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Posts tagged “open-category”
2026-07-14
Drones on Everest: how DJI's cargo flights rewrote the deadliest climb
A ladder falls from the sky over the Khumbu Icefall, and a small Nepali company's DJI drones are quietly taking the deadliest job in mountaineering out of human hands. The real story behind the eight-minute headline — the people, the physics, the economics, and what it teaches anyone who flies.
- drones
- latvia
- safety
2026-07-14
The history of drones: from balloons over Venice to EU rules
In 1849 a swarm of unmanned balloons bombed Venice by accident of wind. Nearly two centuries and five turning points later — a radio-controlled aircraft, a battlefield surrender, a drone video over a cathedral tower, and a €350 fine — that same idea became a regulated EU-wide skill anyone can learn.
- drones
- history
- regulations
2026-07-11
Drone Mapping and Surveying: Orthomosaics, 3D Models and Where the Accuracy Comes From
A mapping flight doesn't photograph a site — it measures it. The orthomosaic and 3D surface model are only as accurate as the overlap, ground control points and RTK/PPK behind them — and large sites hit the visual-line-of-sight ceiling before they hit the sensor's.
- commercial
- open-category
- specific-category
2026-07-11
How Much Do Drone Pilots Earn? What Actually Drives the Pay
There is no single figure — certification level, niche, region, and employed-vs-freelance all shift the pay. What actually drives a drone pilot's income, and how a certificate turns into paid work.
- commercial
- licence
- latvia
2026-07-11
Drone roof and infrastructure inspection: safer, faster surveys of hard-to-reach structures
A drone replaces scaffolding and rope access for roof, facade, chimney and solar-array surveys — faster and without fall risk. But the work happens right next to structures and often above the people living or working under them — which is where the A1/A2 choice and, sometimes, Specific category come in.
- commercial
- open-category
- a2
2026-07-11
Drones for Agriculture: Crop Scouting, Mapping and the Spraying Catch
NDVI scouting and field mapping fly comfortably inside the Open category, on the same A1/A3 baseline as most commercial drone work. Spraying does not — EU rules place it in the Specific category on its own, plus a separate national layer for plant-protection products.
- commercial
- agriculture
- open-category
2026-07-11
Drones for construction: progress monitoring, surveying and site documentation
A construction site is one of the few places a drone earns its keep every week — progress photos, stockpile volumes, orthomosaics. But a live site is also one of the harder places to fly legally: cranes, scaffolding, close neighbours, and a large site often pushes the job out of Open into Specific.
- commercial
- specific-category
- open-category
2026-07-11
Drones for events: the aerial shots everyone wants — and the crowd problem
Weddings, festivals, races — commercially attractive, legally one of the hardest niches, because the Open category bans flying over assemblies of people in every subcategory. Pros work around it with standoff framing, timing and, rarely, a Specific-category authorisation.
- commercial
- open-category
- specific-category
2026-07-11
FPV drone rules under EASA: the Open category still applies
FPV is not a legal loophole — the EASA regulation covers it exactly like any other drone. Registration, the A1/A3 exam, and the observer rule for goggles are mandatory, not optional.
- fpv
- getting-started
- open-category
2026-07-11
FPV vs DJI: which one to fly, and how the rules and skills differ
A GPS camera drone flies itself — FPV flies exactly as you fly it. We compare the learning curve, cost and repairs, and explain what stays the same either way: registration, the A1/A3 exam and, for FPV, an observer.
- fpv
- getting-started
- open-category
2026-07-11
Jobs that use drones: industries and roles where drone skills pay
Drones are already a standard tool in surveying, construction, agriculture and inspection, alongside the media use everyone knows. A survey of the roles, the certificate and category each needs, and how to position yourself.
- commercial
- career
- open-category
2026-07-11
How to Learn to Fly FPV: From Simulator to Acro, the Legal Way
FPV learning starts in a simulator, not in the air — and the legal requirements (observer, registration, A1/A3) apply from the first outdoor flight, not later. Here is the ladder from angle mode to freestyle, and what to sort out before flying solo.
- fpv
- getting-started
- open-category
2026-07-11
Making money with drone photography: from hobby flights to paid work
A drone and a good camera are not a business. Where drone photo and video work actually has recurring demand — real estate, events, tourism, inspection, stock — and what has to be in place before the first invoice.
- commercial
- photography
- portfolio
2026-07-10
A2 vs the Specific category: when does the Open category stop being enough?
