Hacker News Reader

Comment by barnacled | Hacker News Reader

I am super curious about the DJI mini 2 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ayibagexi-Sashas-Fierce-Lemonade-Al... - I hope this won't get overly impacted by the new rules (I am in the UK).

View on HN

I have one and I’m in London. My understanding is these new rules actually free things up significantly for drones in that weight class. Previously, you couldn’t fly over ‘congested’ areas, near people, buildings, etc. So it was very difficult to fly fully legal around London. The new rules remove those restrictions.

All they require in exchange is registration for £9/year. The sub 250g drones don’t require you to do the online certification or get a flyer ID.

London still has a bunch of special security zones you can’t fly in, so you won’t be getting any nice shots of Canary Wharf, but it does open things up a lot. I’m concerned that the police won’t be up to date with the new regulations though, and apparently they can just seize your equipment and make it very painful to get back.

The sub 250g drones don’t require you to do the online certification or get a flyer ID.

I could very much be mistaken, but I thought the special rules regarding <250g drones only apply if the drone does not have a camera. The DJI Mini does.

There are two distinct things: an operator ID and a flyer ID. The first is basically just a register of ownership. No test or competency, unlike the latter, which does require you to show you know a little about the rules.

For sub 250g drones without a camera, you don’t need either of these. If it does have a camera, you need an operator ID but not a flyer ID. So you have to fill out a form with your name and address, and stick the ID to your drone, but there’s no certification element like there is when you have a heavier drone and need a flyer ID too.

Registration is required for <250g drones if they are camera equipped, but not if they are toys.

The new rules basically mean anything under 250g needs no licence unless it has a camera in which case you need an operator id. You can read all the related info here: https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/drone-code/getting-what-yo...

Confusingly, this page implies that you always need Flyer + Operator ID even for <250g drones.

https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft/Recreation...

I believe it’s because a UAV is only called a ‘drone’ in these regulations if it’s at least 250g.

I agree the rules are annoyingly confusing and the information is spread piecemeal over multiple documents. They should fix that.

Are there any drones without a camera? How would you even fly it?

I mean......RC helicopters have existed for decades and are far harder to control than drones.

Look at the insanity that is possible with training and skill, no cameras needed: https://youtu.be/PptMrBFAO-A

Most drones didn't have a camera for many years. You fly it visually. And even if you have a camera you have to be in line of sight anyway.

under US hobbyist drone rules, you are required to maintain line of sight at all times. if you need a camera to fly the drone, you are probably breaking the rules.

ah yeah there's a camera so would need to get an operator ID. Thanks!

Hah, 249 grams. That just barely puts it in the lightweight/least-restricted category. I wonder if that was an intentional design decision.

Yes: https://content.dji.com/why-did-dji-create-a-249-gram-drone/

Everyone's going to be making <250g drones now, between this and the US remote ID stuff. It'll be interesting to see just how capable they get.

Perhaps multiple types of 249g drones with individual capabilities that can combine in the air, Power Rangers style.

One could be the camera platform, another with a larger battery....

Of course, just as the last Mini.

DJI make a point of saying on the mini 2 home page that it’s <249g. Probably for this reason!

Mini 2 is impacted as it has a camera that could be used to film sensitive personal things. Also, you need a yearly insurance for it.

The camera means it needs registered, but it’s not very onerous and there are no competency requirements. The new rules actually give you more freedom in terms of where you can fly, so it’s a good deal IMO.

You only need insurance for commercial operations.

I looked over at some Austrian and German pages wrt new EU rules and they all mention that Mini 2 has to be insured (25-50EUR/year).

Well, member states are free to go beyond the EU rules and add their own local ones, so it might be true in those countries. I don’t believe you need insurance for hobby activities in the UK, though I’m not an expert and open to being corrected.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com