Step by Step guide: Operating a drone in Malta

Whether you’re new to drones and aerial photography, or you’ve been flying for a while under the previous self-registration framework - here’s what you need to do to operate a drone legally in Malta

All of the information in this page can be found in more detail on the TM Drones page here: https://www.transport.gov.mt/aviation/drones-4444

This page is not endorsed by TM and in the case of any conflicting advice, please refer to the materials issued by TM-CAD. This guide also only discusses operations in the Open category. Other categories exist for more demanding flights, however these bring additional requirements such as risk assessment

First Steps: Registration on the TM Portal

Step 1. Register on the Transport Malta Drone portal: https://tmcad.idronect.com/ . Registration costs €25 and is paid online, yearly and you will be issued with a UAS Operator Registration Number together with a UAS Operator Certificate.

Step 2: This UAS Operator Registration Number or corresponding QR-code should be printed and affixed to any drones you own/operate. I used a label printer to create a small neat and hard wearing sticker.

Next Step: Insurance

Step 3: You need to get a valid insurance certificate. 3rd-Party is the minimum required by law, however you can opt to also insure your drone. I used https://www.coverdrone.com filled in a couple of online forms and paid €18.70 for 1 year of 3rd party cover. Other operators exist such as Ving insurance brokers.

Step 4: Upload you insurance details to https://tmcad.idronect.com/ . To do this click on the Document Library button and “Add Document”.

Next: Drone Operator Certificates & Examinations

Step 5. Depending on the drone you operate, sit for the A1/A3 operator exam (certificate of competence). To do this you will need to physically go to the TM CAD office in lija, and you will need to book the exam beforehand. In the portal, under the Certificates -> Exams you will be able to see the available exams. Chose a convenient time and book online. This costs €10 and is paid online during booking.

The the EU legislation: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019R0947 states

As confirmed by Transport Malta, the A1/A3 operator exam certificate is not required for drones under 250g even if they have a camera - so a Mavic Mini pilot will not need this unless there are accessories added that add weight to the drone.

However whilst not required - If i had a Mini i would just get the certificate. It’s pretty simple, takes less than an hour of your time and teaches you what you can and can’t do as a drone operator. Also less possible loopholes for insurance providers

You can find training materials for the A1/A3 exam here: https://www.transport.gov.mt/aviation/drones/training-4446 Make sure you read/study the Powerpoint presentation as well as the video since there will be questions on classes/minimum distances and things you are allowed/not allowed to do as a drone operator. The A1/A3 exam consists of 40 multiple choice question and will change from person to person.

Step 6. If you have a larger drone (> 500g such as the Mavic 2 or Phantom) you will also need to sit for the A2 exam, unless you choose to only fly it in the A3 category (Which brings about additional restrictions such as not being about to fly within 150m of touristic/urban areas/beaches according to the videos on TM’s site) This covers additional topics related to weather conditions and their effect on flight, batteries and flight envelopes. There are many online courses available and I found this PDF from transport sweden quite helpful: https://transportstyrelsen.se/globalassets/global/luftfart/dronare/utbildningsmaterial/drones-a2-education.pdf

There is a (at time of writing this) free online course for the A2 here: https://coptrz.com/shop/cpd-training-courses/a2-certificate-of-competency-a2-cofc/ Thanks to Malcolm debono for finding this

Registration for this exam costs another €10 and can be booked in the same way as the A1/A3 exam.

Both the A1/A3 and A2 exams are valid for 5 years. The exams are multiple choice tests that are done on a computer at the TM CAD office in lija. The process is extremely organised and efficient and you get the results minutes after completion by email

Next: Drone Registration & Flights

Step 7. Register your Drone on the Drones section of the https://tmcad.idronect.com/ . You will need the model and serial number of the drone

You are now ready to fly

Step 8. Before you fly you need to submit your flight within the portal. You will need to provide date, time, altitude and draw a flight plan. If certain conditions are met (during daytime hours, under 60m and in non restricted zones) this flight should be approved automatically by the system

Note: Flight logs are automatically uploaded to DJI’s servers if you are using a DJI drone and are not using “local mode” in the app. If you do not wish to upload the logs to DJI’s servers, you can enable local mode in the app and store the logs yourself. Logs do not need to be uploaded to TM CAD

DJI Mavic Mini: Some edited samples

If you haven’t taken a look at my first impressions of the DJI Mavic mini drone, then check it out here

I’ve had some more time to play around with the drone and i’m really enjoying it. The best way i think it can be describes is: “an easy to use flying camera”, and when you consider the price i think it will make a perfect christmas present for overgrown children such as myself.

