What's the height limit for DJI Mini 4 Pro?

Drone Photography & Videography
1

Hey everyone, sorry if this is a question that’s been asked a million times, but I’m a bit confused and figured I’d ask.

From what I understand, the max height limit for the drone isn’t based on where you took off but rather the height from the ground it’s flying over. But when I was flying today in the mountains, my Mini 4 Pro was limited to 120 meters from the take-off point, not the ground I was flying over.

I thought the law was supposed to be that you can’t fly higher than 120 meters over the current ground below the drone. I also heard DJI might update the limit to 500 meters, but for now, I’m stuck at 120m. I’ve got the latest firmware too.

Can anyone tell me how to get around this limit or if there’s something I’m missing? Thanks a lot in advance!

2

You’re mistaken on that. The European EASA rules (Switzerland follows these) say that for C0 drones like the Mini 4 Pro, the height limit is 120 meters from the take-off point, not from the ground it’s flying over.

C1 drones, on the other hand, can fly at 120 meters above ground level (AGL). You can check the actual regulation here: https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/online-publications/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems?page=19#_DxCrossRefBm153270186

For C0 drones like yours:

‘A class C0 UAS must have a maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 meters.’

And for C1 drones:

‘A class C1 UAS must have a system that limits height above the surface or take-off point to 120 meters, or to a value selected by the pilot.’

So, unfortunately, you’re stuck with the 120m from the take-off point for now.

3

@Luca
Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining that! I actually have a license because I also fly the DJI Air 2, which requires the A1/A3. But if I upgrade my Mini 4 Pro to a C1, doesn’t that mean I won’t be able to fly near houses or people anymore? Seems like it would turn it into more of a mountain-only drone, right? Feels like I’d just end up with a lighter version of the Air 2 with all the same restrictions.

4

@Keir
If you change it to C1, you’ll still be allowed to fly in the A1 category. That means no extra restrictions on how close you can get to houses or people, as long as you don’t fly directly over uninvolved people. You would just need remote ID, but you can still get pretty close.

5

@Luca
Got it, thanks for clearing that up! Now that I think about it, maybe I’ll just hike a bit higher in the mountains to adjust my take-off point. It’ll be a good workout too. Even though I missed a couple of great shots today because of the 120-meter limit, I doubt I’ll run into that problem too often.

Thanks again for the help! Feeling much better about it now. Cheers!