Flying a drone at night in the Open Category: UK CAA update

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published updated guidance relating to flying a drone at night in the Open Category.

The watchdog has confirmed that drones operated at night in the Open Category must be equipped with a green flashing light, and it must be activated at all times.

This requirement came into effect as part of the updated release of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947 on January 1, 2026. Key points:

• The light must be active at all times during flight.

• Having a light supports safe VLOS operations and helps distinguish UAS from manned aircraft.

• Remote pilots are responsible for compliance: Ensuring the light remains active throughout the operations and VLOS is maintained.

• If the flashing light deactivates for any reason, the remote pilot is no longer compliant.

• The regulations do not specify minimum requirements, but the light must be securely attached to the drone in a position where it remains clearly visible from the ground during flight.

• Regulation 2019/945 requires only UK1, UK2, UK3, UK5 and UK6 class-marked drones to provide in-built green flashing light functionality; this is not a design requirement for UK0 or UK4 drones (in this case, a suitable green flashing light will need to be fitted or retrofitted).

• Some Legacy, C-marked, and UK-marked drones may need retrofitted lights, if the existing ones are not suitable to ensure compliance.

• If your drone does not have a green flashing light, you must securely fit one.

• Added weight may impact your operational category: Ensure you understand the MTOM of your UAS before you fly.

• Some UAS automatically deactivate lights when recording or taking photos. This could make you non-compliant.

• Check your user manual and ensure settings are configured correctly for night operations.