6.1 UK0, UK1 & UK2 Class Marks and A2 Eligibility

Why Class Marks Matter for A2 Candidates

The A2 Certificate of Competency does not float free of the aircraft. Near People (A2) privileges are only useful when the aircraft class (or legacy eligibility) and the remote pilot competency line up. The CAA’s class-mark system tells you, from a label on the aircraft, which Open subcategory you may enter and whether the A2 CofC is the key that unlocks the closer-to-people lane.

This section focuses on UK0, UK1, and UK2 — the marks most relevant to everyday Open flying and to the A2 pathway. UK3–UK6 and the EU C-class transition appear in later sections of this chapter. Treat the numbers here as exam-critical facts: mass limits, payload inclusion, market-placement date, and subcategory mapping.

What a UK Class Mark Is

A UK class mark is a manufacturer declaration that a drone or model aircraft design meets the technical and safety requirements for a defined UK class (UK0 through UK6). The mark appears as a physical label (and supporting documentation) so the remote pilot and operator can decide:

1. Which Open subcategory is available for that aircraft.
2. Whether Flyer ID / Operator ID expectations and other technical features (for example Remote ID or geo-awareness on higher-risk classes) apply as designed for that class.
3. Whether an A2 CofC is required if the pilot wants Near People (A2) privileges with that airframe.

From 1 January 2026, any new model of drone or model aircraft placed on the market in the UK must have a UK class mark. Aircraft made or distributed before that date may still fly using a European C class mark during the transition or, if unmarked, as legacy aircraft under the weight table. European C marks are treated as corresponding UK classes only through 31 December 2027; from 1 January 2028 they are treated as legacy aircraft by weight. Memorise: new models placed on the UK market from 1 January 2026 need a UK class mark.

MTOM Including Payload — The Non-Negotiable Rule

Every UK0–UK6 weight limit on the CAA class-marks page is stated as maximum weight … including payload. For exam and operations purposes:

• MTOM (maximum take-off mass) is the highest mass at which the aircraft is intended to take off.
• Payload includes cameras, gimbals, sensors, spare batteries carried as cargo, mounts, prop guards if they add mass, packages, and any other mass the aircraft carries beyond the empty airframe as configured for flight.
• If you add payload and the total exceeds the class’s mass ceiling, you are no longer operating within that class’s mass requirement, even if the empty airframe was sold as UK0, UK1, or UK2.

Practical implication: a UK1 airframe sold at 700 g empty is not automatically free to carry a 300 g camera and still claim UK1 for operations — 700 g + 300 g = 1 000 g, which exceeds the less than 900 g UK1 ceiling. Always weigh the flight-ready configuration you will launch.

UK0, UK1, and UK2 — Mass Ceilings

These are the CAA overview weight requirements used to introduce the classes. Full technical standards also cover design features and safety functions beyond mass; for A2 theory, mass + subcategory mapping is the core tested set.

UK0 — under 250 g including payload

UK0 is the lightest UK class. Because mass (and therefore kinetic energy potential) is low, UK0 maps to the most permissive Open subcategory for people proximity: Over People (A1). A pilot with a Flyer ID (and other applicable Open rules) can use UK0 aircraft in A1 without needing an A2 CofC. That does not mean "fly recklessly over crowds"; A1 still requires safe Open-category operation, VLOS, height limits, and respect for uninvolved people and assemblies as defined elsewhere in the Open rules. The class mark simply places UK0 in the A1 column of the CAA class-marks table.

Exam traps:

• Confusing UK0’s 250 g limit with the legacy weight table’s less than 250 g A1 entry — they are related ideas but one is a class mark, the other is a legacy weight route when no class mark is present.
• Forgetting that payload counts toward the 250 g ceiling.

UK1 — under 900 g including payload

UK1 sits between toy-scale UK0 aircraft and heavier UK2 platforms. Like UK0, UK1 maps to Over People (A1) on the CAA class-marks table (alongside European C0/C1 during transition). UK1 does not require an A2 CofC for its A1 privileges. Candidates sometimes invent a false rule that "anything over 250 g needs A2" — that is wrong for UK1 class-marked aircraft, which remain in the A1 column when used as designed.

