most of Westminster, the City of London and Canary Wharf.

I usually take off from a quiet footpath, early morning if I can be bothered.

Personally, I'd probably get a mini 3 (non pro), or maybe a mini 2 and get a feel for it before investing too heavily.

 

[nullptr7]

I asked the same question to myself when I was buying my first drone. Wait for the new Mavic Air 3(it wasn't released that time) or just go with Mavic Mini 3 Pro. Due to the weight factor and also drone class, I went with Mavic Mini 3 Pro. Best decision so far.

It is such a compact drone, I do not even think twice before putting it in my travel bag pack