Australia’s aviation authority has officially confirmed that the DJI Mini 5 Pro will be classified as a “small restricted RPA” rather than a sub-250g micro drone, according to correspondence obtained by Adelaide ドローンオペレーター Corey Roberts of Airworks Pty Ltd. The decision places Australia firmly in line with the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in taking a hard stance on the drone’s weight variance issue.
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The ruling matters because it strips Australian Mini 5 Pro owners of the regulatory freedoms enjoyed by sub-250g micro drone operators. Instead of flying with minimal restrictions, pilots now face the same requirements as operators of larger aircraft—a significant change that many didn’t anticipate when purchasing what DJI marketed as a near-250g drone.
Updated on 10/9/2025: This article has been updated to clarify CASA’s registration requirements. CASA does not require registration for drones flown purely recreationally, regardless of weight. Registration and accreditation are required only for commercial operations or when flying as part of your job.
CASA’s Official Response
CASA has officially confirmed to DroneXL, the Mini 5 Pro’s classification. A CASA spokesperson stated unequivocally:
“The DJI Mini 5 Pro is classified as a small restricted RPA and not a sub 250g micro RPA.”
The clarification came after Adelaide ドローンオペレーター Corey Roberts of Airworks Pty Ltd sought definitive guidance for the Australian drone community following widespread reports that units consistently weigh 252-253 grams—above the critical 250-gram threshold.
Roberts, a CASA-licensed ドローンオペレーター and former architect with nearly a decade of professional drone experience, contacted CASA’s Regulatory Oversight Division in early October 2025.
What This Means for Australian Pilots
The classification as a small restricted RPA has different implications depending on how you fly:
For recreational flyers: Good news—CASA doesn’t require registration or accreditation for any drone flown purely for fun, regardless of weight. If you’re flying your Mini 5 Pro as a hobby, you can continue without registration paperwork.
For commercial operators or those flying as part of their job: You must register the drone with CASA and complete the free accreditation quiz, regardless of weight. Registration costs apply for drones over 250g. However, operators of small restricted drones (under 2kg) can operate within CASA’s “excluded category,” allowing commercial flight without a remote pilot license, provided they follow standard operating conditions.
All operators—recreational and commercial—must still comply with CASA’s standard drone safety rules, including the 5.5km exclusion zone around controlled airports.
The real limitation? Pilots who wanted the sub-250g classification for more flexible operations near controlled airports no longer have that option. For commercial operators already holding accreditation for other drones, this changes very little.
A few grams more or less. Rafa is still a happy Mini 5 Pro owner! Photo credit: Rafael Suarez
Global Regulatory Divide Deepens
Australia’s decision highlights a growing split in how aviation authorities worldwide handle the Mini 5 Pro’s weight variance. While EASA accepts the drone as C0 class with a ±3% manufacturing tolerance (allowing up to 257.4g), most other major markets have rejected this flexibility.
The United States FAA requires registration and Remote ID compliance for any drone over 250 grams used recreationally, with no tolerance for manufacturing variance.
Transport Canada places responsibility on pilots to confirm their drone’s weight, requiring registration and pilot certification for any unit at or above 250 grams.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority confirmed there are no weight tolerances in UK regulations, stating that if a drone weighs more than 250g, it loses its C0 classification regardless of labeling. Looking ahead, UK pilots face even stricter requirements. From January 1, 2026, the CAA will drop its registration threshold from 250g to just 100g—less than half the current limit. This means significantly more drones will require operator registration and compliance with expanded regulations.
DJI’s Baffling Design Decision
Investigation revealed that a speaker installed to play the DJI startup jingle and other sounds adds approximately 3 grams to the Mini 5 Pro’s weight. The component pushes nearly every production unit above the 250-gram threshold that DJI spent years establishing as the gold standard for the Mini series.
While it’s possible DJI explored other weight-saving measures—perhaps a smaller battery or lighter materials—and found the speaker was their best compromise, the decision still strikes many as puzzling. The company built its entire Mini line around the sub-250g category, only to potentially disqualify the Mini 5 Pro in most markets for a three-second jingle.
Whether through better engineering or removing the speaker entirely, DJI could have kept the drone under 250 grams. Instead, they’ve created regulatory headaches for pilots worldwide who purchased expecting sub-250g compliance.
Photo credit: Mads_tech / Reddit
DroneXL’s Take
This shouldn’t have happened. DJI has successfully delivered four generations of Mini drones under the 250-gram limit, making the sub-250g category practically synonymous with the Mini brand. The Mini 5 Pro breaks that 信頼. There’s even a Japanese version that weighs less than 100 grams, and of course we have the DJI Neo coming at exactly 135 grams without any tolerances.
CASA’s decision is technically correct—the drone weighs more than 250 grams, so it doesn’t qualify as a micro RPA under Australian regulations. But the real issue is DJI’s apparent inability or unwillingness to keep their flagship Mini under the weight limit that made the series successful.
For Australian pilots, the practical impact is more nuanced than initially reported. Recreational flyers can continue flying without registration—CASA doesn’t require it for fun flying regardless of weight. Commercial operators already needed registration and accreditation for any drone anyway, so the weight classification primarily affects their operational privileges near airports. Those who purchased expecting to fly commercially under more flexible micro RPA rules near controlled airports will feel the most impact.
Europe’s EASA deserves credit for acknowledging manufacturing realities with their ±3% tolerance. It’s a pragmatic approach that recognizes production variance while maintaining safety standards. The question is whether other authorities will follow suit or continue drawing hard lines at 250 grams—and whether DJI will finally engineer a true sub-250g Mini for their next iteration.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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