Drone and Model Aircraft Code: updated for 2021

Absolutely true.

Missus has her own drone so now she has an ID, that wasn’t needed previously.

I have a Mini 2 but previously had a >500g Holystone hence my ID.

Just scroll back up to this post where I’ve linked to summaries of what will happen for a number of popular drone models both from January 2021, and then from January 2023:

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Ah thanks. It almost sent me to sleep trying to read it all!

This one is the most misleading as it suggests you can only fly a >250g drone in an urban area under the Specific category, it makes no mention of the option to fly in the A2 subcategory. I’ll bet there will be bucketloads of people confused by the new rules, including the Drone Police.

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You must be the luckiest person alive to have avoided the last year of discussion about this!

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No.

You can:

  • Fly sub-250g flying weight drones in sub-category A1 inside urban areas and close to/over people
  • Get an A2 Certificate of Competence (going rate around £99 for training/test) and fly larger drones up to 2kg in sub-category A2 inside urban areas but not close to or over people
  • Get a GVC qualification and an Operational Authorisation from the CAA and fly larger drones than that in the Specific category inside urban areas and close to/over people (depending on the details of your OA)
  • Join FPV(UK) and fly a drone inside an urban park, subject to carrying out a risk assessment
  • Maybe some more I’ve forgotten about!
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Yeah just read this one, I’m getting confused by the minute. My understanding was you can fly in an urban area in the A2 category if you have the A2 CofC cert, but not closer than 50m with a legacy drone. Is this correct?

In a nutshell, yes. Not closer than 50m to people horizontally with a legacy drone, but you may be able to amend that to a bubble (i.e. 50m in any direction) if you are a member of FPV(UK) and able to apply their new Operational Authorisation.

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Noooo :sob:

Got no problem with it. Heres my ID
I am sensible, I can fly wherever (pretty much)

CAA finally updated the Drone code - Dronesafe web site this afternoon.

:man_facepalming:

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So if I read this straight. I can now legally fly my Tiny hawk freestyle, fpv style, up and down my street if I put my op id on it, have an observer next to me, there is no more than 999 people outside in the street, and I am safe about it?
It was a drone that was purchased, but later modified. It’s well under 250g.

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From the CAA point-of-view, so long as that is done safely, sounds fine to me :ok_hand:

But you could possibly be done for obstruction of a public highway, creating a public nuisance, disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment, wanton or furious driving or racing, not wearing a hat, breaking the Public Health Act of 2087, stepping on the cracks in the pavement etc.

Some of those are actual laws, some not, but would the police let you just carry on? I seriously doubt it.

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No chance mate I’ve seen your videos :rofl:

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I won’t have a patch on the Irish family over the road :rofl:

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giphy

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tenor-1

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The rule defining crowd is different. In @notveryprettyboy scenario, you can’t fly over a crowd where there isn’t adequate space for them to get out of the way of the drone. That could be 10 people, or 999.

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almost there for Jan regs. Hope everyone is now clear what they can fly and where!!!

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https://youtu.be/6hl5gvHAh3A

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