Quadcopter/Drone Thread

In the absence of any exclusions to the no flying in the no fly zones one has to assume they don't want you to fly within 10km of an airport at any height.

Yes, SA regs are, imo, unnecessarily harsh compared to many/most other countries.

It's up to you if you intend to adhere to the local regs. DJI will often take that choice out of your hands, if you happen to have one of their drones, but they are unaware of SA's 10km regulation
Everytime my Mavic asks to update the flying database i click "NO" :p

But it does know my area because it says i've entered a controlled area and should fly with caution...
 
Here's a warning to those that don't adhere to the no-fly zones;

A stunning drone photograph of a protest against gender violence in Cape Town could land the pilot with jail time or a R50,000 fine.

The image was taken over Parliament, which is a national key point and a no-fly zone. The drone that took it may also have violated a formal notice (coded A3365/19 NOTAMNQ) that restricted any flying within a 1.82 kilometre radius of the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week, where several heads of state attended the World Economic Forum.

 
Just a question...... So i visit a friend on his smallholding to fly my drone. BUT, what i don't know is that there is an aerodrome 5 clicks away.......Now what ?
 
I think there's a slight different between "I want to take off in my backyard of my house for 20-30m but its showing as 9KM away from an airport so can I or not?" VS flying over Government building when heads of state are visiting!
 
I think there's a slight different between "I want to take off in my backyard of my house for 20-30m but its showing as 9KM away from an airport so can I or not?" VS flying over Government building when heads of state are visiting!

according to the law, they are one and the same.
 
according to the law, they are one and the same.
Okay interesting.

So next question then, what training or certification is required before one can submit requests to the CAA for flying a drone in a restricted area for non-profit use?

Scenario:
a church group is arranging a gathering at an open picnic area outside of suburban area. You would like to film them and/or supply recorded footage WITHOUT charging them.

The picnic area is within 10km of an air strip and thus shows as a restricted/no-fly zone. How do you apply for permission then and what would you need to have?
 
Just a question...... So i visit a friend on his smallholding to fly my drone. BUT, what i don't know is that there is an aerodrome 5 clicks away.......Now what ?
Now what what? You should check the various no fly zones in your area before you fly.

If you have a DJI Drone and you're too close to a NFZ it might not let you take off anyway.
 
Scenario:
a church group is arranging a gathering at an open picnic area outside of suburban area. You would like to film them and/or supply recorded footage WITHOUT charging them.
It might be hard to argue that there is no commercial outcome, interest or gain even if it is for a non-profit.

I'm sure @genetic will be able to clarify what you need to do it legally.
 
Now what what? You should check the various no fly zones in your area before you fly.

If you have a DJI Drone and you're too close to a NFZ it might not let you take off anyway.
That's the thing. Because he is out on a smallholding i didn't know of any aerodromes in the area.
It's a Phantom 4. Took off, flew around on the plot ..... Only afterwards we spoke about the laws and he told me there's this aerodrome around the corner.
 
That's the thing. Because he is out on a smallholding i didn't know of any aerodromes in the area.
It's a Phantom 4. Took off, flew around on the plot ..... Only afterwards we spoke about the laws and he told me there's this aerodrome around the corner.
I check before I fly in a new area. Just for my own peace of mind.
 
I check before I fly in a new area. Just for my own peace of mind.
I started doing that..... Was just wondering. A new guy flying without reading up on all the regulations. Sure there will be leniency if he gets caught.
 
I started doing that..... Was just wondering. A new guy flying without reading up on all the regulations. Sure there will be leniency if he gets caught.
Unlikely to get caught in those circumstances. DJI, being the nanny drone company they are, will ground anything too close to an airport or approach so I usually take my cues from that.
 
Ok I wanted a slightly more insightful answer? Like I’m other countries No Fly means not above 50m
If an aircraft is below that 9km from the airport they have much bigger problems....

I'm not aware of any country where a no fly zone / FRZ (flight restricted zone) has a ceiling of 50m. A FRZ means no flying what-so-ever. The 50m rule you are referring to how close you can get to roads, buildings or people, and is practiced in most countries.

If you fly your drone in the back of your yard on the outskirts of a FRZ, I don't think anyone will complain. It's when you blatantly disregard the law, that the authorities get involved. There is also a 120m / 400ft height restriction for hobbyists (outside the FRZ), but this often less easily enforced and often ignored.

Okay interesting.

So next question then, what training or certification is required before one can submit requests to the CAA for flying a drone in a restricted area for non-profit use?

You will need to apply for your RPL / RPAS licence and complete the relevant flight training. There are a few companies that offer RPL training. It's not cheap, the average certification cost is around R20K.

A RPL licence will allow you to apply for permits though.

A commercial pilots licence will allow you to operate a drone for commercial gain... has more stringent training but allows you to operate drones over 7KGs too. You will also be allowed to apply for permits to fly in restricted airspace. It's a lot more expensive... around R60-R80k or so.

Scenario:
a church group is arranging a gathering at an open picnic area outside of suburban area. You would like to film them and/or supply recorded footage WITHOUT charging them.

The picnic area is within 10km of an air strip and thus shows as a restricted/no-fly zone. How do you apply for permission then and what would you need to have?

You can apply directly at the CAA, but we often just apply at the local film permits office (unless near an airfield). They often issue permits for free. It's unlikely you'll get permission if you don't have an RPL though, and will most certainly not issue you a permit if it's within the confines of an aerodrome's restricted airspace - unless you have a commercial license, and get clearance from the local airport and CAA.

If it's a small group of people, and you have a tiny drone - I doubt anyone would find out if you quickly want get some shots... just keep it low and don't be a d o o s. :p
Also stay well clear of SANparks! You WILL get nailed heavily. Flying drones in any SA National Park is a big no-no.

Drone laws are a pain, but it keeps the skies relatively safe, and stops (most) fools from causing accidents. Bigger cities (like CPT) are more stringent than rural areas.

Don't be scared to fly though, go have fun - just know the limits.
 
Thanks for the info genetic. It seems I need to venture more into the outdoors with her to enjoy the flying without hitting into regulatory blocks.

On another note, does anyone know if the DJI's (Mavic Air in this case) have some kind of hydration sensor? If one flies when its cloudy, you might have no rain on you but 100m in the sky it could be wet - and the only way to detect it is if the drops fall on the camera lens? I was wondering if the drone will warn you that there's droplets in the air somehow?
 
I was wondering if the drone will warn you that there's droplets in the air somehow?
Nope.

Here's a tip for you though - if you're going to do one of those above the clouds shots disable the sensors when you try to go back down. You can quickly achieve that by switching into sport mode.

715263
 
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Wown
Nope.

Here's a tip for you though - if you're going to do one of those above the clouds shots disable the sensors when you try to go back down. You can quickly achieve that by switching into sport mode.

View attachment 715263
wow that’s awesome!
im too scared to fly mine above 30m in the middle of nowhere lol. im At a quiet beach in a non restricted area for the long weekend, gonna try get her a bit more into the sky.
 
That Phantom 4 is quite the machine!
I’m flying my Mavic in the wind and she’s holding herself but shes hovering at an angle to keep steady and here guys are launching Phantom 4s to take their fishing bait 300m out at sea in 35kph winds and it’s NOT even tilting lol. It’s like”what wind?”

And it seems the Phantom can lift a lot too. Very nice machine compared to the Mavic. It I guess built for a different purpose.
 
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