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This forum made me not buy the Mavic Mini today. Why?

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Jan 13, 2020
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Location
Sofia, Bulgaria
Hello,
First, let me start this thread by saying a big, fat THANK YOU to all the users here. I'm reading mavicpilots for a day now, but, surprise-surprise, this doesn't look like any ordinary forum. The amount of answers and information to all kind of questions, the quick response, the sheer attitude and willingness to help others make this place look really cool! Maybe it's because flying drones is a relatively new hobby.

However - amidst all that information a noob like me can (and does) get confused. Today I almost bought the MM Fly More Combo. After weeks of watching youtubers praising the MM I decided to pull the trigger. 2 minutes before buying it I decided to check if the DJI Fly app is compatible with my Google Pixel 3a. Turns out - not yet. In search of info and users who can fly the MM with the Pixel 3a, I got to this forum and, voila, I don't ever want to own a drone.

Let's put aside the not 100% certainty the MM will fly with the 3a (some users in the net claim they have no issues), let's puts aside the wind and lost transmission issues on the MM of which I read here (and not a single "youtube influencer" spoke of), let's put aside CE/FCC horrors. etc. My main concern is legal flying. I live in Bulgaria, where hardcore laws aren't present, as I understand from both international and local sites and forums. However I plan some trips this summer - to Spain (Malaga, Madrid and San Sebastian), Ukraine (Kiev) and Italy (maybe Sicily or somewhere in Toscana). How can I be sure that I can take off and not be fined by the police thousands of euro?

Is that map - DJI - The World Leader in Camera Drones/Quadcopters for Aerial Photography accurate enough? When I tick the boxes of "Warning Zones" and "Enhanced Warning Zones" it gets pretty ugly. Let's take Malaga, Spain, for example. Without "Warning Zones" and "Enhanced Warning Zones" enabled, the site looks alright - No-Go are the airport, the area around it in blue and some prisons. But when I tick the "Warning Zones" and "Enhanced Warning Zones" boxes, all of Malaga gets colored - the orange area covers the area to the centre, and the yellow one completely covers the city, the beaches. Does this mean I won't be able to take off even in the yellow areas? Can I be fined just for flying it? Can I use it for filming in the city, above the traffic on a roundabout, or the rooftop of a cathedral? How can I be sure that my 499-bucks drone won't give me 4999-euro fine? What is the police definition of "over a crowd" - if there are 5-10 people on the beach in March in Malaga, and I pass over them, would that be considered bad? I read about some new laws in July 2020, what will happen to the MM? I surely don't want to buy it simply to take it on farms and Siberia-like fields.

So many noob questions, so few bullets - glad I'm not asking them f2f. Cheers, thanks in advance and keep up the good work!
 
This is a very proactive and friendly forum, much more than the official DJI forum in my opinion. Don’t be put off by the numerous reports of bad experience, many people come here after an incident, many don’t read the manual, ignore app warnings and make bad decisions and then wonder why their new Mini was blown away at 300 metres height. It’s a wonderful hobby and yes you need to do a little research if your flying somewhere new, but common sense and following the local laws/ codes, and maintaining VLOS will mostly keep you out of trouble.
 
This should give you an idea on what the drone laws are in each country you may be visiting, they are all pretty similar, although Spain have one where you can't fly within 150m of a building and in Ukraine you can't fly above 50m etc..


Check this out for warning zone definitions,


From the FAQ's an enhanced warning zone doesn't prevent you from flying

"Enhanced Warning Zones exist to alert drone operators of potential concerns that are not primarily safety-related, for example, wildlife protection areas. When a drone approaches an Enhanced Warning Zone, the DJI GO app will issue a warning. Users must then confirm that they wish to continue flying. "

In the case of a Mavic Mini, the DJI Fly app will and may stop you from flying if the area is a restricted, altitude or authorisation zone, it will then require you to react
The main issue with this is if you fly into one of these zones without knowing it, your AC may behave differently and you need to be aware of what it will do.

