This was a decision made before consultation. The result was never in doubt. The original consultation documents started from the base assumption its good.
If we get enough operators together might be a case for a group legal action against the CAA here to recoup the lost market value of non compliant drones…
I know a few no win no fee lawyers who might take up the case knowing the £200million+ potential payout.
By ignoring the community they have set themselves against it.
I can start making a list of names. PM me how many drones you own that would be made non-compliant and the costs.
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“Sadly” minimal costs for me - I assume I will look at some point for a modular remoteID system that I can switch from quad to quad (PS my 10+ quads are all self built) - but could be a case of 14 quads where I need to put a RID on each at 50 pounds each for example… it’s all about the way we want to build the business case and am happy to support the latter.
You only need to buy one beacon, they attach with Velcro so you can move it to another drone in seconds.
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It will be an easy nick for the brain dead coppers we have these days. They do not protect the population that pay their wages any longer, just do the corporations biding. It will give them chance to recruit more bed wetters to chace us and people who say hurty words on facebook and still ignore real crime.
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It’s always been the case. The narrative is that they protect us. The reality is that if we’re on the right side we’re protected.
The bed wetters thing made me laugh more than I expected
Perfect example of how f****ed we all are right here.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/where-to-report-a-cyber-incident
Try reporting as an individual.
Then try reporting as a business.
Place your bets which one the gov actually offers real help for instead of a self help reading list…
Welcome to word of tomorrow! Today?
Little confused to how this affects the drones we currently have so maybe someone can just put it into simple terms for me.
I have a Mini 3Pro ( sub 250g) and an Avata that is a A2 class drone.
Both support RID so will the Avata become a UKC1 drone from 2026 or is it the case you cant reclass an old drone ? If that’s the case what happens come 2028 ? Do you still fly it as a A2 classed drone and even having an A2 CofC will not help you here as it does not have a c sticker on it or its pre the UK classification ?
Do these rules also apply to say the Air3s ?
Basically I am trying to work out if I was to get an Air 3S in the next month or so will I be able to fly it with less restrictions come next year without a A2 CofC because it has a EU C sticker on it and the CAA will do a respirical classification on them type of drones ?
Also what happens to older Mini drones after 2028 ? if it does RID I gather you can still carry on as normal regardless of its non class ?
I am sure there is something in simple terms out there but I have gotten it all just a bit confused here and a mate was asking much the same sort of questions around this too and maybe that’s what has just muddied the waters for me here. help
did find the answers to my questions in a bit more of a simpler form that unconfused me ( I think ) haha
Needed to wait for my coffee to kick in —
The Authority proposes to:
- Allow most UAS users to continue operating their existing UAS in the same operational subcategories as today, in most cases. The CAA says that this approach will deliver further simplification of requirements, whilst ensuring UAS users are not exposed to additional costs or inconvenience.
- Allow the use of legacy drones in the A2 subcategory indefinitely - where the drone weighs less than 2kg, is operated at a minimum horizontal distance of 50m from people, and the remote pilot has an A2 CofC.
- Change the rules so that legacy drones weighing between 250g and 499g will no longer be allowed to fly in the A1 subcategory with an A2 CofC. But they can fly in the A2 subcategory - with a minimum horizontal distance of 50m from uninvolved people, and an A2 CofC required - or in the A3 subcategory.
- Allow EU class-marked UAS to operate in the Open Category, in the same subcategories as their UK equivalents, prior to January 1, 2028. This aims to support UAS users to conduct operations in the Open Category before UK class-marked UAS become widely available. The UK CAA says that, in practice, this would enable C1 UAS weighing up to 900g to operate in the Over People (A1) sub-category, and for C2 UAS weighing up to 4kg to operate in the Near People (A2) sub-category.
Hmmm so what’s going to be the difference between an Air 3S bought when they were first released and the same drone bought after 1st January 2026 ?
so my understanding is and this is what I hope is true is if you buy the Air 3S today its in the A2 class so open space away from people but then come 1st of Jan as it as a C classification it will then drop into the UKC1 class that the Mini 4 pro should also be a part of so then the A2 CofC wont really be required to fly closer to people / uninvolved
So basically it becomes the same as a mini 4 pro in regards to the rules without the need for a A2 CofC
That’s my understanding and hope as I do want to replace my old min 3pro but would like a larger drone than the possibility of a min 4 or 5pro ( if they release a 5pro )
I am sure someone will come along and correct me if I am wrong - not 100% sure
I think it a bit strange that the same model drone bought 6 months ago will be a legacy drone, yet if bought after Jan 1st won’t be. Nothing with the drone will have physically changed. Same weight, same size, same operating system. ( At least that’s my thinking/ take on things) Makes you wonder if the CAA have thought this through. 
thats where my confusion around this started as although the C class markings are not a UK thing but a EU thing they state that they will class the EU markings in an equivalent UK one and if you buy the 3s here it does have a C marking on it - just means nothing here and for the Mini4 Pro you can apply for the C class if you wish to use it in the EU so how does that all work
Just not sure if I want to buy a drone this year to find out that I can only really make use of it for 2 years when I have a 3 or so year old Mini 3 pro and a Avata that are still perfectly awesome bits of kit so I know they can last way longer than what the rules seem to think this kit lasts for.
The question is, am I going to have to buy new intelligent batteries for my DJI mini 4 or do you think the current restriction of it only working with the larger batteries will be overcome by them?
Looking at Batteries on Amazon etc, Im not sure they look different to the ones i have already?
No.
That’s not technically a restriction. A potential bug perhaps?
Using a heaving battery makes the drone weigh more than 249g so Remote ID is forced on as you’re now flying in a different category of airspace and the sub-250g rules no longer apply.
I suggest it’s a bug as in the UK the Remote ID should not be enabled at all, regardless of the drone weight.
Which is also why DJI do not sell those Plus batteries directly in the UK:
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Interesting, there is a lot of water to flow under this bridge before its required I guess.
Thank you.
Two and a half years worth of water @Hoover 
2.5yrs is a VERY long time in terms of CAA regulation changes, government spending reviews, drone technological advances, etc.
My advice to anyone would be to just sit tight or carry on doing whatever you had planned to do anyway. All this might get delayed yet again before 2028.
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12.57mins BVLOS
Yep the CAA at their finest. I’m glad they don’t organise drinking trips to breweries, because no one would get drunk. 
Or the driver gets drunk and the passengers don’t see any beer!