Great Video. Got A Mavic 2 Pro, 2 years ago, which even with the A2 C&C is restricted, so got a DJI Mini 2 so that I can take off from my Garden. Simply fly straight up 30m before moving lateral.
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!! I feel like even my own wife has been gaslighting me where i was beginning to doubt what i knew all along!!! Poor thing - she has been almost impossible to console and is convinced that something horrible is going to happen!!! I am flying the dji mini2 responsibly, respectfully and mindfully and ALWAYS assessing risks every few seconds. Non-flyers have got an extremely warped skewed impression of these little miracles of modern high tech ... so much so that I have already started pages and groups aimed at the non-flyer and flyer alike with a view to educating and more importantly - dispelling many if not all of the myths and misconceptions associated with this form of activity. Happy new year all and stay safe ;-)
I did my first flight over my house today, one person questioned if I knew the updated drone regs when I posted it on facebook, so I politely replied to them. I don't record anything until I'm in position at height, as it saves the battery! I live on top of a valley in front of the house so I regularly fly over it as it's just grassland. My neighbours love my images and have one on their local FB group page.
Hey marcelfive1! Thank you for your comment! It is great to hear such positive feedback of your experience and to see how successful it can be sharing information with the neighbours! Keep up the good image of the hobby! Nice work!
About two years ago, before the drone rules became laws, I flew my Hubsan 501 from my back garden, straight up and then let the wind (it was strong at the time) carry it for awhile. I think it got to about 150 ft high. And then I had to fight the wind all the way back to our house. I was worrying about it losing power over someone else's back garden! It landed on our grass with the battery nearly exhausted. Wouldn't do that now, as the Hubsan is definitely over 249g. So I plan to get a DJI Mini in a month or two. I've tested my drones in the back garden though. Just hovering steadily about 3-7 ft off the ground, seeing how long the battery lasts. Nobody's objected so far, but our neighbors are pretty chill.
Hey Mike Clark! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts, I really appreciate it! I would sincerely hope the powers would not try to enforce the rules for garden hover. Otherwise they would have a lot of hobby heli flyers to round up, testing their latest builds 😂
Yes, flown the Mavic mini already in the garden post 1st Jan. Our gutter was leaking and I wanted to see what the damage looked like up close and took some photos for quotes.
Since the start of the year I have flown my new DJI mini 2 in my back garden a couple of times (in English suburbia). I was very mindful that if seen by my neighbours (who I get on fine with) that they probably wouldn't be thrilled to see a drone over or near their property. So I made sure I got some decent height rapidly, and also and the end I landed swiftly so as to minimise the time at lower altitudes. Would I do it again? - yes but cautiously and not often - For example, I wouldn't do it when my neighbours were enjoying their gardens as I don't want to cause them a nuisance. I will keep a decent height (but still keep VLOS) so as to avoid too much audible noise. I really only want to fly in my back garden occasionally for two reasons. 1) To do very quick test flights (e.g. to check a new firmware out) or 2) to take photos / make inspections of my own house and garden. For example a DJI mini 2 is very handy to find out where gutters are blocked! I've noticed that due to Covid lockdown - our local parks, and places where people can go for walks (public footpaths etc) are far busier. With the sub-250 drone and the new rules, it can be legal to fly in such places (unless there are crowds), but I've also been careful here too. Some people just don't like drones - whether flown sensibly or not, legally or not. I've had experiences where I have been flying safely, considerately, legally and people have deliberately come quite a long way over to me to moan about what I'm doing. Most members of the public have no clue about the regulations either - why would they. Conversely, Some people (especially with kids) are very interested and want to have a chat to find out more. I think it's shame that the hobby is becoming less accessible for younger people. Finally - even so far this year - I've seen a minority of drone flyers (nearly always with DJI drones it seems!) flying locally in a very inconsiderate & non-compliant way. These are the people who bring our hobby into disrepute - and these are the people who will never bother to do the online registration & learning either anyway. Enforcement action against bad + unregistered flyers is almost non-existent in my area. RU-vid has many examples of videos posted people doing stupid and / or illegal things with their drones -so it's not an isolated phenomenon. I do feel that it is the careful, considerate, safe, compliant flyers who really get a bad deal because of the actions of a very few bad apples, and that the regulators seem to care more about 'being seen to be doing something' rather than actually tackling the small number of numpties who give the rest of us drone / RC model flyers a bad reputation.
Hey pipsqueak2009! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it! You present a very well balanced view of things and would agree with what you say, always important to respect neighbours privacy.
Well said pipsqueak2009. There will always, unfortunately, be a minority of idiots that tarnish the reputation of the hobby and spoil it for everyone else though. They're the ones that give people like Ian M here in the comment section, the idea that all drone operators are "creeps". So glad I'm not a miserable old sheep who believes everything they read in the gutter press and believe on Facebook 😁
@@Murvalous I think you're probably right... If going for a walk is exercise (and it is deemed to be), and you have your drone in the air while you walk (which is doable as long as you're on reasonably easy ground), then I think you can argue that exercise and drone flying are not mutually exclusive activities. When I'm out in open spaces flying my mini 2 I am rarely standing still! Obviously you need to do it safely... Otherwise the interpretation is that you can go for a walk (exercise), but not listen to music at the same time (recreation).. And that makes no sense at all!
Hey Airsoft CamMan! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your experience with garden launching, I really appreciate it! I can understand the concern on the M2P, it is a great drone. Have you considered the A2 CofC to unlock built up area flights?
Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't see this comment until battyjoe kindly answered it. 50m from uninvolved people is correct, although when someone is inside a house you are allowed to disregard if they are deemed protected by the structure. So a Mini 2 would be safe but something larger might not be. Other issue to consider with the DJI FPV Drone is safety and your responsibility under Article 241 of air navigation order. This will be more of a factor soon in UK skies!
This has got a lot to do with the local situation. I can fly straight from the bottom of my garden at low level out over fields and away from any risk of conflict with full vlos, but I could not do the same from my brothers house on a housing estate with at least 7 other houses to clear before climbing over to woods with vlos range being gained by altitude alone, so by my general risk assessment, considering all aspects, is its a no-go. And this is the point, its not anyone's right to ignore common fairness, even if the regs do allow a particular manoeuvre, if that manoeuvre is going to infringe on another households feeling of security in their own home. I wouldn't want to feel my neighbours were treating me with discard, so I wouldn't want to do the same to them. Its about respect and reasonable consideration. 🤔
I fly from my garden, luckily the back fence joins a cowfield and lots of open space. I just wanted to pass some info . I crashed my mini in to a pond, totally submerged for a few seconds, pulled it out, walked home 40 mins , used hair dryer then sat on top of rice for 3 days, the thing still works, it's almost idiot proof lol
Thanks for the video. I’ve had a mini 4 for about a month now (UK) and have not yet flown it in my garden. The 50m away from people / property rule has always put me off. My take off zone would be within 50m of other properties in all directions.
Hey James! With the Mini 4 being under 250g, you are able to fly with zero separation of people and buildings. You can even fly over people but not those crowded together. The privacy part is always one to watch as neighbours worry seeing a drone. So I tend to get up a decent height before moving too far.
@@Geeksvana thanks for the reply. Yeah that’s true. I think unless you’ve been asked, you’ve no business / reason flying close to other properties anyway, so gaining initial height is sensible. I’ll give a garden flight soon. Perhaps not this weekend with the geomagnetic storm happening :D
Great video Sean, and exactly what I was looking to understand, so thanks. Just invested in a Mini2, so checking out what I can and can't do. I guess things are pretty flexible for a drone that size, but important to use good judgement and try not to antagonise others unnecessarily.
Hey Jamie! Thank you for taking the time to comment and for your kind words. Thay sounds like the perfect attitude towards it and the Mini 2 is an amazing drone!
Only 1 flight so far from my garden with my mini 2 - no SD card in so no footage being recorded. Rose to 200ft (60m) flew around a little but didn't really leave the vertical confines of my garden. I was mainly conscious of the noise resembling an angry swarm of bees more than the volume of it, but haven't had any reactions. Will be flying more this weekend so we'll see. Roll on a C1 marked Mavic 3!
iv flown my garden too I try to go straight up to around 200 feet before filming I also try not to zoom in on my mavic 2 that way people can't be identified another great tip is keep the drone moving try not to hover especially if it over a garden if you have a field near by its not such a problem, try to put yourself in ya neighbours shoe's if you think they may not like drones flying over then Don't.
Hello mate. Finding the videos really helpful. I own the mini 2 and the mini 3 . I live next to the beach all my neighbours have given me permission to fly from my garden they only ask that I take off with the drone facing away and must go vertical to 50mts than fly out to the beach. Ps I don't fly both drones at the Same time. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks for this useful video, Sean. Appreciated. My Mini 2 Fly More Combo arrived yesterday. Shame I can’t fly it outside at the moment but I did a very cautious test in my living room this afternoon lol Gonna have fun with this bad boy! (my first ever drone too)
Hey Alan Phillips! Thanks for your kind feedback and for taking the time to comment. Always great to hear people joining the hobby and the Mini 2 is an awesome first drone to do it with!
Really useful video. Well lit and nice graphics plus presenter has a nice voice and speaks clearly and in plain English. A bit more B Roll would be wicked !
Hi Sean I have only flown my drone in my garden twice once when I first got my drone initial calibration followed by test flight 3m high then 3m across garden. Used another time when a dodgy guy told my elderly neighbour her gutters & soffits needed replacing. Put drone up filmed ‘the damaged’ gutter. Phoned him up and told him not to come back, reported him to Trading Standards.
Thank you very much 🙏🏻 great video really useful, just subbed up. Had a DJI mini for Christmas I've flown it from the garden twice (live in a small rural village) not had any problems 🤞 thanks again 💙✌️
Hey brettnbeck_valleyvan! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it! Great to hear you are enjoying your new drone, the Mini is awesome!
It is possible but there are caveats. To set the scene I am an FPV flyer, not camera drone, and I build my own. By my reading of the rules (and I might be wrong): Firstly if using the 250g legacy rule then it only applies to craft on the market before 1/1/23. That is all of them right now, but won't be in future. If privately built, then the additional restriction is capable speed
Hey Nick W! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share the FPV view on this, I really appreciate it! All pre-Mark drones which are sub 250g legacy drones can fly in the A1 category indefinitely. This means all manufactured drones upto the end of the transitional period. This was a specific allowance the CAA made for the sub 250g market which nobody really expected and does not appear in the original EASA regs. The new guidance documents from the CAA quote flight over people should be limited to minimum amount of time and not crowds. So for instance do not hover over people and instead continue flight at speed to clear people should an issue occur. We have a specific video on homebuilt FPV coming up which is cohosted by an experienced builder, as I would not want to do that alone as a camaera flyer. Should be out next week.
@@Geeksvana Yes, that was what I meant. But drones placed on the market after that date will be outside it and must be covered by the C0 to C4 marking scheme. So effectively it is time limited, because nothing lasts forever - especially drones. That is my understanding, anyway. Excellent video as usual, by the way.
