1. Stay below 400 feet above ground level 2. Keep your drone within visual line of sight (you must always see it) 3. Do not fly over people (beach etc. unless they are part of your flight groiup) 4. Do not fly over events (sports, concerts etc) 5. Do not fly over emergencies (fires, accidents etc.) 6. You must move away from any flying aircrafts or land your drone
You prolly dont give a damn but does someone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account? I stupidly lost the password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me.
Not really. I try to follow the flight rules. But I'm a pilot so it's in my nature to be safe and follow flight rules. However these aren't that strick honestly their basic common sense rules. 400 feet? Makes perfect sense (avoids low flying aircraft) no flying over events? (Concerts and sporting events u have televised sponsors that would lose money also safety of the crowd .. Flying at night?? Voierism.. Emergencies? Common sense again.. dont impede Fire or police response. What was listed here that isnt a good idea to you?? Super basic stuff.... doesnt seem outlandish at all..
Like everyone else flying these things. And there are new rules to be released. We will barely be allowed to fly them in our living rooms. Well, that might be illegal if the camera points towards the nrighbors.
@@cmerighe2 Just ignore their stupid, annoying BS “laws”. If we paid any attention to all their rules in life, we would barely be able to enjoy our lives. We are bombarded by THEIR rules/laws. It really is US AGAINST THEM......
First register your drone then take all packing out of the box and fly it inside the box, inside your home, on your property only (don't forget the blade guards)
Don't fly with people around. OK I get that to a point with large crowds or gatherings. But when on vacation or flying over a nice beach or bay on vacation or a nice scenic shot on vacation somewhere chances are there will be some people. So essentially don't fly it anywhere that has a population density of great than 1 person per sq. mile otherwise you can't fly. Ummm... No.
@@rjakiel73 most of the rules sound stupid and probably aren't gunna be enforced by a police officers or anything just something to charge you with when you get aressted for actual drone pilot negligence
I am new to this drone world n I must say learning to fly them is overwhelming but the laws n information is overwhelming also. Thank you for these videos!!
@@rosavola All video intros are typically too long. Very irritating. Maybe they're "hams" and like the "attention." Or years ago I read that RU-vid will will lower your priority when someone is searching for a specific video if the length is too short. I remember a suggestion that videos be at least 15 minutes or longer to increase the search priority. Bad, very bad policy.
Why do people talk for 5 minutes instead of just a quick introduction. Furthermore what is the deal with this drone ! Every other video is about this drone. Why? Who cares! They can be fun, stop making everything rocket science guys enjoy life.
Lolol - It was funny hearing him say "I try not to make video boring and get right to the information" ..... 4 minutes later. Although this was EXACTLY the type of information that I was looking for, so thank you @51 Drones
I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to make this video. Important information that keeps us all safe and contributes to the longevity of the hobby
I have been flying my mini illegally since day one, and will continue to do so until the cops haul me away. What I do: I live on over two acres. I regularly take off in the backyard, fly over the house and into the front yard......without line of sight. I also fly through the wooded trail(s) in the backyard ......without line of sight. It’s fun, dangerous to no one but myself and the drone itself. Will I get arrested for this? No. But it just goes to show, you can’t write rules to cover every possible scenario.
Mike Riedel OK Mike, this is Captain Al, FAA SEAL TEAM 5, we dispatched a sniper team to deploy to your property based on your IP address. As soon as your drone flies over your roof and LOS is violated, we will sequence FAA ATTACK STRATEGY 11, where said drone will be taken out, you will be hooded, confiscated in a van, and taken to Washington, where you will serve out your days processing drone reports at FAA HQ...
Excelente Vídeo Russ as always! Been a follower of yours as well as Billy’s Channel for quite awhile! Been into drones for about 5 years and what started out as a necessity for my Real Estate videos, turned into a hobby, and am owner of the DJI S900, Phantom Pro 3, MavicPro, Mavic2Pro, Mavic Air and my newly acquired Mavic Mini. Love your videos! Keep up the Great Work! 🔝🔝🔝
Ok, I'm going to explain why these rules are there. 400 foot one. In general, other than when landing or taking off planes and helicopters are required to keep above 500 feet. That gives a 100 foot buffer. BobUK.
