Quick Answer
Since January 2026, every drone flown at night in the UK Open Category must carry a green flashing light visible from the ground. The VIFly Strobe (6g, 4-hour battery) fits any sub-250g build and satisfies the CAA requirement. You still need a spotter for FPV night flights.
The Green Light Rule That Caught Out Half Our Club
We turned up to our local field in November for the first evening session of the season. Five pilots, zero green lights between us. The new CAA requirement had been in the news, but nobody had actually fitted one. We packed up and went home.
From 1 January 2026, the UK Civil Aviation Authority requires every drone flown at night in the Open Category to carry a green flashing light, active for the entire flight. Not white. Not red. Green, flashing, and clearly visible from the ground. This is regulation, not guidance. Ignoring it carries the same penalties as flying without an Operator ID.
The rule covers FPV drones, camera drones, whoops, and cinewhoops. No weight exemptions exist. Even a 20g whoop in your back garden after sunset needs a green flashing light fitted and active.
What Actually Works: Our Night Flying Kit
After testing several strobes on our bench, the VIFly Strobe is what we bolt to every build headed for evening sessions. At 6 grams it will not push a sub-250g build over the threshold. The 160mAh battery lasts 4 hours in strobe mode: an entire evening on one charge.
The Strobe has five 3W LEDs: three white, one red, and one green. A single button cycles through modes including green-only flashing, the exact pattern the CAA requires. It mounts with 3M VHB tape or Velcro, and the USB-C port is accessible without removing it.
For DJI Avata 2 pilots, the VIFly Tactical Light Kit clips straight onto the Avata 2 body with no adhesive.
One addition we consider mandatory: a drone buzzer. When a quad goes down in darkness, a 100dB buzzer finds it faster than GPS coordinates. Browse our full range in the LED and lighting collection.
FPV at Night: What the Goggles Do Not Show You
Flying FPV after dark is different. Your camera handles low light well enough, but depth perception drops and power lines, tree branches, and fence wires disappear. Your peripheral awareness through the goggles is already limited, and darkness makes it worse.
Daytime camera settings do not translate. WDR and brightness settings need a bump. We switch WDR to high and increase brightness by two or three notches from our daytime profile. If night flying is regular for you, pick a camera with strong low-lux sensitivity.
Weight Budget: Night Gear Adds Up
CAA weight categories matter more at night. A VIFly Strobe at 6g plus a buzzer at roughly 5g is 11g of safety equipment. On a build sitting at 249g during the day, that leaves zero margin for a larger battery or GoPro mount.
We plan night-capable builds with a 15g safety margin from the start. That covers the strobe, buzzer, and mud. If your daytime build sits right on 249g, you will be over the limit once you add the light. For the full picture on weight categories and registration, our UK drone laws guide covers everything.
FAQ
Q: What colour must the anti-collision light be for UK night drone flying?
A: Green, and it must flash. The CAA specifically requires a green flashing light visible from the ground. White, red, or any other colour does not satisfy the regulation. The VIFly Strobe has a dedicated green flash mode.
Q: Do I need the green light on a sub-250g whoop flown in my garden at night?
A: Yes. The rule applies to all drones in the Open Category regardless of weight or location. No exemptions. The VIFly Strobe at 6g fits even a 65mm whoop without pushing it over 250g.
Q: Can I fly FPV at night without a spotter?
A: FPV flying always requires a competent person maintaining direct unaided visual contact with the drone. At night this is harder but still the rule. A spotter is even more important after dark because your goggles reference is reduced. We never fly FPV at night without one.
Q: Does the strobe count towards my drone's weight for CAA categories?
A: Yes. Every gram on the drone at takeoff counts, including the strobe, buzzer, and mounting hardware. If your build is close to 250g without the strobe, adding one may push you into the next weight category.