Second-hand C2 registration and remote ID field
An operator buys a second-hand C2 drone with maximum take-off mass 3.9 kg, class label C2, direct remote identification and a working low-speed mode. The planned flight is over private farmland at 115 m AGL, 1.2 km from the nearest village, with no uninvolved people inside the field. The operator has not registered because the drone is ‘under 4 kg and rural’, and no operator registration number is displayed on the airframe. The remote pilot holds an A2 certificate. During pre-flight checks the remote identification app shows ‘broadcasting’, but the operator registration field is blank. The pilot wants a 20-minute flight to map crop stress and asks whether the flight is compliant, and what must be corrected before take-off today.
1. Is operator registration required for this C2 drone, and what is wrong with the remote identification status?
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Registration is required. The ‘under 4 kg’ reasoning is wrong for this aircraft: a C2 drone with a camera/sensor is not exempt simply because its mass is below 4 kg. The open-category operator registration obligation applies, and the operator registration number must be displayed on the aircraft as required.
The remote identification status is also not acceptable. It shows ‘broadcasting’, but the operator registration field is blank. Remote identification for a C2 operation must identify the operator, so a blank operator field means the broadcast is not correctly configured. The pilot must not treat a partial broadcast as compliant. Before flight, the operator must register, obtain the operator number, display it on the airframe and enter it into the remote identification configuration, then verify the broadcast.
2. Assuming registration and remote ID are corrected, assess the 115 m AGL altitude and the A2 privileges for this flight.
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At 115 m AGL, the flight is below the open-category ceiling of 120 m above the surface, so the planned altitude is acceptable only if the pilot can maintain that limit throughout, including over any terrain rise and without relying on a single altitude reading. The aircraft must remain within visual line of sight and the remote identification must stay active.
The pilot holds an A2 certificate and the aircraft is C2, so A2 privileges are available. However, the field has no uninvolved people inside it, so the 30 m/5 m separation rule is not the limiting issue here. The pilot must still avoid overflying any uninvolved person who enters the field and must keep the low-speed capability available if reduced separation is ever used. With registration, display and remote ID corrected, the planned rural mapping flight can be compliant.