  • If a DJI UAV is flying towards an Altitude Zone at an altitude that is higher than the restricted ceiling of that zone, it will automatically decelerate and hover in place. If it is flying towards an Altitude Zone at an altitude that is lower than the restricted ceiling of that zone, it will not be able to fly any higher than that altitude ceiling once inside. If the UAV flies into an Altitude Zone without any GPS signal, it will automatically land once it regains a GPS signal.
  • DJI UAVs cannot takeoff in Restricted Zones. When a UAV flies near the boundary of a Restricted Zone, it will automatically decelerate and hover in place. If it flies into a Restricted Zone without a GPS signal, it will automatically land once it regains a GPS signal.
  • Users are required to complete identity authorization and self-unlocking before taking off in an Authorization Zone.
  • When taking off in an Enhanced Warning Zone, users need to approve this action by pressing “Confirm” on a pop-up warning.

So flying a drone in the Europe is not so bad, the DJI Fly app does assist in telling you where you can and how you can fly, the rest is the pilot having common sense and following the country or areas drone laws.
The basic rules are, fly below 120m and not within 50m of any people and within line of sight
 
Hello,
First, let me start this thread by saying a big, fat THANK YOU to all the users here. I'm reading mavicpilots for a day now, but, surprise-surprise, this doesn't look like any ordinary forum. The amount of answers and information to all kind of questions, the quick response, the sheer attitude and willingness to help others make this place look really cool! Maybe it's because flying drones is a relatively new hobby.

However - amidst all that information a noob like me can (and does) get confused. Today I almost bought the MM Fly More Combo. After weeks of watching youtubers praising the MM I decided to pull the trigger. 2 minutes before buying it I decided to check if the DJI Fly app is compatible with my Google Pixel 3a. Turns out - not yet. In search of info and users who can fly the MM with the Pixel 3a, I got to this forum and, voila, I don't ever want to own a drone.

Let's put aside the not 100% certainty the MM will fly with the 3a (some users in the net claim they have no issues), let's puts aside the wind and lost transmission issues on the MM of which I read here (and not a single "youtube influencer" spoke of), let's put aside CE/FCC horrors. etc. My main concern is legal flying. I live in Bulgaria, where hardcore laws aren't present, as I understand from both international and local sites and forums. However I plan some trips this summer - to Spain (Malaga, Madrid and San Sebastian), Ukraine (Kiev) and Italy (maybe Sicily or somewhere in Toscana). How can I be sure that I can take off and not be fined by the police thousands of euro?

Is that map - DJI - The World Leader in Camera Drones/Quadcopters for Aerial Photography accurate enough? When I tick the boxes of "Warning Zones" and "Enhanced Warning Zones" it gets pretty ugly. Let's take Malaga, Spain, for example. Without "Warning Zones" and "Enhanced Warning Zones" enabled, the site looks alright - No-Go are the airport, the area around it in blue and some prisons. But when I tick the "Warning Zones" and "Enhanced Warning Zones" boxes, all of Malaga gets colored - the orange area covers the area to the centre, and the yellow one completely covers the city, the beaches. Does this mean I won't be able to take off even in the yellow areas? Can I be fined just for flying it? Can I use it for filming in the city, above the traffic on a roundabout, or the rooftop of a cathedral? How can I be sure that my 499-bucks drone won't give me 4999-euro fine? What is the police definition of "over a crowd" - if there are 5-10 people on the beach in March in Malaga, and I pass over them, would that be considered bad? I read about some new laws in July 2020, what will happen to the MM? I surely don't want to buy it simply to take it on farms and Siberia-like fields.

So many noob questions, so few bullets - glad I'm not asking them f2f. Cheers, thanks in advance and keep up the good work!

Hi Sebastian, I had to laugh, as I'm reading your question about a Google Pixel 3A there is a Best Buy Google Pixel 3A advertisement right next to your question. I'm thinking it might work with the Mavic Mini if Best Buy is advertising on a Mavic Mini web site. Maybe not, they were also advertising the Pixel 4a too.
Maybe you could try installing the DJI Fly app and see if it will run. If the app runs you should be good to go.
 
(...) I plan some trips this summer - to Spain (Malaga, Madrid and San Sebastian) (...)