Pretty pointless in low-traffic areas. And in the CA inland you can easily smash into a crop-duster in unregulaged class G airspace at 50 ft. Most of these rules are stunningly arbitrary (and not really infused with a lot of common sense). Just by-the-by... as a bad actor I could build a non-marked, non-geo-fenced, heavy quad with common parts and be a real menace to the common air space.
First time drone user here. I have been looking at the Mavic Mini for my very first drone and this video was very helpful on the rules. I have never owned one before and I didn't even know there was so many rules for them. I subscribed right after the video ended. Thank you for this information!
As usual Russ, you've provided a great presentation of very important information - you're a wonderful contributor to the greater drone community! I look forward to your presentation on the new rules from the FAA when they are published. Thanks!
Here's the thing that people always forget to mention about adding lights to your drone: it increases the takeoff weight. The lume cube weighs 10 grams, which puts the weight of the mini (2) above 250gr. You'll need to register your drone to fly at night.
Thanks a million. You seem like a good ole neighbor. I watch you regular and you are on top of big brothers attempts to curtail our hobby. I would like to shake your hand and I wish you the best.
The 400 foot rule has an exception for exactly the reason stated in the video - if you are flying close to a mountain, tower, etc, you can be within a 400 foot radius of the object and legally be above 400 AGL. So if you fly off a cliff that is 1000 feet from the valley floor you are legal as long as you stay within a 400 foot radius of the mountain.
Very good explanation of the rules (here in the U. S.). I recently purchased my Mavic Mini with the intent of filming my property and the work that we are doing (35 acres in a rural area). When I first got it my few first "test flights" were at my home in a suburban area located near a naval air station. I was limited to an altitude of 90 ft. and didn't fly any further than the end of my block. I am not one to really welcome "government restrictions" or regulations, but as a long time aviation person I can certainly understand the need.
No you do not need lights in your living room, as you are not in the national airspace, once you go outside whole different story. If you are inside FAA rules do not apply, just house rules.
Ok, last one, and before anyone pounces I liked this video and am a subscriber to this very good channel. If you have a 'Permission' from our CAA that exempts you from these rules - not easy to get, but such a thing does exist - then they don't apply to you for that flight in the UK - something that tends to get overlooked. Probably the same with the FAA the USA. Note that to even be considered for such relaxations in the UK one would have to hold a CAA commercial operators authorisation. Cheers, folks. Happy flying. BobUK.
"Keep your drone within your visual line of sight, or within the visual line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you." This is from the FAA website
You can have an infinite number of visual observers, only limited by your budget and imagination. They have to be real people all using non-aided eyesight. (No binoculars.)
It is good to consider the interpretation or understanding of what is written as law or rules . Ones understanding or comprehension of what is read can vary individually. I find it most helpful to triangulate , to solicit how one understood what they read compared to my own understanding. In matters of jurisprudence I always like to get the opinion/ understanding from the Authorities and other enthusiast especially in broad terms where it's not so specific. At times personal interest may effect how something is perceived or understood.
I was flying the mavic mini and had line of sight then I looked down at the controller. When I looked back up I couldn't see even though I was just hovering. I was disoriented where I was on the screen, so I had to press the return to home button. I could tell the drone was nearby as I could still hear it and I just saw it a second ago. I'm thinking of just putting a light on it in order to see that drone a little better during the day. That is my major gripe of the mavic mini is that is so small, but other than that it's a nice beginner drone.
I have the M2P and it is not very big either and you can lose sight of it very fast. I found if I fly towards trees it disappears so I stop and gain altitude. So I can see where the Mini would be even harder to see.
It’s not like they can test you to see if you actually have visual. If it’s close enough and someone asks you where your drone is you can just point in the right direction and say “it’s that dot over there”
YOU LEFT OUT ONE THING! You failed to mention that all DJI drones have NFZ’s built into their app. This makes the drones useless if DJI says your in a NFZ. DJI does not use FAA charts and NFZ’s, not sure what they use. I a pilot (real planes), but love my drones. THIS IS AMAZING THAT YOU LEFT THIS OUT.
