Think carefully before purchasing if you’re in the EU and UK

[Gkinghrn]

The Air2 is a fantastic drone. Absolutely no doubt about it. It’s also a really good price. I have the original, and it’s easily my favourite of all my drones. If I was purely flying for fun, I’d snap one up.

I think if i can sell my mini for enough I will jump for it tbh ..I live on top of a cliff at the beach so wind is an issue and limits my mini flying...

 

[jagraphics]

Hmm thats a handful to remember for us that just want to go out and fly.

If your hobby is flying an aircraft then there are rules to learn and abide to just like if you want to drive a car.

 

[gb160]

I think if i can sell my mini for enough I will jump for it tbh ..I live on top of a cliff at the beach so wind is an issue and limits my mini flying...

Luckily I was able to return my mini and get a full refund, allowing me to order the A2, mini was a great little drone but terrible with the wind...every time I used it I felt I was running the gauntlet, even on calm days I'd get wind warnings, only real negative imo.
I just feel I'll get a hell of a lot more use out of the A2 because of this...that extreme weather test I saw convinced me.

 

[Alex2]

It looks like the Mavic Mini will be able to be flown indefinitely within the A1 category (flying over people) without the need to undertake the A2 CofC. The CAA have stated that the weight at time of flight applies for legacy drones.

 

[Benmavicpilot]

It looks like the Mavic Mini will be able to be flown indefinitely within the A1 category (flying over people) without the need to undertake the A2 CofC. The CAA have stated that the weight at time of flight applies for legacy drones.

That's how I read it too, good news for us mini owners.

Stick with the mini for now then buy an Air 2 when its certified C1 (or 2) or else maybe a Mavic Pro 3 if it comes out later this year - that's my cunning plan.

 

[brusa69]

Mavic Air 2 is >500gr so i was hoping for the A1C1 category, instead it will go to A3C3.
Categories and limits are well explained here, page 18 onward

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EU_UAS_Regulation_introduction_and_open-category.pdf

p.s A1C1 has changed , max is 500gr not 900gr.

 

[Lastrexking]

It looks like the Mavic Mini will be able to be flown indefinitely within the A1 category (flying over people) without the need to undertake the A2 CofC. The CAA have stated that the weight at time of flight applies for legacy drones.

I’m afraid not.

No uninvolved people present within the area of flight; No flight within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas (A3 subcategory of Open category).

Source CAA Approved Drone Training - A2 CofC, GVC and PfCO | HELIGUY.com™

 

[Alex2]

I’m afraid not.

No uninvolved people present within the area of flight; No flight within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas (A3 subcategory of Open category).

Source CAA Approved Drone Training - A2 CofC, GVC and PfCO | HELIGUY.com™

Not according to the latest version of CAP1789 dated April 29 2020. See below extracts from pages 7 and 8 for reference:

"Unmanned aircraft which do not comply with the requirements of classes C0 to C4 are
able to continue to be operated indefinitely within subcategory A3 (far from people) and, if
they are less than 250g, within subcategory A1 (over people)..."

"Unmanned aircraft without a Class marking – any reference to MTOM or ‘take-off mass’
should be taken to mean the weight of the unmanned aircraft at any time while it is in flight..."
(which will be referred to as the ‘flying weight’)

As long as a Mavic Mini weighs less than 250 grams at the time of flight, it will be able to be flown in the A1 subcategory, unlocking huge potential for MM owners from 1st November (earliest).

Annex D on page 47 provides a clear indication of this.

Source: CAP1789: The EU UAS Regulation Package – Outline

 

[jagraphics]

I am giving up with DJI Drones! Where can I buy a Global Hawk UAV ?

 

[Lastrexking]

Not according to the latest version of CAP1789 dated April 29 2020. See below extracts from pages 7 and 8 for reference:

"Unmanned aircraft which do not comply with the requirements of classes C0 to C4 are
able to continue to be operated indefinitely within subcategory A3 (far from people) and, if
they are less than 250g, within subcategory A1 (over people)..."