Thanks for kind words Nick! Yes although sub 250g legacy can fly in A1 indefinitely, even past 2023. That is until someone crashes a Mini into a police car, as you say nothing stays the same. Hope you are well.
As long as the law is followed, I really think that this is purely a matter of respect for others.. Up untill the end of December, I often launched from my garden, straight up to 200ft or so before pitching, I never had any complaints whatsoever. Personally, I've only had people talk to me about my flight because they were just interested..
Hey Greg! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your experience, I really appreciate it! Precisely, careful flights rarely spark anything but interest.
I’ve done it myself pre EASA but would not repeat, even with a sub 250g quad. I was only too aware of the potential of something going wrong and it doesn’t matter what height you are at, the more altitude the more potential energy involved. I don’t would not like to think of the physical damage that could be sustained by a 249g drone reaching terminal velocity from 400ft 😱
Hey Sean! Thanks for your content it's coming in very handy! I feel like I've lucked in with purchasing my first drone, the dji mini 2, the question I have for you is, what is the best insurance policy I can take out to cover the mini? I think the dji care package is fairly expensive for what you get and wondered if there's better options out there? I've heard home and contents insurance may be a good solution? Thanks in advance!
I had the DJI care package for year 1 then as I wasn't flying much let it lapse. Going on holiday I wanted to renew it 2 years later and long story short that want me to spend a driv drone with about 2hrs flight time in total back to them to check it over to see if I can insure it with them under the care pack. What a joke.
Hi hope you had a merry xmas and a happy new year yes its great to take off from your garden but for this i would never do apart from doing updates and checks few feet of the ground i have a lovely bunch police reporters both sides of me .Good news for you i have my A2cofc test on the 09-01-2021 at high noon take care blue skys
I think the principal issue will be VSOL especially in built up areas. I fly a Mini 2 and it is very easy to lose VSOL as this drone is so small. Personally from a risk assessment perspective I would not choose to fly over busy Roads. My greatest concern will be we lose A1 for legacy drones due to ‘incidents’ involving sub 250g drones and of course the MSM drumming up hostility and paranoia. I am not in a FRZ but I still contact the RAF, local ATC and file a flight report before every flight. Why? If anything goes wrong, e.g. a fly away, I can at least demonstrate due diligence. I have a generic risk assessment and preflight checklist I run through before every flight.
Hey John Dyne! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, I really appreciate it! We are very similar in our approach to drone flight. I am very much a permission flyer who likes to notify as many people as possible. You make some great points.
So... my house is under the local airport CTR. So it's class D or maybe C airspace. It is not the CTZ, the airport is 10 miles away, just their controlled manoeuvring zone is above me to 2000ft. I believe SUA are permitted to operate with caution within controlled airspace as long as it's not the airport CTZ restricted zone. My thoughts where to go straight up to 200ft, do an orbit or two of my house. If anyone complains I'll handle it politely and de-escalatory. I will give them my operator ID and tell them if they want they can submit a request in writing for subject access to the footage... for a reasonable admin fee.
I use my Mavic to do inspections of my HAM radio antennas, so yes I do fly in my garden, but I do it safely and never fly over neighbour's properties. I know it's probably against the rules, but who's going to enforce it anyway unless there's a complaint.
Hi there Shawn I don’t fly my drone from My garden or backyard just to keep the Peace in the community. I can just go to a better spot where it doesn’t make anyone mad. It is a great question though thanks for the great video Shawn
Hey Rick! Great to see you sir! Hope you are feeling well? Appreciate the view from the US. Shows how many similar considerations we share as international flyers!
Flew my Mavic Air last Summer in my garden (not in lockdown ) half hour later phones rings NorthWales Police asking if I had been flying a drone somebody had phoned them to report me told them I had but all the said was OK fine.They did say the person reporting had nothing better to do
Hey G's Adventures M! Thanks for the comment. The new CAP722 allows for sub 250g drone flight with zero separation, which is what we focus on in the video. I agree, they do look cool!!
Surely common sense must prevail, just because you can (by law), doesn't mean to say that you should. I recently took drone footage of a family skating on a frozen pond outside my front door. But because children were in it I thought it best if I asked permission from the parents to allow me to upload to RU-vid. They were more than happy for me to do it and later commented that the kids loved seeing themselves. Sadly it seems these days that some people (minority) are too confrontational and start quoting the law and that they have every right to do what they are doing. So if common sense, courtesy and good manners were employed then drone flyers would get less flak and then we could get on with enjoying our hobby. Happy flying to all.
Hey David Harle! Thank you for taking the time to comment! I really appreciate it! I think that is a well balanced view that most drone flyers would agree with.
Absolutely Fantastic information, am lucky to have nice neighbours 😀 I do tell them I do not record until am at a good hight and I always go straight up ⬆️ my neighbours probably wouldn't be bothered anyway, I always look around to see if there are going to be any issues as I don't like Confrontation especially if it could lead to my drone or myself getting hurt and most of all committing a Crime. Anyway MASSIVE THUMBS UP 👍👍👍👍 and a Sub for you my friend 👍
Hey Tony! Thank you for your comments. I read every single one and the interactions help me build the channel in the right direction, so I appreciate it!
