Hi all,
My name is Alan, and I am looking into buying a DJI Neo 2 Fly More Combo with RC-N3 Remote Controller. I am also currently reading up about getting my Operator ID and getting A1 & A3 certified. I am very excited!
I used to play on drone sims and loved them. I have bought 4 or so £20 nasty drones over the years, but they always broke within a week. I now am thinking to just go for it, get certified, then buy the Neo 2. If I love it, I will buy the DJI Goggles N3 and the DJI RC Motion 3 for it.
My only concern is how often I will use it. I am worried that it will be a great thing for a few weeks, then it will just sit in it’s case and just not go anywhere as I will be paranoid to take it somewhere where people will complain or just glare at me as they feel I shouldn’t be using it where I am.
I would love to race, but know I live in the middle of nowhere, so there is no point. Hence why I think the DJI Neo 2 is probably the best solution for me. Just annoying about the flight time is so limited. If anybody has a thought about a different drone that might be better for me, I am happy to listen. I also own 3x 3D printers (Bambu lab A1 mini with AMS-HT, H2S with AMS Pro, H2D with 2x AMS & 2x AMS-HT). Am happy to print mods or extras to improve a drone.
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Thank you @OzoneVibe . Yes, I will be getting the public liability insurance. How do I get it for £9 a year, as when I looked at your site, it says you can only get it on the Gold membership, and that is £25 a year.
The silver membership, that doesn’t include insurance, is £16pa .. it’s another £9 for Gold membership that adds insurance.
Apologies for any confusion.
Ah understood @OzoneVibe. All being well I do progress to get certified and then buy a drone, yes, I would go for the Gold membership as it makes total sense. I found a seller on eBay (which I am sure you are all aware of them!) to print a nice looking ID card for £5 that I think would be a good idea.
Ok, good to know. To be honest, I only found your site this morning, so haven’t had a chance yet to look at your shop (but I promise I will). I was reading the The Drone and
Model Aircraft Code last night. It mostly does make sense but do have a question if I may.
Am I correct in that most leisure people go for classifications A1 & A3 (as this is a single test). A3 states ‘You must not fly within 50m of uninvolved people’. A1 though says ‘You can fly closer to people than 50m, including people who are not involved in’. So if I do get A1 & A3 classification, it means I can fly closer than 50m to uninvolved people. How close though? The DJI Neo 2 is 160g, so under the 250g range that it talks about (I understand that currently it is rated as U0 which is not the UK standard, and about the 1st Jan 2028 changes as this drone will be by weight and not class). In the promo video it shows the drone in follow me mode, and it flying feet away from uninvolved people.
So my first question is, for the DJI Neo 2 drone that is 160g, does this mean, it can be flown in follow-me mode, or manually by myself and there is no documented minimum distance you need to keep from uninvolved people? I am not talking about crowds, as know these are a no-fly zone.
My second question, which I believe is very clear (but would like confirmation), is section 6, about buildings. It states ‘You can fly drones and model aircraft that are below 250g, or UK0, UK1 or C0 class in residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas.’. This means that I can fly it in my garden, and over my garden to other areas (I have farming fields behind my house), and on top of my house (to check my solar panels and guttering), and it is legal again because it is under 250g, so there are no restrictions other than GDPR and photo/video recording that may show uninvolved people.
Many thanks for any help you can give me. I do really appreciate it.
Welcome, Alan! The Neo 2 Fly More Combo sounds like a great choice, especially if you’re just getting started. I wouldn’t worry too much about how often you’ll use it—living near the Peak District gives you access to some fantastic scenery for flying. Best of luck with your Operator ID and A1/A3 certification, and enjoy the journey!
Many thanks @benseri23. I watched a video review from ‘Ian in London’ of the Neo 2, and it does seem the perfect drone for a new person. Shame he said it is loud, but you can’t have everything!
Hi Alan, welcome to the group. Regarding flying time, you may learn how I did. Like you I tried some of these cheap drones that listen to the wind rather then the controller. I had a few drones just not doing what I wanted. Long story short… I was introduced to DJI and they are responsive and do as they are told.
Got a neo 2 and they are good. I enjoy flying it. I think once you see how good they are you will enjoy flying more.
Its like comparing an out of control dog off the lead and a highly trained police dog.
With people, I find a lot of people are more interested. It may be their first time being that close to a drone. If they look ok I sometimes just say Don’t worry it will not come near you". This cam put their minds at ease that the pilot is aware of them. Met a lot of interested people and one idiot. A lot of people who fly have never met idiots. You will probably get people interested. Also some of the families who have walked away then get kids wanting a drone…
Hi @Foley, thank you so much for that information. While I was supposed to be working today, I watched a few videos of Neo 2 on YouTube, reviews and things you must/must not do with them. I also learnt about the simulator that you can use with the controller, wow, simply wow! I have decided I am going for it. Tonight I am going to buy the ‘DJI Neo 2 Fly More Combo (Refurbished Unit)’ direct from DJI, and it is a steel at £279. Then, will apply for my operator and A1 & A3 certs. Once I get those I will upgrade to Gold Membership here to get the public liability insurance.
I’ve done it! Drone has been ordered. I thought it safe to get the 2 years refresh just in case. They estimate delivery this Thursday. Don’t worry, I won’t fly it outside my house until I am fully certified (not certifiable like my wife says I am), and I have plenty of hours training in the simulator.