Why this matters for A2 students: you must know when A2 is not required. Holding an A2 CofC does not change UK1’s default Open subcategory mapping to A1; the certificate is not a free upgrade of every aircraft into Near People rules.

UK2 — under 4 kg including payload (the A2 class)

UK2 is the class A2 candidates should tattoo on their memory. Maximum weight is less than 4 kg including payload. On the CAA class-marks table:

• Near People (A2) — if you hold an A2 Certificate of Competence.
• Far from People (A3) — if you do not hold an A2 CofC.

UK2 is the primary A2 class: UK2, or equivalent C2 only through 31 December 2027, plus a valid A2 CofC is the standard Near People path. Separation, VLOS, height, airspace, weather, and site conditions still apply. From 2026, UK1, UK2, and UK3 class aircraft must operate with Remote ID switched on as current rules require, and class geo-awareness information must be kept current where fitted.

Without the A2 CofC, a UK2 pilot is not stranded — they may still fly Far from People (A3) when A3 conditions are met. The certificate changes how close they may operate relative to uninvolved people under Open A2 rules; it does not invent a right to ignore A3 when the certificate is absent.

Subcategory Mapping for UK0–UK2

Also note from the CAA table: UK2, UK3, and UK4 can all use Far from People (A3). For UK2 specifically, A3 is the fallback when the pilot has no A2 CofC; for UK3/UK4, A3 is the Open home (covered in section 6.2).

Market Placement from 1 January 2026

The CAA states that any new model of drone or model aircraft placed on the market from 1 January 2026 must have a UK class mark. Implications for pilots and operators:

• Shopping for a brand-new 2026 model? Expect a UK0–UK6 label, not an unmarked "grey" product marketed as new without a class mark.
• Older stock made or distributed before 1 January 2026 is unlikely to have a UK class mark; you may still fly it using a European C class mark or the legacy weight table, as applicable.
• "Placed on the market" is about making the model available as a product, not about the date you personally bought a second-hand airframe. Exam questions may rephrase this as "new models sold from…" — keep the official idea: new models from 1 Jan 2026 need a UK class mark.

How UK0–UK2 Fit the A2 Study Path

1. Flyer ID remains foundation competency for Open flying generally.
2. A2 CofC is the additional competency for Near People (A2).
3. UK2 (or C2 during transition, or eligible legacy under the weight table) is the aircraft side of the A2 coin for most commercial-style close-in Open work under 4 kg.
4. UK0/UK1 pilots often never need A2 if they only fly A1 with light class-marked aircraft — but many professionals step up to UK2 and then need the certificate.

Realistic Scenarios

Scenario A — UK2 survey multirotor, pilot has Flyer ID only. The aircraft is under 4 kg with payload and carries a UK2 mark. The pilot wants to work 40 m from people on a quiet industrial estate. Without an A2 CofC, Near People (A2) is not available. Options: complete the A2 path, or operate under Far from People (A3) distances and site conditions instead.

Scenario B — UK1 cinewhoop-style aircraft at 650 g with a 150 g camera. Total mass 800 g is still under 900 g, so the flight-ready mass remains inside UK1’s ceiling for weight purposes. The Open mapping remains A1. Adding a heavier cinema camera that takes total mass over 900 g breaks the UK1 mass assumption even if the empty shell was sold as UK1.

Scenario C — "My new 2026 retail model has no class label." For a new model placed on the market from 1 January 2026, UK rules expect a UK class mark. Do not invent privileges. Confirm labelling with the manufacturer/seller; if truly unmarked, treat carefully as legacy-style uncertainty and apply the weight table only when the aircraft genuinely has no UK or European class mark.

Scenario D — UK0 under 250 g over a park path. UK0 maps to Over People (A1). The pilot still must fly safely, keep VLOS, respect height limits, and apply uninvolved-person and assembly rules taught in air-law chapters. Class mark eligibility is not a licence to be careless.

Exam Numbers to Memorise

Master UK0–UK2 before you add UK3–UK6 complexity. Most A2 operational stories start with UK2 + A2 CofC = Near People (A2).