Hi. Same thing in UK. No need to register either as an owner and/or as a certificated pilot - yup, we have two registrations. Other than that, all the other UK rules (very similar to US ones) apply. Where we do differ is in obtaining authorisation for commercial ops. There are a lot more hoops to jump through here. BobUK.
This is a very good summary. Just want to point out that any object that is added to the Mavic Mini (appropriate anti-collision light for night flying), will get it's weight above the 249g and will then need to be registered. For flying in Canada, it would also mean that you have to get a canadian drone pilot certificate.
Hmmm, depends on how much you need your glasses. If you can only see 4 feet in front of you, then the limit is 4 feet cuz it has to be with the unaided eye.
You can fly as far as you can see it with glasses on. "Unaided eye" means without binoculars or such things. Eyeglasses are not considered "visual aids" in that context. So you good
Hey Thank you for creating this video!! Just got done flying DJI Mini for the first time. (Amazing) Came home and your video was in my RU-vid must watch. Great information/ Thanks
Your interpretation of the 400 foot rule conflicts what I've read from the FAA. You CAN fly higher provided your drone is ALSO within 400 feet of the higher elevation. For example, if you are flying near a 600 foot building, you MAY fly to 1000 feet (400 feet above the building) provided you remain within 400 feet of the building. In the canyon scenario, then, you would be able to maintain the drone far above the canyon floor, provided you remained within 400 feet of the canyon wall. Keep in mind that the 400 foot rule is intended to keep drones out of the path of aircraft, and aircraft would not normally be flying in such close proximity to a structure or canyon wall, thus it is considered safe to operate in that space.
I agree - this is the FAA “window” for aircraft. I was in Smokey Mountains in rural NC launched drone to tree tops 3300 elev. and continued just above tree tops to the top of mountain 4490 ft. At the top I took pano shots about 100ft above it, seeing sunrise. Clearly the drone was 1200ft up, but NOT 400 ft above top of the mountain, Nor was it 400ft above any tree as I flew to the top. SO NO collision could occur with an aircraft. Always the scary aircraft is the helicopter. But an airplane in a canyon....nada, but a helicopter...possible.
@@JustinKelly yes, you would just need to remain within 400 feet of the top or a vertical side. That should include antennas, as far as I understand it. If they didn't allow operation in that space, people couldn't use drones to inspect bridges, buildings and towers, and air traffic should generally not be that close (with the exception of helicopters, as Stew Dun pointed out.) However, there are a number of other issues you need to consider when flying near a bridge, such as whether you'd be flying over pedestrian or vehicle traffic, or over/near the moving parts of a lift bridge, hard-to-see tension cables, maintaining visual sight, potentials for signal loss, etc. I would exercise excessive caution when flying near a bridge and would generally try to keep the drone on the same side of the bridge as the pilot. I wouldn't be surprised, as well, if certain bridges weren't restricted airspace due to terrorism concerns, but the Geo system on the Mavic Mini won't let you fly in restricted space anyway.
Thank you for this! I got a Mini for Christmas, and finally got around to starting to fly it. These are common sense rules but glad I could benefit from your advice!
Russ, I received the following reply from the FAA regarding Recreational Drone Flyers ability to fly at night. I have a few questions regarding CBO's that I am looking forward to getting answers to, but I thought I would forward their response to you, because I said I would; and in case you had any information on CBO's. Thanks Russ, bf read on... "Thank you for contacting the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Support Center. Recreational flyers are allowed to fly at night only if they are following the rules of a community based organization (CBO) and the operator can cite chapter and verse the rule of the CBO which allows night flying. The CBOs which allow night flying also require anti-collision lighting. Keep in mind all other rules are still in effect...the operator must maintain visual line of sight so to determine altitude, attitude and vector of the drone, and no operations over people. SF " Please follow up with any further inquiries at UASHelp@faa.gov. Additional information is also available at www.faa.gov/uas/. We appreciate your feedback. Please select: UAS Safety and Integration Division AUS-400. They also sent to me a notification about the testing of recreational flyers, and I thought one of the "Testing entities" was notable. They are going to have DJI a foreign company administer tests that will allow U.S. citizens to fly their drones. I can forward that to you also, but you may have received the same notification too. bf
Good post. The CBO caveat is often overlooked by people. As of this writing, the standard by which the FAA formally recognizes a CBO is still under development. This video glosses over alot of important points and in the case of flying over people, gets it wrong completely. Here is the current ground truth regarding recreational drone flight regulation straight from the FAA: www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/ Registration is NOT required for drones under 250g. Add ANYTHING that causes a drone to break that threshold, and registration is required. Regardless of registration requirements, the basic rules apply to all recreational operators. Mavic Minis are no different. This video should be pulled and/or redone to reflect current and accurate information.