(...)all of Malaga gets colored - the orange area covers the area to the centre, and the yellow one completely covers the city, the beaches. Does this mean I won't be able to take off even in the yellow areas? Can I be fined just for flying it? Can I use it for filming in the city, above the traffic on a roundabout, or the rooftop of a cathedral? How can I be sure that my 499-bucks drone won't give me 4999-euro fine? What is the police definition of "over a crowd" - if there are 5-10 people on the beach in March in Malaga, and I pass over them, would that be considered bad? (...)

Regarding any country: Use Google, check applicable laws, get in contact with fellow local pilots.

Regarding Spain: Totally forget about flying a drone recreationally in Madrid, San Sebastian or Malaga. They are all part of their respective CTR, have numerous heliports nearby, etc. (see link below to understand why).

I recommend you and everyone else interested in visiting Spain to check geo limitations here in DRONES ENAIRE and to check applicable regulation to recreational/non-commercial flights at AESA, the Spanish Flight Authority (available in Spanish and English).


Also, the applicable law as of now (until the new EU regulation is transposed) is RD 1036/2017
Bear in mind that any UAV (and the remote) flying in Spain must carry a fireproof license plate with SN, your name and contact details.
 
Can you provide me a link that shows the Mavic Mini app does not work with a Pixel 3a?

I just downloaded it yesterday from the Play Store, I believe it was v.1.0.4, several hours later I read (here) that v.1.0.6 is out, but couldn't find info on whether or not it supported the 3a.
I downloaded and installed the DJI Fly app, I can open it, get in the menus, etc.
But when I click the location icon in the left uppper corner, the map with my location pops up for a fraction of the second and an error message appears - Check network. After I click Retry several times, I can see (again for a 3rd of the second) that the map is updated and shows my current location.

Other users with the 3a (and XL version) say they have no problems opening the map in the DJI Fly app (without the drone or remote connected)
 
This should give you an idea on what the drone laws are in each country you may be visiting, they are all pretty similar, although Spain have one where you can't fly within 150m of a building and in Ukraine you can't fly above 50m etc..


Check this out for warning zone definitions,


From the FAQ's an enhanced warning zone doesn't prevent you from flying

"Enhanced Warning Zones exist to alert drone operators of potential concerns that are not primarily safety-related, for example, wildlife protection areas. When a drone approaches an Enhanced Warning Zone, the DJI GO app will issue a warning. Users must then confirm that they wish to continue flying. "

In the case of a Mavic Mini, the DJI Fly app will and may stop you from flying if the area is a restricted, altitude or authorisation zone, it will then require you to react
The main issue with this is if you fly into one of these zones without knowing it, your AC may behave differently and you need to be aware of what it will do.

  • If a DJI UAV is flying towards an Altitude Zone at an altitude that is higher than the restricted ceiling of that zone, it will automatically decelerate and hover in place. If it is flying towards an Altitude Zone at an altitude that is lower than the restricted ceiling of that zone, it will not be able to fly any higher than that altitude ceiling once inside. If the UAV flies into an Altitude Zone without any GPS signal, it will automatically land once it regains a GPS signal.
  • DJI UAVs cannot takeoff in Restricted Zones. When a UAV flies near the boundary of a Restricted Zone, it will automatically decelerate and hover in place. If it flies into a Restricted Zone without a GPS signal, it will automatically land once it regains a GPS signal.
  • Users are required to complete identity authorization and self-unlocking before taking off in an Authorization Zone.
  • When taking off in an Enhanced Warning Zone, users need to approve this action by pressing “Confirm” on a pop-up warning.

So flying a drone in the Europe is not so bad, the DJI Fly app does assist in telling you where you can and how you can fly, the rest is the pilot having common sense and following the country or areas drone laws.
The basic rules are, fly below 120m and not within 50m of any people and within line of sight


Thank you, prior to my thread I checked these sites and that's exactly what I'm talking about - it says Enhanced Warning Zones are "good to go", but then again MrYKBQdV shares the following - "Totally forget about flying a drone recreationally in Madrid, San Sebastian or Malaga. They are all part of their respective CTR, have numerous heliports nearby, etc."

How come?
 
I just downloaded it yesterday from the Play Store, I believe it was v.1.0.4, several hours later I read (here) that v.1.0.6 is out, but couldn't find info on whether or not it supported the 3a.
Version 1.0.4 is the latest available for Android (Google play store). The one you have seen with 1.0.6 is for IOS (Apple). Pixel 3A is not officially supported.