I currently have the mavic 2 pro and am considering doing my A2CofC but someone said to me there is no point, just join one of the flying clubs like FPVUK and fly under artical 16 authorisation and this gives you alot more area to fly than what the A2CofC doe's and it's alot cheaper, but can not fly for commercial flights and can not fly autonomous so now am very confused which is best to have 🤷♂️
Hey Dave! The Article 16 Authorisation only allows you to fly in parks, beach and leisure areas. If that area is in a congested area you are not allowed outside the volume of the park so it can be restrictive, depending on what you want to capture on camera. The A2 CofC to be fully worthwhile would need an A2 label drone, which we of course do not have yet. Personally I have the A2 CofC and have a membership allowing me to fly under Article 16. That way I can choose depending on the flight. Hope this helps a little at least.
Fly discreetly! What they don't know, they don't know. Get up to 50m quickly and away from the neighbours. Bring it back the same way. I have flown often from both the back and front, nobody has ever even known about it
Hi Shaun, I'm British and live in the Canaries, I have a DJI Spark, which fulfills my needs, however I was thinking because of the law changes in the UK to buy mini 3 so I could us when on holiday in the UK how does the law work for people who don't reside in the uk .
I recently purchased the Air 2 before Christmas, but i am considering selling it for the MM2. I have flown my air and spark from my garden as it is a field, also in my local park away from people but feel the new laws have put a damper on this if I want to take some pics of the kids with the air 2. So the question is do i sell my air 2 and go for the MM2 with the A2cofc ir keep the air 2 and take the A2cofc?
Hey carlos! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts! You don't need an A2 CofC to fly the Mini with no separation distances, so many people are going that way. I have an A2 CofC to enable me to fly my MA2 in built up areas with a reduced distance of 50m from people and a Mini for the flights I cannot do with the Air 2. I find the combo is decent as the Mini can be limited in some respects. Hope this helps.
The one thing everyone likes to do is test after updates from DJI, my question is would hover of my mavic air 2 at 1.3 mtr or 3 ft etc in my own garden and no higher would i still be breaking any rules. Always done this with helicopters touch and fly testing etc but these new rules is making everyone afraid of knowing what to do. Taking my a2 cofc in jan sometime and never fly to try and break rules etc and with current lockdown drone flying outside is no, so please help.
Hey Stuart! Thanks for taking the time to comment and pose your question! Many of my fellow members of our flying club who build scale helis do the same and have done for years. Technically under the new rules, it could be an issue if the aircraft is over 250g. The way a lot of the members of our club have got around this is by seeking permission from neighbours and then loosely bringing them in as involved people. Hope this helps.
I first used my drone over my garden then I got my naibours going mad but now there is adults on moter cross bikes they want me to use my dji mavic minni 2 now to frighten the moterbikers away I have eaven got the ok from a policeman who is a naibour.
Hey James! Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your experience, some conflicting reactions there for sure! Great idea for the Mini 2 to be used for community assistance. Especially with the freedoms it has under the current rules!
Hey can I fly low level in my back garden even though my garden is within the Gatwick Airport exclusion area the runway is 2km away. I only want to practice the controls. (Dji mini 3 pro)
If you are within the Airport FRZ, then any flight, at any level needs permission from Gatwick. Drone detection equipment in place can track miles outside the area and I have had reports of people getting a knock at the door who live within the zone. Hope this helps.
I'm in the USA and I fly from my garden. I fly up to 200+ft immediately and then people really can't see it and don't know where it is. I'm not spying, I'm just flying.
If I wanted to film the front of a commercial property with a Mavic Mini 2 which has a non-busy pavement next too it and aslo a non-busy road next to it, do you think this would be against the regs? Line of sight for pedestrians and traffic would be available if anything/one was to approach the area.
Hey! Thanks for taking the time to comment and raise a good question. It is difficult for me to provide precise advice as there is so much to check on the flight. However, in principle the Mini 2 enjoys zero separation from people and can be flown over people. So the flight should absolutely be possible. In fact, I would argue the Mini 2 is perfect! Just keep in mind good old Article 241 of the Air Navigation Order which states all flight must be safe and not reckless etc. But from your comment it sounds like you are being very careful on that front. Also consider the insurance implications as you must be covered by insurance for commercial flights. Hope this helps and good luck with it.
Hey Scott! We released a video on exactly this subject yesterday. We had a lot of people ask the same question. Short answer is yes but with caveats! Take a look here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bqGhKyDysPQ.html Thanks for taking the time to comment, hope the video helps.
I got a Mavic air 2 for xmas and just my luck all the rules change . With me being new to this when I have done the updates with the wifi I thought it would be ok to take off in my garden and just keep it at take off level as I have a big garden and would never go higher than my fence just to get used to controls a bit more?
Hey John Hutchinson! Thanks for taking the time to comment! I have the MA2 myself and it is an awesome drone. If you are within a congested residential area, then you would not be able to fly the MA2 there unless you hold and A2 CofC. Then you would still need 50m separation from people. This hasn't changed over the old rules which brought in the A2 certificate to bring down the distances to 50m. Hope this helps.
Sorry i don’t understand. I have a mini 2. Is there a minimum distance by law that i have to seperate from people whilst flying? eg, I am flying my drone near to people in the village, what distance must i keep away from them. People are telling me you can fly as close as you like ! Surely not ?
Hey Mitch Mitchell! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it! For drone which are sub 250g like the Mini 2, there is no legal separation under the new rules. You do still have to fly safely at all times, so you need to carefully assess each flight. It does mean however that you do not need a set distance for take off etc from people. Hope this helps.
Most of what you have said is just common sense, but then how much of that do you see these days. Unfortunately, there will always be those that flout the rules, and for that reason I am against these being flown over neighbours' gardens. How do I know if footage is being recorded, and the quality of "zoomed" pictures is very good now.