A2 lets you work a C2 drone 30 m from people — 5 m in low-speed mode. The Specific category is not a "better A2": it is a different regime with a declaration or authorisation, an operations manual and a higher exam bar. Here is an honest framework for the choice.
- a2
- specific-category
- open-category
2026-07-10
Cinematic drone shots: the core moves and the mistakes that ruin them
Cinematic drone footage comes from a small repertoire of moves — the reveal, the push-in, the orbit, the tracking shot — flown slowly and planned before takeoff. Here is what each move communicates, where beginners ruin it, and where the Open category draws the line.
- photo-video
- filming
- getting-started
2026-07-10
DJI Care Refresh vs drone insurance: why one does not replace the other
DJI Care Refresh replaces your damaged drone; Latvia's mandatory insurance covers harm to other people. They are two different protections, and the law only asks for the second. Here is what pays when something breaks.
- insurance
- dji
- latvia
2026-07-10
DJI Mini vs Air vs Mavic: which line fits your flying — and your certificate
Three DJI lines mean three weight bands, three C-classes and three certificate paths. The Mini 5 Pro (249.9 g, C0) flies in A1 with no exam, the Air 3S (724 g, C1) needs A1/A3, and the Mavic 4 Pro (C2) needs A2 on top for work near people.
- drones
- open-category
- licence
2026-07-10
Drones for real estate: what aerial shots add — and the rule most guides skip
An aerial shot shows the plot, the roof and the surroundings like no other frame. But listings usually sit in built-up areas — which means a sub-250 g / C0–C1 drone in A1 or a C2 drone with an A2 certificate, plus a zone check and BGKIS.
- commercial
- open-category
- a2
2026-07-10
Drones under 250 g — the rules that still apply
Under 250 g does not mean "no rules". The exam really isn't needed for A1 flights, but operator registration with a camera, the 120 m ceiling, VLOS and geographical zones remain. A precise list of what applies and what doesn't.
- sub-250g
- open-category
- registration
2026-07-10
The first mistakes that destroy beginner drones — and how to avoid them
Most first drones die to predictable pilot mistakes, not hardware: RTH set too low, a drained battery, an ATTI-mode drift. Nine mistakes — flying and legal — each with a concrete fix.
- getting-started
- safety
- latvia
2026-07-10
How to become a commercial drone pilot in the EU and Latvia
The EU has no separate "commercial drone licence" — the same A1/A3 and A2 certificates cover paid work. The realistic path: A1/A3, A2, operator registration, insurance, then skills and a portfolio.
- commercial
- licence
- latvia
2026-07-10
What is FPV? Goggles, disciplines, and the rules that still apply
FPV means flying through goggles with the drone's own view — racing, freestyle, cinewhoop or long-range. But EASA rules apply to FPV exactly like to any other drone: observer, registration, exam. Here is what to know before the first flight.
- fpv
- getting-started
- open-category
2026-07-09
EASA A1/A3 drone exam in Estonia: LOIS portal, fee and preparation
How Estonia handles the A1/A3 drone certificate through Transpordiamet and LOIS, what the official page says about the exam, and how to prepare before applying.
- a1-a3
- estonia
- eu
2026-07-09
EASA A1/A3 drone exam in Lithuania: official portal, registration and prep
Where to take the official A1/A3 drone exam in Lithuania, which authority runs the portal, and how dronelingo preparation still applies when the certificate is issued outside Latvia.
- a1-a3
- lithuania
- eu
2026-07-09
EASA A1/A3 drone exam in Poland: ULC portal, free training and prep
Poland's official A1/A3 drone exam route through the Civil Aviation Authority system, what the ULC says about price and format, and how to prepare before taking it.
- a1-a3
- poland
- eu
2026-07-07
A1/A3 or A2: which drone certificate do you need in Latvia?
The certificate you need is decided by your drone's class mark and how close to people or built-up areas you fly — not by ambition. Here's how to choose between the free A1/A3 and the in-person A2.
- licence
- a2
- open-category
2026-07-07
EASA NPA 2026-103: the 100-gram drone rule is now on paper
EASA's draft NPA 2026-103 moves the training and Remote ID line from 250 to 100 grams and adds a takeoff lockout without an operator ID. The Specific category, meanwhile, gets lighter. First changes no earlier than mid-2028.
- regulation
- easa
- eu
2026-07-07
How to become a drone pilot in Latvia: from box to first flight
The legal path in Latvia has a fixed order — operator registration, the free A1/A3 exam, the airspace rules — and beginners keep doing it backwards. Here is the whole route, and how to tell if you even need it.
