Do I need training to fly commercially?
No, not necessarily.
Under the new drone rules, training depends on the type of drone you have and where you plan to use it; it is not dependent on whether or not the operation is commercial.
For example, you can fly a sub 250g drone, like the DJI Mini 3 Pro, in the A1 Subcategory (flights over people) of the Open Category, without needing to conduct drone training - regardless of whether it is a commercial or recreational flight.
If, however, a pilot wants to fly by the rules of the A2 Subcategory (flights close to people), they will need an A2 CofC - no matter if the flight is commercial or recreational.
Likewise, a flight in the A3 subcategory (flights far from people), does not require the operator to have completed drone training.
But for operators wanting to fly in the Specific Category - aimed at enterprise drone missions - then GVC drone training is required, which allows pilots to apply for an Operational Authorisation (similar in scope to the old PfCO).
For more details, read our Guide To UK Drone Laws.
Sources
This answer was generated from information sourced from the following pages:
- Do you need training to fly DJI Mini 3 Pro commercially? - www.heliguy.com/blogs/knowledge-base/do-you-need-training-to-fly-dji-mini-3-pro-commercially
- UK Drone Laws 2024: Where can I fly? - www.heliguy.com/blogs/posts/uk-drone-laws-where-can-i-fly
- heliguy™ Blog - www.heliguy.com/blogs/posts/
- Drone Tutorials - www.heliguy.com/pages/help/