I checked with all my neighbours on this one and they are fine about it, but they all keep horses, cows or sheep. It'd be all too easy to panic a racehorse or prize cattle when flying over hedges or fields, so I'm definitely getting insurance. Does anyone know of research into safe minimum altitude over sheep/cows/horses? And did I mention the buzzards that fly along the ridge? Bother... another low flying military helicopter...
Hey Lindsay! Great to see you! Interesting point. When I was training and first flying, I was very careful and fearful of horses and cattle etc. However, our flying club field is on farmland and the farmer often puts sheep or horses in the field. It seems they do not mind our noise and tend to walk away. Some of the horses even come to see if we have food! Although it could be we have hardened animals of a special forces nature 😂. The issue would be magnified in my opinion if the horse was saddled and a rider present. In those situations horses are more prone to unpredictable actions as they cannot simply wander away from the noise.
Thanks again for the info. I'm considering the dji mini2 for this exact situation. Which phones would be the better choice for the apps, i prefer android/samsung.
Hey Squishy! Great to see you! It is an awesome little drone! I have had no issues with a few different brands of phone running Android. At the moment I use Huawei but have had Samsung running perfectly with the DJI Fly app. Hope this helps.
Hello! I would suggest that you do your research very carefully as I had to buy a 'new' Samsung S8, as my perfectly good HTC wasn't compatible. While it had enough computational power to take an Apollo spacecraft to the moon, your Android device needs to be 64-Bit in order to work with the DJI Fly App if that is what you intend to use. The following link might help you: Good luck. keysterm.com/dji-fly-app-compatible-smartphone-list/
If you can't install the DJI fly app on Android use the Litchi app for the Mavic Mini. I'm using Litchi cos my Samsung A10 phone won't install the DJI fly app.
Have a look at OnePlus or Pixel phones, very good price point an a very good all around phone for android, but obviously iPhone is the best phone hahaha, iPhone 12 mini is without a doubt the best compact phone on the market regardless at the moment.
Hey John! Thanks for the comment and for taking the time to pose your question. You need to fly within the drone code at all times. This depends on what you are flying and in which airspace. Take a read of the CAA drone code to find out which operating circumstances suit you.
@@Geeksvana Strangely enough, I was in Malta in 2018. I met and English guy called Sean and he was flying a DJI drone. I just thought it might be concidence and it was you. Sorry.
Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to comment. There isn't a simple answer to that question as it depends on which drone, which park what the flight is for and airspace. Overall the answer is yes but there are a lot of factors to consider. I would recommend watching a few more videos relating to drone rules (we have a playlist) to get to grips with it all. Once you have it becomes very simple! Hope this helps.
Hi all, I was flying my mavic mini 2 over a potential wedding venue last night only for it to be shot at with a shotgun... My understanding is nobody can shoot at a drone regardless of where it is??
Hey DC Landscapes! In my opinion, that would be a very serious crime which should be reported to police via 101. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour. In terms of your own actions, as long as the drone was being flown at a reasonable height, so as not to cause a privacy issue the airspace is controlled by the UK CAA.
If the guy shooting suggested they thought it was a pigeon and they had permission to shoot also followed other requirements like distance fro road etc then i don't think you got a leg to stand on... Also another note..if there was a crown of people at the venue or in it, you would be breaking drone rules even in sub 250g
Hey Tony! The airspace would not be impacted by a conservation area. Unless that conversation area specifically stated no take off or landing of drones but that in my opinion would not be enforceable from your garden. Hope this helps.
Never gonna be able to whilzt ever I own a geofenced drone I live about a mile away from a disused WW2 airfield that unfortunately the Navy still uses.
Iv been labeled a pervert and weirdo when iv sat in my front garden, I don't hide my hobby, I stick to regs, rules, laws but there's someone down the long maze like street has a mini2 as I do, I was 380ft he flew up past me another 400ft easy, I don't like being labeled for what there doing, what can I do, iv stopped flying from home for now as I'm going to focus on filming him as proof I'm not the only person iv 2 vids upto now, iv even gone to the extreme of putting a metallic orangey bronze skin on with orange MAS props so I stand out, it started when the police came round saying there was a report yesterday a drone was watching a couple have a water fight and apparently her top was see thru luckily both my phone's have GPS on all ways so I could prove I was 30 miles away the time of the report but I went above n beyond showed all footage & flight logs but I'm still getting the blame, I need to stop him somehow, uk
Iv a Mini3pro now so I’ll just lose him in sports mode or wait for him to fly 3ft away from me again which is four times now with my mini2 and crash right into him, the police can’t do nothing nor the caa so it upto me
Hey Rodi Mousa, for Ireland you need to follow the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) rules. Northern Ireland is still under the UK CAA. Here is a link to the IAA drone page, hope this helps: www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones
Hi, does this apply to DIY drones as well? Can I technically (with an observer) fly my FPV toothpick up and down my road? I'm not sure I would want even though it is a dead end, due to the risk of parked cars etc.
I think it does! But... I believe the A1 category also stipulates a maximum speed of 19 m/s. Which probably isn't an issue for the Mini 2, but it might be for your toothpick!
Hey Steve! That is correct with the speed limits Andi kindly stated. We have an FPV home build video coming out next week which will go into more detail on this. I called in an FPV expert to help me with it as I am a camera drone flyer 😂
Quick question here. If someone asks to see my drone operator ID or flyer ID, am I obliged to provide this? Or am I only required to show this to the police?
