The 249 g Question
Marcus wants to start a real-estate aerial photography side business. He buys a folding quadcopter advertised at 249 g without battery, then adds a 32 g battery, a 12 g prop guard set, and a 45 g camera gimbal that is not part of the stock configuration. He also owns a 3.5 kg hexacopter he plans to use for larger properties. He intends to fly both in a suburban area near a small regional airport, sometimes at dusk, and wants to know which registration and category rules apply. He has no licence and has never registered an aircraft.
1. Calculate the operating mass of the small quadcopter and determine which weight category and registration obligations apply to each of Marcus's two aircraft.
Read the worked answer
Small quadcopter mass: 249 g + 32 g battery + 12 g guards + 45 g gimbal = 338 g. The advertised 249 g figure is a marketing number for the bare airframe; the applicable mass is the take-off mass as configured and flown. At 338 g it is above the 250 g threshold, so it falls into the small drone category rather than the excluded micro category.
Consequences for the small aircraft:
- It must be registered, and the registration number displayed on the aircraft.
- Marcus must hold the appropriate remote pilot licence and operate under an accredited operator for commercial work.
- Standard operating conditions apply: visual line of sight, altitude limits, distance from people, and no flight over populous areas without the relevant approval.
Hexacopter: at 3.5 kg it is well above 250 g and in a heavier category with the same registration duty plus stricter operating and approval requirements. Its mass also affects proximity limits to people and property.
Key trap: assuming a drone sold as "under 250 g" stays under 250 g once accessories are fitted. Marcus should weigh the actual flying configuration before deciding anything.
2. Marcus plans dusk flights near a small regional airport. Explain what he must check and what records he should keep for both aircraft.
Read the worked answer
Airspace and airport proximity. A small regional airport is controlled or at least notified airspace. Marcus must check the relevant aeronautical charts and any published drone safety map before each flight, and he must not enter controlled airspace without an authorisation. Even outside controlled airspace he must not operate in a way that creates a collision hazard near an aerodrome, and he should expect a buffer around approach and departure paths. Dusk adds a visibility problem: he must confirm he can see the aircraft and its orientation, and that lighting requirements for the time of day are met.
Records to keep for both aircraft:
- Registration certificate and the displayed registration number.
- Remote pilot licence and operator accreditation details.
- A flight log with date, time, location, pilot, aircraft, purpose, and duration.
- Maintenance and incident records, including any malfunction or near miss.
- Client job documentation for commercial flights.
Practical step: because the two aircraft fall into different categories, he should keep separate records per airframe so a ramp check or audit can match each flight to the correct registered aircraft and pilot.