DJI Mavic 3 first drone with C1 label as per EU drone rules

The DJI Mavic 3 is the world's first drone with a C1 label. That means users can start using the drone later this year in the Open subcategory A1, where flying near people is allowed. Obtaining an A2 certificate is then no longer necessary. Existing users of the Mavic 3 simply need to perform a firmware upgrade to make their device compliant.

Cx labels

As part of the European drone regulations, the so-called Cx labels will be mandatory for newly sold drones from 1-1-2024. The label indicates in which category the user may fly.

• Drones with a C0 and C1 label fall into Open category A1.
• Heavier drones with a C2 label fall into category A2.
• Everything above that and the so-called legacy drones above 250 grams will end up in category A3.

The Open category A1 offers by far the most possibilities to drone pilots. For example, it is allowed to fly over buildings (although some EU Countries restrict this). Furthermore, flying over people should be avoided as much as possible, but people may be approached up to 5 meters away at low speed. Flying over crowds is not allowed in any case. In addition, in the Netherlands, there is a ban on flying over motorways, highways, and railways.

First C1 label for DJI Mavic 3

Now that the German certification body TÜV Rheinland has awarded the first C1 certificate to the Mavic 3, users of this drone are allowed to fly in Open category A1 after installing a Firmware Update. The drone certificate A1-A3 is sufficient for this. It is therefore no longer necessary to obtain an A2 drone certificate, which was previously required as part of the transitional arrangement for drones > 500 grams.

Existing users of the Mavic 3 can update their devices later this year. After that, a statement must be signed on the DJI website indicating that the update has been performed. The serial number of the drone must be provided. A sticker with the C1 mark must also be attached. DJI says the procedure will be available in the fourth quarter of 2022. There are no additional costs.

According to DJI, the Mavic 3 already meets the maximum allowed noise level of 83db for drones in Open category A1. ActiveTrack will work up to 50 meters away from the user after installing the update. The behavior of the LED strobe lights on the drone will also be slightly different. Finally, the user must put the Operator ID received after registration in the drone for remote identification.

Other drones

The DJI Mavic 3 is the world's first drone with the C1 label. The Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine were announced in the fall of 2021. There are rumors about the arrival of a Mavic 3 Enterprise. DJI says it is working on compliance procedures for other already released and future drones.

This article first appeared on Dronewatch and is written by Wiebe de Jager who is also a DroneXL contributor.