Hey Wayne P! The CAA pass the enforcement to police, so it would only be a police officer who would be able to demand it or inspect the drone. Public, landowners etc would only be a voluntary thing. Hope this helps. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I intend to use mine to check on my chimney and roof on the house, I’m sick of people knocking on my door to try and con me out of money because they say work needs doing, it will be great to be able to say ,’not when I checked it didn’t’.
Similarly looking to use a drone to survey my solar panels, guttering, flat roofs, chimneys, ridge tiles etc, inspection is something that needs to be done regularly.
Yes I fly my mini 2 in and from my small garden. When I take off I go straight up to a minimum of 125 feet where the drone is relatively silent. I then can fly over quite a large area while maintaining line of sight which allows both photography and video if I wish. When returning I fly directly overhead and land. So far after 6 flights no problems.
@@starofdavid9919 I feel like as a responsible drone user who has only just got into the hobby, I must have missed out on a better less regulated era haha. It is for the best in a lot of ways though
Hey Mick Donnelly! Agreed! My own experience has been nothing but positive and I am enjoying the new rules! Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts! I really appreciate it!
Thanks for this video. I fly my Mini 2 from my small garden with no problems. But I was not 100% sure if it was ok. I initially did high flights, but now practicing super low within my garden to practice the controls
Hey Sean; yes, vertical take off up to 50 m is the best advice for people flying out of their back gardens. And great idea of talking to the neighbours and offering to email a picture of their hosue if they ask you to take one. Anything that improves general perception.... Cheers, ian
Think yourselves luckly, in New Zealand we can't legally fly *anything* (of any weight) over *any* land without the permission of the property owner. The entire country defaults to "no-fly" unless the land-owner makes a statement to the contrary.
That’s a shame as there looks like there is some beautiful to fly over there. Then you get people in the likes of Hawaii who do flights 5-6 miles away on a test.
@@Geeksvana Yep, one of the reasons that CAA NZ were on my case a few months ago was because during our lockdown I flew a sub250g drone over the huge lake behind our house. Despite me very clearly stating how I'd done my risk-assessment, not flying over any person or private property... Karen complained and the CAA spent God-knows how much time and money investigating before giving me a "warning". The very worst that could have happened is that my tiny drone could have "fallen in the water" -- but rules are rules and there's no place for pragmatism or commonsense in the world of unmanned systems regulation :-(
@@narecardoso2 Yeah, but at least nobody's died as a result of the recreational use of multirotor drones here in New Zealand so the rules *must* be working... right? :-)
@@stevepearson3446 ALL flights need to be flown in VLOS. It should be “a given” I think anyone that doesn’t care about the rules, isn’t going to watch this video anyway.
Yes exactly. I also did not point out the rest of the drone code and Air Navigation Order. Sadly if I do not keep on point people will not watch longer waffling videos. That's why we have broken the larger subject into shorter videos to get these important messages out. Thanks for the comment though Steve, it is always a tough decision when deciding what to include.
I have flown from my garden many times and never had an issue with complaints. Saying that I have had another drone fly over the house and come down to around 30 feet, it was in the middle of the garden, rotated 360 and camera was moving, as a drone pilot I found this to be annoying. I since found out who the operator was and explained a few hints and tips with them. They got an Air 2s second hand, didn’t know about operators ID or anything. They have now sold it and got the mini 2 as they wanted less restricted flights like most of us. Got his ID and we have flown together on a few occasions.
HI, My neighbor and myself flew our drones from our driveways last summer, only a 5 minute flight going straight up high immediately and used the 4k camera to get a few shots and then landed again. later in the week our local facebook group had a neighbor in the road below saying that there was a drone in her garden spying on her. crazy old woman lying through her teeth with an obvious dislike of drones. Sometimes you do the righ thing and still get problems :-(
I had exactly the same. One neighbour posted on fb that a pervert with a drone was looking through her windows and another called the police. It was my first and last flight, I was over my garden and my immediate neighbours which is in excess of 5 acres. Flight was literally 5 mins.
i fly my mini 1 from my back garden my neighbours are a good bunch thankfully my tip would be get it up high straight away don't annoy anyone. Have had a few people walk by and look i make a point of showing them the screen and explain how it all works and so far have never met any hostility only pleasant curiosity.
Hey johnny mac26! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your experience of flying from your garden. Seems to me you have the perfect approach!
One positive. My son owns a mini drone and takes wonderful footage of historically interesting sites. He has flown over forts and mounds showing a unique birds eye view. Negative. In the garden today whilst weeding I thought I had disturbed a waspnest as a horrible buzzing sound alarmed me. I looked up to see a drone hovering directly above my garden. I stared up at it and signalled my discontent lol. Just as well I wasn't nude sunbathing. Anyway it did buzz off but I feel violated.
Brilliant video. But the DJi mini 2 is expensive but worth the money. just looking and dreaming as the rest who cannot afford one. Looked at the $120 on ebay but not worth it. Oh well. Any one selling second hand DJI 2!
Hi Sean thanks for the video, yes I fly my mini 2 out of my garden during lockdown and over a field behind me. But I’ve found I always put the transmission into 5.8Ghz rather than dual as the 2.4Ghz gets clogged up by the nearby houses. And alright occulancy 2.0 does a great job of changing channels for me. 5.8Ghz overall keeps it very solid in urban areas I’ve found.
Hey Trev! Excellent point on transmission, thank you! Interference is an important consideration! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it!
Please Please Please explain to em someone, what is an uninvolved person, what does that specifically mean, so if I am flying for a wedding are the guests unilvolved people or not? can I fly closer than 50m or 150m to them with their permission, as I have a potential client wanting me to do weddings. I cant find this information anywhere.
