I’ll shortly be, once again, in the market for another quadcopter after a couple of years absence. Angry wife/limited budget restricts me to either the Mini 2 or the Air 2 (both fly more).
The Mini 2 is almost half the price of the Air 2 but lacks some features I would enjoy from the Air 2 (eg HDR, 48mp camera, collision avoidance) and would not be limited at all as it would be in A1 and C1 categories.
If I opt for the Air 2 in the near future it will be in the comparatively restricted ‘Legacy’ A2 category and in 22 months even more limited by being dumped into the A3 group. If a certified and stamped Class C2 Air 2 was available the limitations would be substantially reduced. Research indicates that the CAA won’t retrospectively reclassify current Air 2 when the new machines are released.
OK here’s the question - do I pull the trigger and buy the Mini 2? Or pull the trigger re the Air 2 and run the risk of being dumped into the A3 group? Or wait in the hope that DJI will soon start releasing certified and stamped Class C2 into the European market?
They’ll still be trying to decide on the actual specs required for said categories when 2023 comes all should have been sorted before they introduced it surely.
Thank you for the comments everyone. This forum is just as friendly as it was a couple of years ago.
Hi Rich @PingSpike - still here. Just started studying for the A2CofC with UAVHub - perfect pastime during lockdown being in my late 60’s and shielding my son with severe learning difficulties.
@Trailblazer - Yes, I’ve been married for 44 years, and with the wife having fairly regular Florida holidays with either her sisters or our eldest daughter, I reckon I could get away with buying both the Mini2 and the Air2 (getting the best of both worlds) by telling her that the Air 2 FlyMore Combo alone will cost what a M2 Pro. If, sorry when, she gets arsy I’d remind her that this coming August she’ll be spending around £3K on another Florida 4 week trip!
In a recent blog article, DJI set out its vision to retroactively mark its drones.
The manufacturer stated: "Although current drones on the market cannot simply be retroactively marked, they can go through a process that will verify they are compliant with the new requirements and will transform it legally to a ‘new’ product.
“We are assessing this possibility for existing products.”
DJI added that it is currently working with industry bodies, regulators and authorities to help shape the European standards which the CE class markings are based on, and the subsequent compliance process for this regulation.
DJI stated: “Once the standards have been confirmed by the regulatory authorities and notified bodies are in place, we will work on assuring compliance for relevant products accordingly and publish a list on our website that shows which products will be included in retroactive CE class identification labelling.”
Addressing how this could be done, DJI said: "For confirmed products, this will require a hardware and/or firmware upgrade (still to be decided!) which will have to be performed by DJI or certain authorised dealers.
“Customers may do this upgrade themselves but the manufacturer needs to set up a controlled process with a verification through a notified body (still to be decided!).”
For now. It won’t come out of the transition period in the category it’s in today. It’s an outlier against the planned C system, and regulators abhor an outlier