Major Change in the UK Drone Regulations
The new UK drone regulations which came into force on 31 December 2020 are designed to align us with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). They build on the new Drone and Model Aircraft Registration Scheme introduced in the UK in November 2019.
The reason to do this is so that Europe is operating under the same standards in each country.
The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC)
The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is a new drone qualification that allows you to fly small drones “close to people”.
Under the new regulations, you can operate a drone commercially for the first time without needing to spend thousands of pounds on training and CAA Permissions.
The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is now the first building block of a drone pilot training, for individuals wanting to start a drone business and organisations wanting to use drones commercially in their operations.
Our NEW CAA A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) Course allows you to fast track becoming a Qualified Drone Pilot, either from your own home or by attending one of our ground school courses. This will allow you to fly safe and legal as a qualified commercial Drone Pilot.
Our commercial drone training course qualifies you for the A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) enabling you to fly drones within the A2 Sub-Category of the Open Category under the new regulations and provides you with a strong foundation of drone pilot knowledge.
The new A2 subcategory will allow you to ‘fly closer to people’ if you hold an CAA A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) and are flying a C2 class aircraft which weigh up to 4Kg. The other stipulations for the new C2 class of aircraft are to minimise injury, have geo-awareness system and operate quietly with low noise levels.
You can also fly older 'Legacy' drones that weigh less than 2Kg, which don't carry a 'C2' marking on them. Legacy drones such as the DJI Mavic, DJI Mavic 2, DJI Phantom 4 and Parrot Anafi can be flown under your A2 Certificate.
If you are flying a 'C2 CE Certified Drone', then you can fly down to 30 metres of uninvolved persons in the 'normal speed' mode and down to just 5 metres of uninvolved persons in a 'low-speed' mode (no more than 2m/s or 6.7mph) - rather than the 50 metres that is usually associated with the Open Category.
The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is a tremendous qualification for people to hold, particularly when the drone manufacturers begin to release C2 certified drones in 2021. In the interim, the fact that it allows drone pilots to fly down to effectively the same separation distances as a current PfCO holder, is great.
Especially when you consider that our A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) online course is only £99 and our online GVC course is only £399. Your A2 Certificate of Competency (A2CofC) certificate is valid for five years.
To get your A2 Certificate of Competency (A2CofC) you need to complete an A2 CofC Training Course and Theory Exam with a CAA Approved Drone Training school (RAE) like us and then you can take advantage of the opportunities this new qualification offers for Drone Pilots who want to fly small drones.
If you have any questions about the new A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) contact Mike by email on mike@a2certificateof competency.co.uk or telephone direct on 07889 767 398.
What Drones can you Fly
Legacy Drones
If your drone weighs between 250g and 2kg (like a DJI Mavic 2) then getting your A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) will let you fly in built-up areas, so long as you stay 50 metres or more away from 'uninvolved people'.
You will be able to fly your legacy drones under this permission with an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) between 31st December 2020 and 1st January 2023.
After this date, the rules change slightly and you will only be able to fly these aircraft outside built-up areas and you need to stay 150 metres or more away from uninvolved people.
New C2 Class of Drones
If you purchase a 'C2 Class Drone', when they come onto the market, you’ll be able to fly down to just 30m of uninvolved people, or down to 5m if the aircraft has been switched to a low-speed mode.
This is set to open up major new opportunities for drone pilots who have their A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) and a C2 class drone. You will be able to inspect roofs, possibly film with your drone in towns and take aerial photos of a wide variety of landscapes and locations.
Before A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) you needed special permissions from the CAA called Operating Safety Cases (OSC’S) to do this type of close proximity flying, which was complicated and expensive to get.
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A2 Certificate of Competency Course
The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2CofC) is a new drone qualification that allows you to fly small drones “close to people”. Under the new regulations, you can operate a drone commercially for the first time without needing to spend thousands of pounds on training and CAA Permissions.
Fly Now with Our Professional A2 CofC Drone Training
Commercial Drone Training ( CDT) is one of the most experienced CAA Approved drone training and testing companies in the UK
Mike Green — Founder & CEO.
Mike Green is a former airline pilot who has had a passion for radio controlled craft all his life.
Mike built his first Tamiya radio controlled (RC) car 34 years ago at the tender age of 10 and has enjoyed flying and building RC boats, fixed wing and multi rotor aircraft until this day. With a life long passion for aviation and embracing training Mike become an UAS examiner for the CAA 6 years ago and has built a training organisation trusted to train the police, fire services, MOD and many large national companies.
Mike uses his degree and private practice experience in Building Surveying to undertaking aerial building surveys to remain relevant in the training arena and push the many benefits of drone use to the building industry.
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