Here is the link to the DJI Page where it's documented what devices are supported. Click on Supported devices and the below info will pop up.

List (screenshot):
1578986835164.png
 
Regarding Spain: Totally forget about flying a drone recreationally in Madrid, San Sebastian or Malaga.

So far the scariest answer. Do people in Madrid, Malaga and San Sebastian really do not fly drones at all?

On the Spain section on uavcoach.com there is a video, titled "Want to get a feel for the kind of footage you could get flying a drone in Spain? Here you go:" and it shows drone footage of thousand of buildings in Barcelona and Valencia, hovering above them, getting closer than 150m, etc. Is the video old (before regulations) or is just misleading?

In the video you shared it says if I'm flying a drone below 250 gr and not above 20 meters I can fly it over people and around buildings. So many contradictions.
 
My understanding is that EU rules for drone flying is harmonising in July this year - meaning individual rules from Spain. Germany, etc will disappear. I've included a link below - if you scroll to the bottom of the document you'll see that drones under 250g can fly over 'uninvolved' people (except crowds) & there is no mention of buildings - so basically we only need to worry about NFZ.
 
My understanding is that EU rules for drone flying is harmonising in July this year - meaning individual rules from Spain. Germany, etc will disappear. I've included a link below - if you scroll to the bottom of the document you'll see that drones under 250g can fly over 'uninvolved' people (except crowds) & there is no mention of buildings - so basically we only need to worry about NFZ.
This is true - however, local bylaws are still operable (such as those in Barcelona, Paris for example) so you still won’t be able to fly everywhere.
 
No, it happens that he is posting the same pattern on all posts that are involving drones videos from Spain. If it's true or not, or how he feels about it is his business, we need to respect his point of view.

In other words, use common sense and do your research. If you read and document yourself, you are going to be ok. The Worst case scenario is that you know that you are not allowed to fly, thus avoiding the fine.

Let's post some links (official ones):
1. Spain - Regulations - Drone Rules -> recreational use is permited.
2. Basic rules for flying drones -> ENAIRE.es (the spanish authority) allows recreational flying. The Mini itself is under 250 gram. This is according to their site (Spanish ENAIRE) allowed to fly over people and houses.
3. ENAIRE Drones -> Go to enaire site and check the recreative interactive drone map where you are allowed to fly. This way you can know for sure where you can fly. Sure some places are not allowed, but it's not a complete lock down over Spain.
 
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This is true - however, local bylaws are still operable (such as those in Barcelona, Paris for example) so you still won’t be able to fly everywhere.
Yes that's true - but afaik legally this is a civil matter, not criminal - and it is not for the police to enforce.
 
Yes that's true - but afaik legally this is a civil matter, not criminal - and it is not for the police to enforce.
I’m not sure that’s correct. A couple of years ago a young American man was arrested for flying his drone in Paris in breach of the bylaws. Not all countries operate the same way when it comes to law enforcement.
This isn’t the guy I mean, but it’s the same result;


This guys a right plonker. Blames the DJI App and complains there aren’t any ‘no drones’ signs. What he should have done is check the local laws.
 
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You just need to fly conservatively and not like an idiot

Any drone can do damage to people the props are spinning up to 40,000 rpm, so try not to fly over people just in case

 
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I’m not sure that’s correct. A couple of years ago a young American man was arrested for flying his drone in Paris in breach of the bylaws. Not all countries operate the same way when it comes to law enforcement.
This isn’t the guy I mean, but it’s the same result;


This guys a right plonker. Blames the DJI App and complains there aren’t any ‘no drones’ signs. What he should have done is check the local laws.

Flying over the Lourve and all the major landmarks, what an idiot
 
Flying over the Lourve, what an idiot
Wasn't his fault though - 'there weren't any signs' :rolleyes:.... These are the people causing the hobby problems.
 
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Some pretty obvious no no's there - flying over crowds & buildings, and does he really expect to be able to fly over the Louvre, Arc de Triumph & Eiffel Tower without clearance ??
I don't think you need by-laws to cover those ! - but I take your point about them & Police enforcement.
 
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