.....and FWIW, I also have a problem with foriegn companies like DJI offering the certification test and maintaining certification records of US citizens. Whole other issue entirely.
@@ej6023 On second look into this, it is unclear if they are going to test, or if they (DJI) are only advising. They already have a system for their drones to report to authorized scanners and this may be an attempt to join that into the rules soon. We should keep an eye on this too.
Thanks for posting a very informative video. I will start by saying that I always try to follow the rules primarily to keep my drone safe as a new drone owner/pilot and secondly to keep myself out of trouble. That being said, in my personal opinion the government is asserting control over this hobby that is way overstepping in many areas. I do believe in personal safety and believe that we should all be held responsible for our actions and accidents we cause. That being said if a 747 can fly over people, and they do sometimes do drop out of the sky killing hundreds at a time, then a drone should be able to especially considering the damage would be on a much smaller scale. I know 2 completely different things but the government control is a bit much. The one that pisses me off the most is the park and wilderness flight restrictions and no fly zones. The example that affects me the most near my house is the NO FLY zone created for the entire Appalachian Trail. first off the trail is NOT a park of any kind. Secondly the trail is more than 80% of the 2000+ miles is Private Property and owned by citizens not any government agency. Only right of ways have been issued from the owners for the trail to continue. This bothers me because of you have tons of money to throw at it for a project you could get permitted to fly in a national park as in making a film or documentary. But what regular citizen has those resources. Anyway it just irks me a bit but I'll get over it and follow the rules and keep studying to get my license. And just so you know, as a new drone owner one of the first things I did when I got it was register with the FAA even though I did not have to with the mavic mini but I know I will be stepping up to a larger quad in the future and no use putting off the inevitable. Thanks again for all your information.
Good explanation of the basic rules, the line of sight rule is the one that is most often violated and I see operators flying their drones in cruise ports around ships and people without permission pretty often.
@Qurahn The slavery part was a horrible part of the USofA's past. Of course, this isn't the only incidence of slavery throughout the world's history, but that doesn't excuse anything. What I was getting at mainly is that there is no "land of the free" in that in order for a society to function there has to be some restrictions in order to maintain order and cohesiveness.
Mine arrives tomorrow so good information, and nothing that surprises me in a bad way. Thanks especially for the mention of the Lume Cube. If anyone is searching for it, specify "Lume Cube Strobe - Anti-Collision Lighting for Drone" as they make a ton of other products.
You guys are lucky who can fly at 400 feet and above. I live within a fairly close proximity to an airport so I have a 150 foot height limit from the ground. So much fun for me. Not really. I honestly didn't do much research at all before my initial purchase and now I have four of them and have done extensive research and I am realizing how much fun these rules take out of my purchases.
@@51Drones not really it depends on how busy you are I work from 6am to 5pm Monday to Saturday . It will be nice to get home take out your mini and just flight but no I leave close to Miami Int my altitude limit is 100 ft but that’s no the problem the problem is that I need permission from the airport to flight. This is ridiculous
Thanks for putting together informative videos! One question for clarity -- you stated in the beginning that if you take off on a canyon cliff and fly over the canyon that you are breaking the law... Drone U has had numerous discussions on this, and its my understanding that the height limit is determined from "Where you take off" in controlled airspace, not simply if you fly over something like a canyon. Also, the rule about flying within 400 feet of a structure allows you to fly 400 feet above the tallest point of that structure per FAA which was not mentioned. Can you elaborate if you disagree with this, and why?
