Mavic Mini now or wait til July?

[WPyay]

Haha. Don't you get scared that you will get fined or something...


Let's see how 27th pans out though..

No, I have mini with air motors and its fine. Nobody takes care about it.

 

[dougiefresh27]

The Mavic Mini is a great starter drone. I was very skeptical about it but right now it is my go-to drone. It has limitations as they all do but fly within those and you are golden.
The Mavic Air 2 will be a great drone too but at 2x the price it will not be as hot as the Mini.
I recommend if you are just getting into it either are great.
Let cost be the determining factor or just get both!

 

[OgaKpataKpata]

mini with air motors

You mean you replaced the mavic Mini motors with Mavic Air motors?
What are the benefits of that?

 

[OgaKpataKpata]

The Mavic Mini is a great starter drone. I was very skeptical about it but right now it is my go-to drone. It has limitations as they all do but fly within those and you are golden.
The Mavic Air 2 will be a great drone too but at 2x the price it will not be as hot as the Mini.
I recommend if you are just getting into it either are great.
Let cost be the determining factor or just get both!View attachment 99680

Thank you. Eyes peeled for the announcement

 

[Gav Pilot]

Hi and I hope all of you are doing and staying safe.
My post is regarding the new EU regulations that will come into force from summer.

I want to get the Mavic mini, as it is a good starter drone, good enough quality of photos and videos for me and my family and also currently without the need to do any sort of registrations if I plan to fly safely.

I have read around, and watched a couple of videos regarding these new regulations they wanna put in place.
Now, the thing is:
1. DJI markets this drone as 249g, however, it seems most consumers don't realise that the mavic mini has MTOM of above 250g. (Except the Japanese version)
2. The regulations refer to drones with MTOM of over 250g and another clause that talks about sensors that captures personal data (of which people are divided whether the camera is that)
3. It is speculated that the regulations might change a bit before it kicks in.. Due to EU and its messy processes.

I want to get a small light drone that I can use without having to pay extra for registrations and the like. Should I wait till July to see how it pans out? Or for those of you who own a mavic mini based on that criteria, is it fine to get it now. What are your thoughts and how do you plan to still fly without restrictions?

I'm also secretly wishing DJI's new product is something with MTOM of 249g or less.

Another reason why I ask is that the Mavic Air falls in the category that requires registration. So if it comes to that I can just add some extra money to get the Mavic Air... perhaps.

Thank you

I am a little concerned that people (And companies) are misinterpreting MTOM. This is set by the initial test and manufacturer and listed in the CE certification as 249g for the mavic mini - the fact that you can get it to carry more than that mass, and should you do so would take you out of this category, is irrelevant.

Why am I saying this - because the 'load carrying mode' as self identifies when the cages are placed upon the device, automatically limits it and the documentation specifically exempts ecternal flight (Thereby taking it into ANO territory.

This is the same as an Augusta 109 having a MTOM of 2650Kg, the fact that it has the ability to lift more, or your car being able to tow more does not make the MTOM higher. I notice that many of the sources of that information are those attempting to see Commercial training courses yet the CAA ANO is specific and the definition is specific regarding permitted MTOM if the device is CE marked. There has been a growing ball of 'fact' developing since November that has little evidential base. If the CE specific MTOM is 249g it is 249g Otherwise that CE marking would have been illegally applied.

As a (manned) aircraft pilot, understanding the CAA (And EASA) definition of MTOM is wholly important - sadly we cannot get around the fact that image capture is data capture but surveillance by definition is a completely different premis!

 

[Gav Pilot]

Just checked DJI website thanks to OMM.

Nothing about MTOM on the manual - https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Mavic_Mini/Mavic_Mini_User_Manual_v1.0_en_1.pdf
I guess those guys did a physical experiment

It is stated as 249g in the CE Certificate of Conformity authorisation so where these speculative figures are coming from is beyond me. Dont forget in 'payload mode' you get the warning that flight is limited ad should not be used out of doors - thereby operating it outside of the Air Navigation Order EU Declaration of Conformity

272g is the combined weight of the mini and the prop guards - IT DOES NOT MAKE IT THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED TAKE OFF MASS - this is a training or demonstration mode and is not the limit set by it certificate of conformity - this is a significant misinterpretation of what MTOM is and it is dangerous that many commercial course providers are pedaling this. The drone is not equipped to carry an additional payload, nor certified for it... Thoughts?

 

[scro]

@Gav Pilot This is interesting news to me, and thanks for highlighting it! You've educated me a bit more. No mention of the MTOM in the declaration of conformity in any of the languages I can read. Also, any idea which one is in English, for any non polyglots? Do you have a link to the certificate you mention, that does specify the MTOM?

Interesting to note that if it isn't certified for any attachments where does that put people who've added things (lights, camera filters, skins)? Is it a requirement to comply with the CE cert of conformity to fly? Or just to market/sell?

Edit: I don't see any reference to the prop guards being exclusively for indoor use in either the main user manual or the prop guard user guide. Did I miss it? Having a max distance limit of 100m and altitude of 120m implies expected outdoor use.