We explain today what you absolutely need to know before buying a drone, because the rules in force have already changed, but we are at this time enjoying a temporary derogation, which makes it easier to use them.
At the end of 2022, this derogation will expire and the new European directives will be implemented, which can already affect the purchase of a drone today, because for some models the rules will become much more stringent.
Before buying a drone today, you need to make sure that it is already certified for the upcoming rules, a condition that is not taken for granted and that some very popular models do not guarantee: to give an example, the very recent DJI Air 2s drone, recently in circulation, does not have the necessary certification for the new regulation and its use from the end of 2022 will become more complicated and will have to comply with penalizing conditions compared to today.
Perché un drone acquistato oggi potrebbe essere inutilizzabile domani
I dispositivi che vengono comprati oggi devono disporre della certificazione che ne stabilisce la categoria di appartenenza per quando scadranno le deroghe ed entreranno in vigore le nuove norme europee. Se un drone non dispone di tale certificazione, dovrà essere utilizzato in una categoria superiore a quella di pertinenza.
E’ ciò che succederà ad esempio al già citato DJI Air 2s, che pur avendo in teoria i requisiti per l’uso in categoria C1, andrà gestito come se fosse un apparato di categoria C3.
Sul significato di questi codici torneremo tra poco.
The categories by which drones are classified
The new European rules will be based on the division of flying objects into 4 categories, the CO will include drones with a weight up to 250 grams, C1 those up to 900 grams, C2 devices up to 4 kg, C3 will include products up to 25 kg.
According to the category in which each drone falls, the conditions for their use will change. The first category, C0, has no particular restrictions and allows a rather casual use of the devices.
Category C1, the one with drones up to 900 grams, requires a license that is issued online with a very low cost, through a test with multiple answers.
Category C2 and C3, on the other hand, with drones weighing up to 4 or up to 25 kg, require a double license: the one that is issued online and the one that is obtained from the certified bodies with the tests carried out in presence.
All drones in category C1, C2 and C3 require a transponder that transmits the data of the aircraft during all flight operations, including its identification, route and position. Quelli che verranno immessi sul mercato con le nuove regole dovranno avere un bollino di conformità europea, con la categoria di appartenenza ben visibile.
Tutti i prodotti che possono raccogliere informazioni personali, compresi video e fotografie, vanno registrati on line, per ottenere un bollino che va incollato al drone.
Un ultimo dettaglio importante riguarda l’assicurazione: indipendentemente dalla categoria del velivolo, è sempre obbligatorio avere un’assicurazione per la responsabilità civile.
Cosa posso fare con il mio drone
Un drone è un velivolo molto affascinante, con caratteristiche tecniche superlative e con un potenziale enorme, ma porta con sé anche molti rischi legati ad un uso scorretto, o alla mancata osservanza delle norme di sicurezza.
Depending on the category to which it belongs, a drone can perform different types of flight, with very precise limits regarding the possibility of flying over the people filmed, the inhabited areas and with clear provisions on the distances to be kept from the people involved in the filming itself.
In short, we are not talking about a toy to be used in an adventurous way, but about a complex device that requires the knowledge of rules, limits and responsibilities. It is necessary to take this into account before buying a drone, because the consequences for not observing the European provisions can be very serious.
There is one certainty, however: after respecting all the provisions and with a little practice to become an experienced pilot, the photos and videos from the vacations made with drones, will be without competition.