Very good video! I am a Part 107 certified UAV pilot (passed the test with a score of 92). My primary UAV in use is an Autel EVO … as I eschew nannyism from foreign corporations as much as possible. A couple of comments: • Your description of AGL varies from my understanding. You describe AGL as dynamic whereas I have thought it was defined as a measurement from the takeoff site. Drilling through the regs now, I think you may be correct and I shall adjust my thinking. But, I’d appreciate some in-depth review of how AGL is properly defined. • I have found the LOS requirement very difficult to observe … literally observe. Another reason for moving to the Autel product line was the distinctive bright orange color so that I could keep a visual track of the device. Frankly, the Mavic I also have basically disappears about 50 meters out (I am also hearing impaired - meaning I am unable to easily locate the device by “listening” for it. I posit the LOS rule was written for larger devices in FAA’s typically anarchistic view of aeronautic development. • Billy Kyle recently published drone photos of Manhattan captured at night. I suspect his is a monetized channel, thus making his drone use for the video a “commercial” use. From the position of the photos, it appeared it was captured in an airspace having multiple restrictions. I am assuming he obtained FAA approval, but I’d like to know how he did that, especially since the photos appear to have been captured above 400 feet AGL (and the FAA has yet to approve any of my night mission requests - so I need to find out how this is done).
The line of site rule makes me laugh. Kinda like buying a super car and never exceeding the speed limit. Fly the mini 100 meters from you and you can't see it or hear it.
I would wager very few follow that. For surveillance purposes you’re going to want to get the thing far away. For photography you’re going to get the thing at the top of landscape shots and natural scenes where you can’t see it anymore.
One small clarification. 400 feet AGL is actually 400 feet above and around any structure. This applies most certainly when flying with permission around a building or tower. I believe this applies to the part you mentioned regarding a canyon as well, but if in doubt as long as you were near a permanent structure (shed, road, tower, radio antenna) you could technically also go out 400 feet away from the structure (i.e. into canyon) before needing to reduce to GL below you.
After reading and watching videos of flying drone I don’t think I’m going to buy one now . Too many rules and you can’t fly over people unless they know about , can’t fly if there’s car , apps that will not allow you to fly in certain areas . With all that hassle whats the joy in having a drone if you have so many restrictions.
Don’t let the “rules” discourage you from not joining the Drone community. Those rules are in place for your safety as well as the general public’s safety. I’m fairly new to drones myself and the joy I get from flying and the footage I’m getting Far outweighs the rules the FAA puts in place.
Weekend Droners I live in New Jersey and it seems that you can not fly a drone unless there is a designated area for them to be flown . New Jersey has too many restrictions for anything this state sucks !
Once you add that light on the drone it makes it weight more that 249g which then can theoretically can get you in trouble if not registered because your drone is not sub 250g which making all the first 6 rules useless. But I mean who cares lol 🤙🏽
I recently bought my 1st drone DJI MAVIC MINI and I absolutely love it which I can already see myself purchasing the DJI INSPIRE...Thanks for mentioning the rules n guidelines which I had no idea about VLOS and 400 ft being the max!
I have one of these on order now (first drone), and your comment about how the drone measures altitude (from launch point as opposed to absolute) was very informative.
Great video as usual Russ. Mike McConnell makes a very good point about the addition of devices like the Lume Cube which would put the Mavic Mini at and over 250g for night flight. All rules abiding, night flight would require your Part 107 in the USA or the Basic RPAS licence in Canada.
You are incorrect about the 400ft above ground level, when your talking about the cliff edge. If you are within 100ft of a mountain, tower ect. You can fly 400ft above that structure.
