I know guys, super lazy but I’ve had a pretty tough year (complicated) and have not flown my mp2 in circa 18 months.
Life just about getting back to normal. Please could someone explain in idiot terms what I’ve missed in terms of regulations?
Drone is registered etc. But can I still just go out and fly or will I now get arrested for touching my controller.
Promise to try and support gadc better moving fwd!
Hi Lozzer sorry to here you have been having a bad time. With the regulations now any drone over 249g you have to be 50m away horizontally from any uninvolved people and can’t over fly them.
So if your 50m altitude you need to be 100m horizontal away from uninvolved people.
This includes buildings where there’s a risk to people inside or wreckless damage.
No flights within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas too.
After I believe around 2 yrs any uncertified drone ie not labelled with categorie. It will become 150m away for uninvolved people.
It is abit of a pain unless your in the countryside.
I’m not sure if I have forgotten anything but I’m sure someone else on here would put me right if I have.
So yes you can still fly just under those conditions. If you do the a2 cofc down to 30m horizontally distance.
Hope this helps fair lot really to get to grips with or if you can buy a mini or mini 2 if you like to get closer or live in a more built up area.
Nice one. I forgot about that and its mega useful too.
Everything you need to catch up on can be found in the updated Drone Code:
Brill - thanks guys, much appreciated. So essentially, with a Flyer ID and an operator ID (labelled on the aircraft), I can esentially then only fly in non-urban areas, never above people, >50m at all times. Seems ok - just need to think about where to go as there have been 1-2 large playing fields (1km long) that I guess are now probably prohibited). Not that I have any offers for paid work, but have any of the rules changed there too? Still need pfco etc.?
Just to get my confidence back a bit, I was thinking about flying around the edge of one of the new HS2 sites near me… There are some open areas and public footpaths that are not often used (site looks very different from the Google pictures taken at least 2 years ago… it’s all quite impressive tbh
Looks like CAA A2 C of C might work?
Run various scenarios through Good 2 Go there @anon52324101 - it has all the answers to everything 
Don’t need pfco now I believe but must have commercial insurance if your doing for paid work thats to my knowledge anyway.
Pingspikes link would give you all the info.
My understanding is that with your Mavic Pro 2 (nice drone by the way) it will be placed in the A2 sub-category of the Open category. You must get flyer and operator ID from the CAA, in other words complete the on-line DMARES with the CAA.
You say the the drone is registered, I assume from more than “circa 18 months ago” If you mean your flyerID then it’s fine as they last for 5 years (currently). But if you mean your operator ID then you will have to reapply as they only last for 12 months and are renewable annually.
Having just done my A2CofC, your drone can be in the A2 Transitional (i.e. up to 31st December 2022) class. I may be mistaken but my understanding is that in order to take full advantage of that class, the competency requirements are that you must: a) read the user manual, b) complete DMARES, and c) hold an A2CofC certificate. Thereafter it will be placed in the A3 subcategory and subject to no-one within 50m of the drone and no flight within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
Doing the A2CofC course (lasts for 5 years) will, when the ‘C’ class drones become available and you buy one, enable you to fly within 30m of uninvolved persons or 5m in ‘low speed/tripod’ mode (except for those <250g which can go essentially anywhere). The CAA have stated that with effect from 1st July 2022 no drones without the ‘C’ classification can be sold in the UK so watch out for the adverts from next year methinks.
Sorry if my above reply was a bit complicated or confusing but in order to hopefully simplify matters, in order for you to currently fly you M2P in the A2 Transitional class then you do, definitely, need to have read the user manual, completed the DMARES with the CAA, and be the holder of the A2CofC certificate. This is qualified by this below from the CAP722, 2.2.1.2
For a transition period until 31 December 2022, some ‘legacy’ unmanned aircraft with a mass that is less than 2kg may also be used in subcategory A2, but they cannot be flown within a horizontal distance of 50 metres from uninvolved persons. The remote pilot must also have successfully completed the same A2 CofC examination.
If not then you are placed within the A3 subcategory.
Phew 
@PingSpike No Rich - what I need to check out is a bottle of single malt!
@speatuk Sorry Steve, Bourbon isn’t for me, nor any blended. Much prefer a single malt - Glenfarclas 25yrs is so smooth!