"Unmanned aircraft without a Class marking – any reference to MTOM or ‘take-off mass’
should be taken to mean the weight of the unmanned aircraft at any time while it is in flight..."
(which will be referred to as the ‘flying weight’)

As long as a Mavic Mini weighs less than 250 grams at the time of flight, it will be able to be flown in the A1 subcategory, unlocking huge potential for MM owners from 1st November (earliest).

Annex D on page 47 provides a clear indication of this.

Source: CAP1789: The EU UAS Regulation Package – Outline

I stand corrected. Might be worth having a Mini after all.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Not according to the latest version of CAP1789 dated April 29 2020. See below extracts from pages 7 and 8 for reference:

"Unmanned aircraft which do not comply with the requirements of classes C0 to C4 are
able to continue to be operated indefinitely within subcategory A3 (far from people) and, if
they are less than 250g, within subcategory A1 (over people)..."

"Unmanned aircraft without a Class marking – any reference to MTOM or ‘take-off mass’
should be taken to mean the weight of the unmanned aircraft at any time while it is in flight..."
(which will be referred to as the ‘flying weight’)

As long as a Mavic Mini weighs less than 250 grams at the time of flight, it will be able to be flown in the A1 subcategory, unlocking huge potential for MM owners from 1st November (earliest).

Annex D on page 47 provides a clear indication of this.

Source: CAP1789: The EU UAS Regulation Package – Outline

The problem that I keep coming back to is that the EASA/CAA regs won't allow for the retrospective Class marking of a drone - so ANY legacy drone will not be marked with a C0 to C4 class logo, and therefore, none will comply!
For example, a Mavic Air 2 may weigh in at 570g - which - you might think - would make it a C1 Class UAV. But - the CAA CAP1789 document says that as of 1st November 2020, the Mavic Air 2 will become "... a legacy unmanned aircraft that weighs 570 grams." Unless you have a UAV that has been manufactured to the EASA standards and includes the EASA Class logo on its manufacturer's label etc., the UAV remains 'Legacy'.

The only operations allowed for an unmarked legacy drone appears to be 'Open Class, subcategory A3' ...
If you sit & pass the A2 CofC test, then you could operate your Mavic Air 2 in subcategory A2 of the 'Open' class until 30 June 2022.
It's significant to note that you cannot operate the Mavic Air 2 as a 'Class C2' UAV while doing this. It remains 'Open Class' and those rules apply.

Although subcat' A2 states that you can fly within 5 metres of people when 'the low-speed mode function of the UA is activated...' - it appears that the Mavic Air 2 can't comply with the speed restriction, due to its Tripod mode limiting speed to 5 metres/sec, rather than 3 metres/sec as prescribed in the EASA document - So passing the A2 CofC still won't get you the full access to the subcategory A2 allowances. It appears that if you can't comply with the speed-mode restriction, you are limited to 30 metres from people - which is still an improvement over subcat' A3 rules ...

 

[Benmavicpilot]

Although subcat' A2 states that you can fly within 5 metres of people when 'the low-speed mode function of the UA is activated...' - it appears that the Mavic Air 2 can't comply with the speed restriction, due to its Tripod mode limiting speed to 5 metres/sec, rather than 3 metres/sec as prescribed in the EASA document - So passing the A2 CofC still won't get you the full access to the subcategory A2 allowances. It appears that if you can't comply with the speed-mode restriction, you are limited to 30 metres from people - which is still an improvement over subcat' A3 rules ...

Would guess that DJI have designed the Air 2 as a C1 (or possibly C2) as it seems to be able to meet the requirements. Later F/W update to slow Tripod mode down to 3m/s an option?

However seeing as for some reason it's not actually certified yet - maybe they decided no need to set Tripod so slowly for the launch of the Air 2?

If they get the model certified, F/W update for all to 3m/s (yet of course the C certification would only apply to serial numbers sold from that point on).

All guesswork though.