In the meantime, here are some edited images from the drone. I find that out of the box, the images lack a bit of punch and contrast so mostly that is what I added (using the Snapseed app for android)

Small note regarding range and controller signal: I was flying the drone from a spot just off the bottom left hand corner of the 2nd photo. I was able to cross the bay and take the overhead shot of the cliffs (the middle peninsula in the same photo), at which point the quality and controls were not at 100%. Keep in mind this was also in force 5/6 winds which affect radio quality

Mavic Mini: First impressions

Full disclosure - I paid for this myself (DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo for 499), and am not sponsored by DJI or any other company I mention in these reviews.

Update: Camera Samples

Here are some unedited samples from the drone camera.

The Things I Like about the Mavic Mini

The way the Mavic Mini flies

The weather these last few days has been terrible, in fact, today we went out to try to get some shots of Manoel Island - but dear old mother nature decided we deserved a bath instead. As soon as the rain subsided, I figured it would be the best time to see what today’s Force 4/5 winds would do to the Mavic Mini…

In a nutshell, it’s not a Mavic 2 - but then again neither is it’s price tag. The little drone took the wind like a champ and the footage was pretty solid. It struggled a bit to fly into the wind but it was still making good headway (4 m/s into the wind). When I kept the drone hovering, it was uncannily glued in position. Ascent and Descent speeds are a tiny bit slow (unless I was doing something wrong :D) but not a deal-breaker.

In true Mavic form, this is a very easy drone to fly and I did not experience any dropouts in connection

The Mavic Mini is TINY

It’s literally something you can put in a big pocket. The only annoyance is that the props are very light and feel delicate and they just flop around freely. Invest in a prop holder or some loose rubber band or something DJI… The intelligent battery charger is also quite compact and doubles up as a holder for the batteries during transport.

It also looks like a Mavic so it’s equal parts Killer Robot and cute - I really, REALLY like the way it looks.

It Seems Quiet.*

Of course, this is completely *not scientifically measured and relative to other drones like the Mavic 2 and the Mavic Air (aka swarm of bees) - but I got the impression that the drone is less loud and intrusive. Since I don’t like to stick out, I like the fact that it’s less likely to annoy people. (I will verify this later)

DJI Fly App is easy to use

As it says on the box, the app installed, updated and worked pretty seamlessly on my Huawei P30. The only negative so far (and I haven’t yet dug around properly) is that the app did not save the images I shot on my phone automatically

The Price

At 499 (and let’s face it 399 if you lose/crash the thing) it’s very reasonably priced for a drone and reduces the financial risk of something bad happening.

The things I don’t like about the Mavic Mini

The rear door does not cover the SD and USB connections.

I’m sure some bright spark will invent an aftermarket accessory to cover them however that will put you above the 250g take-off weight limit for some countries. That sliver of plastic could have easily been removed from somewhere else.

The Fly More Combo case is not ideal

It’s a perfect case when space isn’t an issue (for storage or for taking pictures on instagram of the package..) but there is way too much waste of space, and having to play with the props to fit in the Mavic is just a pain in the butt. A much smaller case could have been provided to carry this around.

The controller does not like big mobile phone cases

To be fair, I had the same issue with the Mavic 2 - big phones will ultimately fit, but you need to really stretch it open and hold the phone at a bit of an angle. Works, just annoys me.

No Fancy shooting modes

As it says on the tin, so far there are very simple point and click shooting options for stills - it’s possible to set the EV (Exposure compensation) but not much else. You cannot stitch panoramas yet (or at least I havent found it) and also cannot shoot RAW.

*UPDATE: I’ve discovered that it is in fact possible to manually select ISO and shutter speed. Remember however that this drone does not have aperture control so pack some ND filters (if? when?) they become available

If you want to buy the Mavic Mini locally check out the store at Dickens in sliema or online here since they actually have in stock.

Amazon are actually selling at pretty good pricing (387 eur at time of writing) - given the current situation in China it might be easier.

If you don’t live in Malta, or want to use/save DJI credit hit this link to buy direct from DJI