You are both wrong and 51 drones is right. 400ft agl limit period. No lateral waiver provided. Unless you are part 107, then you can be 400 ft above a structure if you are within 400ft of it. If you are a hobbyist, there is no waiver
The correct answer is that flying off a cliff that is 1000ft high MSL allows you to fly 1400ft AGL. The cliff is measured from it base. So when you fly over the edge of the cliff you are still within the 1000ft MSL of the cliff. Lateral limits don't apply to cliffs. Q&A number 6 www.faa.gov/uas/resources/webinars/faq/
This wasn't the video I was looking for but it answered several questions I have about drone flying when it comes to legalities. I am looking into getting my first drone for some fun photography opportunities on the beach with my friends and for the price the mini seems like a great choice for me. I have seen experienced pilots complain about the lack of collision avoidance but as a new person to the hobby I will be overly careful so not a worry for me. I wouldn't buy the mini for the weight but the cost as it seems to be the best for under $500. Your video does make me want to look into licensing as I know I will want better once I get into the hobby and I would think it's for the best to get certified now than later. Thanks for the informative video and I'm excited to join in on the fun soon!
Not necessarily. Almost half the weight of the mini is in the batteries. Someone needs to start selling a lighter battery pack. (With lower capacity, obviously. But then you can attach lighting.)
AGL is AGL... go over the canyon edge and it’s a 1000’ drop and you are were a 400’ AGL LAUNCH SITE... you are now 1400’ AGL ... it’s really part of SPECIAL VFR .. which is exactly what a drone pilot is. So... yes you have busted your ALT restriction. I think that the changes coming ( I haven’t researched them further) in 2020 are related to. This was a great video. I am contemplating adding a drone ( bigger then mini ) to my photography kit as I am only a hobbyist ( for now )... I still have to test on Part 107, so that is something next for me
@@TheCyclingArtist you physically can take a car that is not yours, may not be legal, just don't get caught by the bobbies. Remember, just because you can, does not mean you should!
Oh, by the way, night flying is the safest flying for a drone. Most planes especially the smaller ones don't fly at night. There are much less people and traffic that need avoiding, and the lights on the drone allow you to maintain line of site much farther than during the day. You put a bright light on a Mavic Mini and you will be able to go long distances , as long as you can see the lights.
Thank you for all of your very well versed explanations, and updates. You're a true advocate for everyone in the hobby, as your shares are very informative and appreciated.
In the UK we have to register any drone above 250g and take a 20 ABCD questioner online. I got 20/20 and I'm a dumbo. But really they are just commonsense.
@@markstehle7169 Previously, to use a drone for commercial purposes, you actually had to have a commercial pilot's license. Now that was ridiculous. Thankfully, the regulations for commercial use of drones are a little more reasonable now. You still have to get certification, but it is not the same as actually going out and flying actual manned aircraft for 500 hours to get a commercial pilot license.
Hi Russ. Thanks for the informative video. One thing that seldom gets mention in these rule videos is local and temporary restrictions. Those apply to anyone not just us 107 holders.
Incorrect brother. Local and "temporary restrictions" are preempted by Federal FAA Rules and Regulations. Cities and Muncipalities have no jurisdiction over air space. They can create ordinances that involve where you can take off, land, and technically "operate from", but thats it.
Could be. I think he’s speaking about both. Local “restrictions” related to municipalities and yes, TFR’s would make sense. But only he can say for sure! 😉
Some localities try to restrict flying, but legally they can only control where you launch and land, or where you are standing while controlling it. But if your drone crashes onto that property, you'd likely be in violation. I've crashed twice in almost 2 years, neither time was it a DJI drone and both times it was pilot error.
Very informative, straight to the point thank you, I haven't pulled the trigger yet on the Mavic Mini but I foresee it in my future. Thanks for all the great info.
Hey Russ, great video. Thanks for posting it. I was going to get an iPad mini 5 to pilot my new Mavic Mini, but some of the folks on mavicpilots.com have said that I need an iPad mini that is cellular-enabled for full functionality. Apparently, this has something to do with the fact that cellular-enabled iPads have GPS built into them. Is that true? Any help and/or advice is greatly appreciated.
Let me first say that your videos are always informative and on point. However, you stated that there's no way to know your elevation above, in your example a canyon. If you're a recreational pilot..ok. But, as a commercial operator we have sectional charts to always know where we are located and what our elevation is at any given point or time. Awesome information and great video. 👍😀