Hey Ardent! Thanks for taking the time to comment and raise an important issue. In terms of the flight itself, it depends on where the flight is taking place, what type of drone being flown and whether the drone operator holds any certificate from the CAA. For instance, if you are flying a DJI Mini 2 or similar sub 250g drone, this can be flown in built up areas and over people, (not crowds). However, if you are flying something heavier such as a DJI Mavic Air 2 then you would need an A2 CofC to bring the separation distance down to 50m and be allowed to fly in a built up area. The latter can be reduced if you have control of the location and the people being flown over are 'involved' people. The term 'involved people' means different things depending on the flight type. Involved people can mean your friends who you are out with, family or colleagues. The best way to ensure people are deemed involved is to ensure they have some form of safety briefing on what to do if something goes wrong. To clear the area if an incident occurs with the drone. You could achieve this by printing a leaflet which is handed to all wedding guests and church staff. This is a very brief example of a couple of scenarios and I hope it helps. Part of the issue is that the risk assessment for each flight changes so much depending on what drone is used and where the flight takes place.
So, if I was within 5 miles of an airport, I would not be allowed to fly a drone from my garden, even if my drone were to get a foot off the ground, I guess this would cause a lot of problems, I better be safe than sorry just in case it gets in the path of an aircraft at a thousand feet. Most hobbyists are very safety conscious and make sure they don't cause issues with their enjoyment, silly rules aimed at the easy targets that don't seem to apply to those who break the rules, oh, that must be my pizza delivery drone, must go.
Hey Tappit333! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts. In my opinion there is always the fringe factor. Trying to regulate those on the fringe of the hobby, who have no intention of following the rules leaves the safe and sensible in the middle paying. As we all know, trying to regulate people like that doe not work, no matter the area of law. It is also my opinion that some of the rules, especially those around flying for work and the sub 250g drone rules have taken a big step forward.
How would you stand with regard to section 22 of the drone code stating you must be clearly seen as the operator of the drone when flying if you taking off from your back garden?
Hey JL! As long as you are not hiding in the corner etc, which is unlikely as you want to see the drone etc, then you will be following the spirit of point 22. Although it is worth remembering that although the drone code is useful, much of it is not based on legislation but instead the CAA best practice, so there will often be times you fly outside of it but still within the law.
How long when these rules will start being inforced and will have inspectors on the look out? In poland you need to get a fishing licence to fish and you get security inspectors which are armed checking for licence and if any fish where caught in the protected time of year and of course net fishing in fresh water. So I imagine that there should be some type of people inspectors on the look out, i guess they will need binoculars weight scales. The only time youll get a fine is if your neighbour stitches you or someone else's how dose not like your freedom and technology. I go by if no one sees my drone they it was never there.
I sometimes fly from my garden: I take off and climb quickly to 2 to 300 feet then go off on my flight. Coming back I do the reverse descending quickly and landing so as not to cause a nuisance. My next door neighbour has a phobia of drones so I make sure she is out when I fly.
Why dont you discuss with her about drones and how she shouldnt be scared of them. Even go as far as letting her fly around with your drone. She might find them fun and be ok with them.
I took my maiden mini 2 flight in the garden. I’m lucky to have a decent size garden and was able to fly around it at low altitude to get used to the controls. I popped up to about 6m within the confines of the garden. I have my operators and flyers licence so knew I was doing no wrong. I have since flown again from the garden to photograph a nice sunset and literally climbed straight up to the maximum 120m and maintained position above the garden. So far nobody has commented but I get on with my neighbours and will offer aerial shots of their property if I get any challenges. It’s a great view from up there! This is why I did my homework first and bought the mini 2.
Hi. Googled looking for advice on drones and came across this video and you seem to know the rules and regs. I was in my garden late afternoon and a drone literally dropped down into my garden and hoovered about 6 ft above my patio. I stood there in disbelief as it manouvered around for a moment. I was really annoyed and wished I had grabbed it and called the police. What would have been my rights in this if I had grabbed it?
Hi! That is outrageous. If you feel the drone could endanger you at that height, then I highly doubt police would have any legal issue with you taking action. However, it coild in itself cause problems or injure you. Depending on the drone, it could catch fire if the battery is damaged. The drone should not have any impact on your privacy or quiet enjoyment. If you are in the UK, I would recommend registering the incident with police via 101. You can do this online. This will help build information if the person has been doing it to others, etc. Sorry this happened to you. It is a freaky and unsettling thing.
@@Geeksvana many thanks for the quick reply. I had seen a gentleman earlier walking up my road with a controller so am assuming it was the same. I have bee hives in my garden so I am guessing he spotted them from above and thought he would come in for a closer look, can't believe I was there when it happened. I have put a post out on my local Community page to warm him I have my baseball bat at the ready!! Bloomin' cheek of it.
As a none drone owner, I'm having the opposite problem. I have a drone constantly flying and hovering right over my garden. Do you not find it weird making people feel uncomfortable by flying it over their private gardens? We have never been asked for permission or nothing, such a strange thing to be allowed.
Hey Cal Cal! That does not sound good. Although you are not in control of the airspace above your property, the drone operator should also ensure they do not infringe your rights of quiet enjoyment etc. This would certainly include hovering over your garden if this is at a low altitude.
