Newbie Question

TonyT67 · Apr 3, 2022

Hi All,

I am a new flyer based in Surrey / Hampshire border and I am keen some help understanding where I can fly. So what I already know:-

I have a DJI Mini 2
I have a Flyer ID and display it correctly
I have read the Drone Code albeit having a drone under 250g gives me more ‘freedom’
I use the Drone Assist app to ensure the areas I fly in are not Red and suitable for flying
I understand the need to keep suitable distances away from people (known and unknown)
I keep away from farm animals in fields so as not to disturb them
I use the Drone Assist app to show me of areas or buildings that may have fly over restrictions and stay clear of these

A few questions:

Can I ‘rely’ on drone assist and if it show green, or some yellow warnings, but generally ok to fly, then I can fly.
We have a lot of farmland (crops) around me. Some roads have lay-bys. Am I ok to stop, take off from the lay-by and fly over the crop fields (assuming it is quiet of course, no people). Note the roads are very quiet in these areas.
A lot of parks are showing green on Drone Assist but I am never sure if I can still fly. What else should I be looking for.
If I obtained my A2 C of C, would that make any difference to theses scenarios.
Finally, anyone recommend any good places to fly in Hampshire.

Sorry for the dumb questions. I am loving my drone and considering an upgrade at some point maybe to an Air 2 or even a Mavic 3.

Thanks in advance.

Tony

Yorkshire_Pud · Apr 3, 2022

The only one I will attempt to answer is 3) bear in mind that if you want to take off and or land in a park you 'need' the land owners permission. Assuming the owner is a council they could have a standing "no drone" policy. I doubt that shows up in Drone Assist.
If there is a no drone policy in place they can not, as far as I know, stop you taking off from outside their land and then over flying their land.

I for one would give heavier drones a miss until they are 'marked' and give the M3 'another' miss until its woes are fixed, time to GPS lock etc..

old man mavic · Apr 3, 2022

@TonyT67 ,not sure if you are confusing the flyer ID with the Operator ID
for the Mini2 you need both ,the operator ID which costs at this time £9 per year ,is the one that goes on the outside of the drone ,the Flyer ID which is free and lasts 5 years currently, you need to carry with you either a hard copy or on your phone
if you decide to purchase one of the new C rated drones , in order to fly something like the mavic air2s weight of drone, then from January next year you will need to have your A2 C of C in order to do so, and bear in mind that even though you have a under 250g drone which can be flown over commercial private and industrial areas ,you still have to follow the drone code with respect of distances and any flight restrictions that may be in force at the time
also any by laws need to be taken into consideration when deciding where you intend to take off from ,hope this helps

Yogi053 · Apr 3, 2022

OMM. Having no A2 C of C next year means you cannot fly anywhere in the UK? Is that correct?

TonyT67 · Apr 3, 2022

old man mavic said:
@TonyT67 ,not sure if you are confusing the flyer ID with the Operator ID
for the Mini2 you need both ,the operator ID which costs at this time £9 per year ,is the one that goes on the outside of the drone ,the Flyer ID which is free and lasts 5 years currently, you need to carry with you either a hard copy or on your phone
if you decide to purchase one of the new C rated drones , in order to fly something like the mavic air2s weight of drone, then from January next year you will need to have your A2 C of C in order to do so, and bear in mind that even though you have a under 250g drone which can be flown over commercial private and industrial areas ,you still have to follow the drone code with respect of distances and any flight restrictions that may be in force at the time
also any by laws need to be taken into consideration when deciding where you intend to take off from ,hope this helps

Thanks. I do have both the flyer and the operator ID, thanks.

I know if I ’upgrade’ then more restrictions will be in place. I might hold off an upgrade until the CAA/DJI get them ‘graded’ or at least recognised. I don’t want to buy a new drone for it then become a legacy drone.

Thsnks for the comments, make sense. Just really struggling to find places to fly legally. I am finding it really hard to get a simple answer to ‘where can I fly’? I want to play within the rules but knowing what bye laws are in place seems to change every mile.

I will keep researching.

TonyT67 · Apr 3, 2022

Yogi053 said:
OMM. Having no A2 C of C next year means you cannot fly anywhere in the UK? Is that correct?

I think under 250g drones are still ok, over 250g is much more restricted. Might be wrong though, still learning.

old man mavic · Apr 3, 2022

@Yogi053 if you want to fly a drone that has the new c rating , then next year you will have to have a A C of C to do so ,then you will be able to enjoy the new distance rules that apply to such drones
the up to 250g drones will be able to fly as they do now ,but all drones such as the current range of mavics will be classed as legacy drones and will have to fly in the A3 group of the open category which is highly restrictive in terms of separation distances, and locations where they can be flown un less you pass your GVC and then you can fly them in the specific category with all that that entails

Yogi053 · Apr 4, 2022

OMM. Just to be clear. Can I fly a legacy drone without an A2 C of C after 31Dec. 2022 if I am, say, in the Scottish Highlands away from all people and buildings at over150 metres distance.