How do I determine I fall under the ‘open’ category?
A drone can be operated in the “Open “category when it:
- bears one of the class identification labels 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; or
- is privately built and its weight is less than 25 kg; or
- it is placed on the market before 31 December 2023 and bears no class identification label as mentioned above;
- will not be operated directly over people, unless it bears a class identification label or is lighter than 250 g. (Please refer to subcategories of operations: A1, A2 and A3 to find out where you can fly with your drone);
- will be maintained in visual line of sight (VLOS) or the remote pilot will be assisted by a UA observer;
- is flown at a height of no more than 120 metres;
- will not carry any dangerous goods and will not drop any material.
Regulatory reference: Article 4 and article 20 of EU Regulation 2019/947; Annex part A and Article 5(1) of EU Regulation 2019/947, Part1 to 5 Annex of EU regulation 2019/945.
I fall under the ‘open’ category, how do I determine which subcategory I can fly under?
The Subcategory is determined either by:
- the label showing the class identification label (0, 1, 2, 3 or 4), affixed to your drone; or
- the weight of your drone, for a privately built drone or for a drone without class identification label (called legacy drones);
Caveat: in order to facilitate the transition, drones without class identification labels may fly until 1st of January 2023 according to the requirements defined in article 22 of EU regulation 2019/947 (please refer to FAQ on flying without CE Class Markings for additional information).
Applying the instructions above, please refer to the table below to determine the subcategory you must fly under. For instance, drones with CE class 2 marks canmarks can be only be flown under subcategory A2 (close to people) or A3 (far from people).
Please consider that your state may publish geographical zones that may restrict the use of your drone.
I bought a DJI Mini (weight 249g) how can I operate it?
DJI Mini is a drone with a weight of 249g, has a camera and it is not a toy (meaning that it does not comply with the toy directive). Therefore, the following actions have to be taken in order to comply with Regulation (EU) 2019/947:
- As a drone operator/owner, you must register yourself with the National Aviation Authority (NAA) of the Member State you reside in.
- Once registered, you receive a ‘drone operator registration number’ that needs to be displayed with a sticker on all the drones you own, including those privately built. You must also upload it into the ‘Drone’s remote identification system’, If the drone has this function;
- When operating the drone, always comply with the A1 sub-category requirements.
A remote pilot training certificate is not needed to operate a drone of this kind, however is highly recommended to conduct the A1/A3 online training. Moreover, most of EASA Member States mandate a third party insurance. Please consult the national regulation for further information about the insurance for drones. For further inquiries related to the operations in the A1 sub-category and in the Open category in general, please consult our related FAQs