I’ve had quite a break from flying drones. In fact, it was before the regulations for drone flying, in the U.K. came into existence. Very recently, I completed the online test, and got my registration with The C.A.A. with flier and operator I.d. I then went on to purchase the superb DJI Mini 2 drone. The main purpose of obtaining the drone, was in the main recreational use, and would add a very nice, but not unique dimension to photography. I found it very useful for surveying the new roof, recently replaced on my house, and for checking the guttering on the third floor. This of course negates the use of ladders, or any other climbing structure, hence is a huge win - win for health and safety. One of my other hobbies is ham / amateur radio, and the drone is instrumental in antenna inspections, without the need for lowering masts and towers, the drone is a real time saver. But, I always have consideration for my neighbours when I do this, and in so doing, generally keep the drone within the boundaries of my property.
Hey boywithadolphin! Thanks for taking the time to comment and raise an interesting question. The rules around tethered unmanned aircraft are pretty similar. The benefit starts to come from gaining operational authorisations from the CAA as of course the tethered part mitigates a lot of risk. There would still be an issue in terms of privacy and aspects of tethered drones could actually cause more safety issues in garden flight. A good starting point is the CAA page on tethered flight: www.caa.co.uk/consumers/unmanned-aircraft/our-role/tethered-unmanned-aircraft/
Hello I use drones not often I go way out into the country side its a little over the 250 g I use it to film my boat how do I stand now and should I just get a smaller drone
Hey colscopters! In terms of separation etc, if you are more than 150m from people when you fly the heavier drone then all is good. One big advantage for the sub 250g drones is that you no longer need any separation from people and they can be flown in congested areas. Hope this helps and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi Sean, I have a Mavic Air 2, I am very limited as I live in Streatham, London. Usually when I want to fly I take one of the few options around. Morden Park or Richmond Park! I live nearby othe parks but they are covered by Bylaws wich don't permit flying there!
Hey Carlos! There is actually an official flying field within Richmond Park. They are the only Royal Park in London to allow drone flight. I have flown there many times. Check the Richmond Park map and you will see it near the Sheen Gate. Hope this helps.
As I understand it if you join FPVUK and take their online drone safety test you can fly your MA2 or similar pretty much as before, but with a 30m ‘dome’ limit rather than 50m? You also get cheap 3rd party insurance. Although aimed at FPV fixed wing and drone fliers it seems like good value for anyone. Any views?
Hey Vic Z! You can fly the MA2 as before already. The rules for hobbyists of over 150g drones has not changed much. Still have to avoid built up areas etc. My opinion is that the Article 16 Authorisation is misunderstood and incorrectly reported in many places. It does not give a blanket authorisation and only covers very specific situations. For instance the locations of operation are at any established flying club and: Any other suitable area, which is NOT a built-up area, as defined in section 7.1, OTHER than in the circumstances defined in 2(a) below; a) A built-up area which is only used substantially for recreational purposes may be considered a ‘suitable area’. Operation within such an area must be supported by a risk assessment. This does not give an open authorisation and is specifically aimed at keeping the hobby of BMFA, FPVUK etc members to continue enjoying their hobby at club locations within built up areas and of course parks. Also, the type of aircraft allowed in my view does not include camera drones which have stabilisation systems such as DJI products. Section 3.2 of the authorisation states: This authorisation shall only apply to UAS operators and remote pilots of model aircraft, as defined in section 7.1. This includes: - Any model aircraft - Any control line model aircraft - Any round-the-pole model aircraft Subject to the mass limitations described in section 3.6 Within the 7.1 definition section mentioned it states: 2) Automated model aircraft: A model aircraft with autonomous or automatic flight capability. This does not include systems which are fitted for flight stabilisation purposes or flight termination purposes, such as free-flight termination devices. So this allows for RC and and FPV quads but not automated systems such as those on DJI products or similar 'camera drones'. So overall, this authorisation is only for specific locations such as existing clubs in built up areas and parks in built up areas. It is intended to help the RC hobby and specifically excludes camera drone flyers using automated systems. Hope this helps.
I fly from my garden all the time not had a complaint yet but I literally take of go quite high and move quickly but I'm sure if I was hoovering low there would be complaints so I would suggest going high and fly away as quick as you can otherwise the more complaints the caa receive the they will soon Change the law and spoil it for everyone so be sure to use your common sense 😉 love the videos good knowledge and tips keep up the good work 😊
Hey UKBUBBLERS! Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your positive experience of garden take-offs! I really appreciate it! Your plan sounds perfect and you make a good point about protecting the new rights! Thank you as well for your kind feedback!
I haven’t flown straight from my garden, but from a car park just down the road. Only issue I’m getting is a loose of signal after 500meters. DJI mini 2, app and firmware up to date. Any idea what might be going wrong please?
Hey! That's not helpful! It is difficult to provide a precise answer as there are defective units out there which needed to be returned to DJI. Other factors such as turning off Bluetooth and WiFi on the phone/tablet can help as well as ensuring you are not stood near an obstacle when flying. Although my personal experience of Occusync 2.0 is a solid signal. Might be worth reaching out to DJI support.
In Australia, privacy law says owner only own 30m above their property. If you fly over higher than that, it's the civil aviation authority's matter. However, the misinformed local police is the biggest issue. I work as real estate agent so I do lots of photo works in residential area. To be honest, got harassed or even arrested by local enforcement is getting more and more common in nowadays.
Hey Sam! Thank you for adding an international element to this! It shows how many issues we share as an international drone community! You make a great point, I can see the issue with real estate agents gaining pictures being an issue when dealing with local police!
Currently own a Mavic air. With ALL neighbour's permissions i have flown down the road during VE day celebrations 2020 and also clap for NHS 2020 and posted footage on local Facebook group. No issues whatsoever.