 

[brusa69]

DJI should put a clear statement on this!
Will it be certified C1? When?
What about Air 2 units sold before the -C1- mark (if any in the future) ?
Lack of the C1 mark is a no sense for me.

 

[Lastrexking]

DJI should put a clear statement on this!
Will it be certified C1? When?
What about Air 2 units sold before the -C1- mark (if any in the future) ?
Lack of the C1 mark is a no sense for me.

The Air2 will never be certified as it is. So, it's unlikely DJI will make changes, unless they do a 'Platinum' version. The models as they are currently released will never be able to be backward compatible.

 

[Attorney58]

If dji will install the air sense system to all MA2 drones globally, then I recommend you buy it soon, not now! Otherwise you will be very sad.

 

[DidJI]

The Air2 will never be certified as it is. So, it's unlikely DJI will make changes, unless they do a 'Platinum' version. The models as they are currently released will never be able to be backward compatible.

I'm afraid you're right for the CE certification
For ADS-B maybe we could have it (since it's not related with the CE mark)

 

[brusa69]

The Air2 will never be certified as it is. So, it's unlikely DJI will make changes, unless they do a 'Platinum' version. The models as they are currently released will never be able to be backward compatible.

There are reports that DJI support say it will be C1 but i don't trust chats...
Let's see

 

[swooshdave]

The Air2 will never be certified as it is. So, it's unlikely DJI will make changes, unless they do a 'Platinum' version. The models as they are currently released will never be able to be backward compatible.

Do we knew just how many DJI drones were sold in the EU compared to other parts of the world?

The other challenge for DJI is that regulations have been very fluid in the last couple years. There is only so much development time they are allotted before a release date.

For example when were the new EU regulations first known about? Was there actually time for DJI to meet those regulations and also meet their release date? How long does it take to get certified?

There are a lot of factors and they don't always come together.

But it hopefully means their next release (probably the MP3) will be able to meet more of the regulations (although that also could be in jeopardy too as I suspect they have been in development on that one for a while too).

 

[FoxhallGH]

The Air2 will never be certified as it is. So, it's unlikely DJI will make changes, unless they do a 'Platinum' version. The models as they are currently released will never be able to be backward compatible.

There is very little to do to the MA2 to make it an EASA Class C1 or C2 UAS. A software change to limit Tripod mode speed to 3m/sec and to provide broadcast of Operator and/or Flyer registration number is all that's required above current features, to meet the Class C2 specification. It would make sense to apply those updates to current MA2's - because owners could elect to sit the A2 CofC exam and fly it under full A2 rules for 2 years after 1st November ... However, after that 2 years, the drone would revert to Legacy Open class - sub-cat' A3.
DJI might also elect to gain EASA certification and start labelling the MA2 with product labels that show the EASA Class C1/C2 logo - and that would make any models produced as such, fully Class C1/C2 compliant without time limit.
A crazy situation because you'd have identical hardware and software - with only the label different - but only one of the drones allowed to be called Class C1 or C2 compliant after 1st November 2020.

 

[swooshdave]

There is very little to do to the MA2 to make it an EASA Class C1 or C2 UAS. A software change to limit Tripod mode speed to 3m/sec and to provide broadcast of Operator and/or Flyer registration number is all that's required above current features, to meet the Class C2 specification. It would make sense to apply those updates to current MA2's - because owners could elect to sit the A2 CofC exam and fly it under full A2 rules for 2 years after 1st November ... However, after that 2 years, the drone would revert to Legacy Open class - sub-cat' A3.
DJI might also elect to gain EASA certification and start labelling the MA2 with product labels that show the EASA Class C1/C2 logo - and that would make any models produced as such, fully Class C1/C2 compliant without time limit.
A crazy situation because you'd have identical hardware and software - with only the label different - but only one of the drones allowed to be called Class C1 or C2 compliant after 1st November 2020.

provide broadcast of Operator and/or Flyer registration number

Just was is required for this? Broadcast how and to whom?