Newbie in Derby, Hello!

Hi, I’m Trevor, based in Derby

I have recently started flying, bought two drones and given them pet names so I don’t have to repeat the model numbers all the time:

  • Dreenagh is a dji Mini 4 Pro
  • Jerry is a dji Avata with FPV2 goggles.
    Fans of 80s/90s comedy and magic might get the references…

I have some questions and yes no doubt I will read up various resources but forgive me if I ask them here too.

  • 1: what’s the point of a drone with 20km range if it has to be flown LOS?
  • 2: Are there any licence categories that permit flying beyond LOS? I think I saw something about this being under consideration.
  • 3: Is it possible to fly the Avata with the same console as the Mini? The option isn’t available at first glace when adding drones.

Dreenagh is a dream to fly, so easy with the console. Being 249g she also makes life easier in places Jerry wouldn’t be allowed or would be difficult to fly within the rules. Jerry is harder work using the motion controller. Still a lot of practice to do there and I’m not sure I’m keen on the FPV goggles yet.

I am interested in various forms of photography from astro to modelling to landscapes and general content creation using Canon DSLR and Insta action cameras, also amateur radio and musicianship.

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Hi @Draculus and welcome to Grey Arrows :wave:t2:

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Welcome once again!

Not all countries have LOS restrictions and some of the countries that do often allow permits / authorisations for BVLOS operations :slight_smile:

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The 20km will be in open spaces. In an urban environment, with lots of obstructions and buildings, the distance will be significantly less. I’d certainly rather fly a drone just a few hundred metres away that could reach 20km, than one that was rated for only a few km.

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Hi Trevor and welcome to GADC. Like you I live in Derby ( Sinfin ) mini 3 Pro owner here .
The BVLOS that’s being talked about is sadly for professional user only ( medical equipment / drug delivery, Rail infrastructure surveys, and things of a similar nature. Drones used for this will also have to be fitted with an ADS-B unit so other aircraft will know where they are. There are other restrictions placed on them too. These are only proposals by the CAA at the moment so nothings set in stone :+1::+1:

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Hi Trevor @Draculus and welcome to GADC :+1: :+1:

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Welcome mate,

I concur!

yes you can tether it, I believe it’s section 265e
you can also tether a drone above 249G & fly it with the same rules of a 249G drone, but it restricts the height you can fly to 25 meters.

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Thanks for all the replies in such a short time :slight_smile:
The weather and the opportunity to fly mean I have not been out much. I do have a YouTube channel, here is the last video I took with ‘Dreenagh’ (dji Mini 4 Pro) but there will be more in due course. https://youtu.be/dclG6m1qWkw

Nice video Trevor. I used to play golf on Allestree. Damn shame it closed. But now they’re re-wilding it and the group get lots of funding ( just got £1.7 million of lottery funding too ) to not cut the grass :open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth: I wish the council would pay me money to not cut my lawn. Instead if I let it grow, I get letters off them telling me it looks unkempt. :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

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Hi and welcome to the club. Hope you enjoy it here.

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Thank you JockyB. :blush:
If you fly very low maybe you can keep the grass short…