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Not every drone pilot needs a drone licence. Under new UK drone laws, this now depends on the drone you have and where you plan to fly it.
A drone licence can be applicable for both commercial and recreational pilots. However, there are cases where a licence is not required, for instance, if you are flying far away from people.
A drone licence is different to drone pilot registration. The majority of drone pilots will need to register with the CAA, regardless of whether or not they have/need a drone licence.
Drone training and CAA registration requirements change depending on:
Drone licence considerations
Drone registration considerations
The majority of drone pilots will need to register with the CAA (UK Civil Aviation Authority) and get an operator ID and/or flyer ID.
Operator ID
If you're responsible for a drone or model aircraft, you are required to register as a drone operator to get an operator ID. This costs £10.
Flyer ID
If your drone weighs over 250g, the drone pilot must register and get a flyer ID. There is a 40 question multiple choice exam. This is completely free.
Registration Exemptions
You do not need to register if your drone is a toy below 250g, or your drone is below 250g and does not have a camera.
Just register with the CAA and fly anywhere, commercially or for fun
Required if aircraft weight exceeds 250g at take-off
Open Category A2 - fly close to people
Specific Category
Open Category A3 - fly far from people
Not every drone pilot needs a drone licence. Under new UK drone laws, this now depends on the drone you have and where you plan to fly it.
A drone licence can be applicable for both commercial and recreational pilots. However, there are cases where a licence is not required, for instance, if you are flying far away from people.
Use our drone license calculator to find out whether you need a drone license and, if so, which licence is best suited to your DJI drone.
The A2 CofC drone licence course with heliguy™ is £149.50.
The GVC drone licence course with heliguy™ is £699.50
A £253 fee to the CAA applies when applying for an Operational Authorisation.
Find out which drone training you need with our drone licence calculator.
There is no age limit for a UK drone licence.
The only stipulation is that the Operator Id must belong to someone aged 18 and over.
Also, the Accountable Manager must be aged 18+ to apply for an Operational Authorisation for the Specific Category.
No. Following Brexit, drone pilots need to re-do the A2 CofC or GVC in the EU member state they wish to fly. However, once you have an A2 CofC or GVC in one EU member state, this is valid throughout EU countries.
It is important to note that drone pilots can still operate in an EU member state in the A1 (sub 250g drone only) or A3 Subcategories of the Open Category without a drone licence, provided that they meet the necessary requirements, including registration in accordance to that country's drone registration requirements.
Most drone users will need to register with the CAA, regardless of whether or not they have a drone licence.
The only times that registration does not apply are:
A drone licence is different to registration, and depends on the weight of your drone and how you plan to use it.
No, not necessarily. A drone licence is not dictated by commercial or recreational flights. The deciding factors are the weight of your drone and where you plan to fly it.
In some cases, you could fly commercially without obtaining a licence: For example, taking commercial photographs with a Mavic 2 Pro while operating in the A3 subcategory (far from people) or commercial work with the Mini 2 while operating in the A1 subcategory (fly over people, but not crowds).
There are two types of drone licence in the UK: The A2 CofC, and the Operational Authorisation.
The A2 CofC is for operations within the Open Category.
The Operational Authorisation is for operations in the Specific Category. Completing a GVC drone training course makes you eligible to apply for an Operational Authorisation.
Drone training requirements can be confusing, cut through the regulations with our simple drone license calculator tool.
Many customers ask us questions around how to start a drone business, which drones are best for different operations, and which training is required to pilot those drones.
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