hi I do voluntary photos for 2 charities and very occasionally I need to fly higher than the dji set on my Mini 4 pro. Are there any drones (prefer dji) that dont have an altitude block without paying an arm and a leg. Dji cannot (or will not ) over ride my drone. I do have the A2cofc.
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Difficult to say without knowing what itâs set it to at the moment and what height you need to fly at, can you share some settings and some desired altitudes with us?
One option is to modify the firmware and remove the restrictions.
Another option is to buy a heavier drone that probably doesnât have any C0 restrictions on it (this is only a guess as to whatâs restricting you at the moment, youâve havenât confirmed this yet).
It also depends on what you call an arm and a leg in terms of budget? Maybe pick up a cheap Autel Evo on eBay? Theyâre largely unrestricted.
Again, a lot of this comes down to the height you want to fly at?
@Rodders007 Clearly DJI will not overide the height limit set relative to the drone EU/UK class markings in accordance with UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Regulations. However, DJI may override, or unlock, the height limits on your drone for a flight in the UK, if you provide them with valid, official documentation of permission to do so from the (CAA). This is not an automatic process, and DJI requires a formal request through their âFlySafe unlocking systemâ (if itâs still working as havenât used it for over a year now).
Iâve not tried this myself since the regulations changed in 2026, but I have been successful for flights in the EU where I had prior authorisation to fly within a FRZ, so the principle maybe the same. Only way to find out for sure is apply to the CAA, and if granted send the evidence as suggested.
How high do you want to go ?
No higher than 5- 800 feet really. Hi yes i am local in East Yorks. Cheers Rodders
Hi i fully understand when idiots with drones fly over airports but when you provide dji several current caa qualifications they just ignore it. Because flying a drone requires decent weather i cannot ask CAA for consent as they need specific details.
Did you send DJI a copy of your Operational Authorisation from CAA to fly a drone at 240m / 800ft when you requested the unlock?
No i didnt apply as i felt it was a chicken and egg situation. I spent 40 minutes with dji first to see if it can be overidden by them. They said impossiblfor the mini 4 pro to be released from its altitude restriction. The did say some of their drones had no retriction but not which ones
For your drone, all DJI would be looking for is an Op id and Flyer id. Nothing else is required for normal flights.
But they will not unlock any of the firmware limits based on those qualifications, or any other for that matter.
The authority in this matter is the CAA, and they will of course require details of the proposed flight before they would be in a position to authorise it, or not, as the case may be.
Theyâre not usually after exact coordinates, timings, distance etc, in my experience as long as you have a location and flight radius, time window, date etc along with your own details.
Should the CAA then consent to your request, their reply could be added to a Flysafe unlock request.
Your choice to test it out, but itâs the only way imho that youâll get to fly legally at the sort of heights you are wanting.
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Just to clarify, Rodders:
Do you mean you want to fly up a hill (or the side of a building) which would take you higher than the 120m limit from take-off imposed by DJI but not higher than the limit above ground level in the regulations?
Or do you mean that you need to fly 800f/240m above ground level, so twice the regulated limit?
The altitude restriction is imposed by the DJI software. Have you tried Litchi Pilot?
The altitude restriction is imposed by the CAA!
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I am aware of that but you can fly above it obviously outside zones etc. But some drones not mini 4 etc can legally fly above the under 250gram rule, as I understand it.
I understand that for the Mini 4 pro to gain the CO label it has to be limited to 400ft. I contacted DJI to request a CO label for my Mini 3 pro which was declined as it does not have an automatic restriction on height and it is user selectable. The Mini 3 pro can be flown above 400ft but you will need clearance from the CAA to legally do so. The Mini 3 pro is a great drone and very reasonably priced
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What zones ?
The CAA clearly has a strict limit of 120m above take off point. The manufacturers have to comply with limiting drones to max 120m above take off point.
The drone operator is limited to 120m above ground level but cannot always if this clashes with 120m above take off
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Thank you that was helpful 
It surprises me that you say you have an A2 CofC yet do not understand that the legal height for a drone is 120m. Regardless of (Zones?) weight or class. The CAA website clearly states:-
Your drone or model aircraft must never be more than 120m (400ft) from the closest point of the earthâs surface.
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The Air 3 S doesnât have a height restriction
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Iâm not sure you do⌠.
Some drones (those which are not C0) can fly higher than 120m above their TO point - which is perfectly legitimate if they remain within 120m of the earthâs surface at all times. If you have a drone to do it, and want to exceed the 120m above the surface rule, you can do it in an FRZ, with permission from ATC (both to fly, and to exceed 400â). Outside an FRZ, as others have suggested, you need authorisation from the CAA.
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Thereâs a dedicated â400ftâ page on Drone Scene at https://dronescene.co.uk/400ft which you may want to reference:
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