- getting-started
- licence
- latvia
2026-07-01
Assemblies of people: the one line the open category never lets you cross
Every open-category subcategory treats closeness to people differently — but none of them may fly over an assembly of people, not even a sub-250 g drone. And an "assembly" is not a headcount: it is a question of whether people can move away. Here is the precise definition and the trap it sets on the exam.
- regulations
- open-category
- assemblies-of-people
2026-07-01
Human performance: are you fit to fly the drone right now?
The one A1/A3 subject that is about you, not the drone — and it is a legal duty on every flight. What UAS.OPEN.060(2)(a) says, why the open category has no alcohol limit, the IMSAFE self-check, and perception traps like empty-field myopia.
- regulations
- open-category
- human-performance
2026-06-30
The 120-metre height limit for drones: what it's actually measured from
Everyone memorises the number 120 but gets wrong what it's measured from: the closest point of the surface below the drone, not your take-off point. Here is what UAS.OPEN.010 says, the one exception, and why a BGKIS approval buys no altitude.
- regulations
- open-category
- height-limit
2026-06-29
How old do you have to be to fly a drone? The minimum age in Latvia and the EU
In the open category the minimum age is 16 — but there are three exceptions where no age floor applies at all. And "under 250 g" is not a free pass: it removes the test, not the age. Here is exactly what Article 9 says and what Latvia chose.
- regulations
- open-category
- minimum-age
2026-06-28
Visual line of sight and the FPV observer rule: what 'keep it in sight' actually means
VLOS means unaided contact with the drone — binoculars don't count. And FPV in the open category is only legal with an observer standing beside you. Here is the precise definition, the two exceptions, and why it shows up on the A1/A3 exam.
- regulations
- vlos
- fpv
2026-06-25
An airliner, a drone, and 3,000 feet: why the altitude limit is the line that matters
A United Boeing 737 pilot near San Diego reported a possible drone strike at 3,000 feet — seven times higher than any recreational drone may fly. The incident is a reason to revisit why the 120 m height limit and airport zones are hard limits, not suggestions.
- drone-safety
- airspace
- altitude-limit
2026-06-25
A drone with no C-class label: which subcategory can you actually fly in?
The transitional period closed on 31 December 2023. Since then a drone with no manufacturer C-class label flies in just two ways — and mass is the only thing that decides. How to tell whether yours is A1 or A3-only.
- open-category
- c-classes
- regulations
2026-06-24
Filming with a drone in Latvia: when the GDPR actually applies
Privacy is one of the nine A1/A3 exam subjects and the one pilots skim. When drone footage becomes data processing, when the personal-use exemption holds, and what to do before you publish.
- privacy
- gdpr
- data-protection
2026-06-23
Flying your drone in another EU country: what your Latvian registration and A1/A3 carry across the border
Your Latvian operator number and A1/A3 are recognised across the whole EASA area. What that means in practice, what does NOT travel with you — geographical zones and insurance — and what to check before you fly abroad.
- open-category
- registration
- a1-a3
2026-06-21
The A2 certificate of competency: when you need it and how to get it in Latvia
A2 is for flying a C2 drone closer to people than A3 allows. When it applies, the three steps to the certificate, and what the exam looks like: 30 questions, 75%, €15.
- a2
- certificate
- latvia
2026-06-18
Night drone flights — what the EU open category allows
Can you fly at night in the open category? Yes — with an active green flashing light and VLOS maintained. A practical guide for pilots in Latvia.
- open-category
- regulations
- easa
2026-06-06
Remote ID in 2026: What's Already Mandatory and Why the Threshold May Drop to 100 g
Remote ID has been mandatory for class-marked drones since 2024. In 2026 the European Commission is pushing to drop the threshold from 250 g to 100 g — which would pull in nearly every camera drone. Here is what already applies and what to do.
- regulations
- remote-id
- eu
2026-05-14
How to get the A1/A3 drone licence in Latvia in 2026
A factual guide to who actually needs A1/A3 in Latvia, what the official format is, and how it differs from simple operator registration.
- licence
- latvia
- getting-started
2026-05-14
The EU Open category — A1, A2, and A3 explained
A factual comparison of A1, A2, and A3 — what changes in distance rules, aircraft choice, and qualification inside the Open category.
- open-category
- regulations
- easa
2026-05-14
EU drone regulation 2019/947 — plain-language summary for hobby pilots
A plain-language introduction to how Reg. (EU) 2019/947 actually works in practice — categories, registration, qualification, C-classes, and national geographical zones.
- regulations
- easa
- eu