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black friday... buying a drone


rudi-h

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the idea kinda stuck, and seeing that these things are marked off way down on black friday, its either Friday or next year or never...

 

wanting to buy something with GPS, object tracking etc., my research spanning a whole 2 evenings suggest that the dji mavic pro platinum is the best bang for your buck drone out there and apparently droneworld.co.za has the best prices...

 

only risk is that the droneworld stock seems to be refurb units, i.e. drones returned for some warranty issue, had the defective part replaced and re-tested and re-packaged by the factory for resale.

 

does anybody have any experience with droneworld and the refurb units, or else who sells them for similar pricing?

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https://www.tecnet.co.za/index.php?route=product/search&search=Drone%20

 

But... it's true you need a license, even as a hobbyist

 

Edit: read the restriction on where you're allowed to operate. It's pretty restrictive ..like you can't be within 50m of someone...so unless you're planning to fly it out in the middle of nowhere you have to take your chances, though we know how lawless this country is anyway so ...

Edited by Uni
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not sure how legitimate the source is (it's the seller), but here goes

 

https://www.droneworld.co.za/hobby-regulations/

 

according to them licensing is only a requirement for commercial use

Correct.

Apologies for jumping the gun, but I've heard that the law is in the process of being amended for pvt use. So for now, private , non-commercial flight does not require a licence

Edited by King_Crispy
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Technically, if its used for hobby purposes it falls under SAMAA jurisdiction which requires the pilot to have a proficiency. Its all confusing and basically if you asked to stop flying by the cops they can fine you and confiscate the drone unless you are flying at a SAMAA licensed site.

 

But no one gets stopped so the risk is probably low

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Technically, if its used for hobby purposes it falls under SAMAA jurisdiction which requires the pilot to have a proficiency. Its all confusing and basically if you asked to stop flying by the cops they can fine you and confiscate the drone unless you are flying at a SAMAA licensed site.

 

But no one gets stopped so the risk is probably low

This^

I have a friend that does it for business purposes. Until recently because the law did not discribe what cant can cannot be done...there was actually just a blanket ban on anything capable to take video footage in drone format. (Nkandla? lol)

They then openend it up into a few categories...pro's who will need an actual drone pilots licence acquired by theoretical and practical testing....and the hobbyist who can fly SMALL drones for the purpose of recreation, BUT - only in demarcated ares.

So in other words...RC flying clubs, not even your local park is allowed.

You are not allowed to operate a drone in a public area or anywhere overhead of people (something like 200m or something)....basically all the rules that apply to operating RC helicopters and planes.

As Diesel stated, your drone can be confiscated or...a person in the know is allowed to shoot it down if they so wish..especially in residential areas re privacy etc.

 

PS: in Dubai you go to jail for taking a picture of someone with your cellphone without permission lol..imagine the drone laws there.

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quote:

 

 

South African Drone Laws 2018 summary:

 

  1. For personal use only – no commercial outcome.
  2. Only fly over property you own, or have permission to fly over.
  3. Keep line of sight with the drone 121 m or 400 feet height above ground level unless you hold an ROC and it is approved by SACAA.
  4. Do not fly in any manner to cause obstruction or danger to any nearby persons or objects.
  5. Do not fly within 50m of any buildings, schools hospitals or public spaces.
  6. Do not fly within 10km radius of any nearby airports.
  7. Only fly during daylight hours, with clear visibility.

That was keeping the most important rules for flying your RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) simple.

 

These regulations as stipulated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA):

 

For private use

(athe RPAS may only be used for an individual’s personal and private purposes where there is no commercial outcome, interest or gain;

(bthe RPA may only be operated over property for which the operator has ownership or permission;

(cthe RPAS can only be used in Restricted Visual Line of Sight which means within 500m of the pilot, and never to exceed the height of the highest obstacle within 300m of the pilot, during which the pilot can maintain direct unaided visual contact with the device to manage its flight and collision avoidance; and

(dthe pilot must observe all statutory requirements relating to liability, privacy and any other laws enforceable by any other authorities.

For all other use

(athe RPA must first be approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority for use by way of an RPA Letter of Authority (RLA);

(ball RPAs must be registered by the South African Civil Aviation Authority prior to use;

(can RPA may only be operated in terms of Part 101 of the South African Civil Aviation Regulations which includes specific requirements that the operator shall hold an RPA Pilot License; and

Definitions:

Private operation – means the use of an RPA for an individual’s personal and private purposes where there is no commercial outcome, interest or gain;

Restricted visual line-of-sight* – means an operation within 500 m of the remote pilot and below the height of the highest obstacle within 300 m of the RPA, which the remote pilot maintains direct unaided visual contact with the RPA to manage its flight and meet separation and collision avoidance responsibilities;

General

1.  It is the full responsibility of the remote pilot of the RPAS to fly his/her aircraft safely and not endanger safety of another aircraft, any person or property.

2.  The remote pilot must observe all statutory requirements relating to liability, privacy and any other laws enforceable by any other authorities.

Limitations and restrictions
Please adhere to the following for the safe operation of RPAS:

1.      Private operations of RPAS shall be conducted:

a.  only in R-VLOS
b.  with a Class 1A or 1B RPA (mass < 7 kg, Impact energy* < 15 kJ)

2.      Do not fly RPA:

a.  Near manned aircraft
b.  10 km or closer to an aerodrome (airport, helipad or airfield)
c.  In controlled, restricted or prohibited

3.      Do not fly RPA 50m or closer from:

a.  Any person or group of persons (like sport fields, road races, stadiums, schools, social events, etc.)
b.  Public road
c.  Any property without permission from property owner

4.    Only fly RPA in daylight and clear weather conditions

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You need a licence to fly them now. It's expensive and takes almost a week to get

Ag thats okay. I stood in the row for a week to renew my drivers licence. When I got home, my wife had already reported me missing and cashed in my policies.

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this thread has black friday in the title,  so howcome it doesn't get nonsensically merged with the other black friday thread too?

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this thread has black friday in the title,  so howcome it doesn't get nonsensically merged with the other black friday thread too?

 

haha i guess i just wanted to know if anyone has experience with buying "refurb" drones from droneworld.co.za and if my assessment of the Mavic Pro Platinum being the best hobby drone out there is pretty accurate...

 

Black friday is pretty much irrelevant in terms of the question, except that I would like to make this "silly purchase" on Friday to hopefully save some money.  It's not even friday and it's become a drone regulation discussion thread since  :wacko:

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haha i guess i just wanted to know if anyone has experience with buying "refurb" drones from droneworld.co.za and if my assessment of the Mavic Pro Platinum being the best hobby drone out there is pretty accurate...

 

Black friday is pretty much irrelevant in terms of the question, except that I would like to make this "silly purchase" on Friday to hopefully save some money.  It's not even friday and it's become a drone regulation discussion thread since  :wacko:

I bought refurb unit from droneworld.Im happy for the price i paid.No problems and buying from Droneworld was a pleasure

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