How to choose a responsible drone pilot for your work
So many people have drones these days and lots of them post videos on social media and YouTube showing them flying miles away from their take off point or rising high up into the clouds or even flying over city centres to get fabulous footage.
Fabulous footage perhaps, but legal . . . definitely not!
Professional drone pilots have very strict rules on where and how we fly, we don’t fly higher than 400ft and no further away laterally than 500m. (Altitude is in feet and distance in metres – crazy eh!)
We fly like this to stay under other aircraft in the sky and to remain in what is called VLOS or Visual Line of Sight.
In simple terms ‘VLOS’ means that you can see the drone at all times
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has very strict rules for drone pilots and has different classifications from the hobbyist end of the scale up to a professional course that includes classroom work over several days, a flight test to show competence and the creation of an Operations Manual before CAA registration so that the pilot can pitch for work.
Currently this is the PfCO or Permission for Commercial Operations
Professional drone pilots will also be separately insured for aerial work
Before you choose a drone pilot to work for you.
You obviously have to look at their work to attest to quality but my advice is that you ask the drone pilot to show you / send you their CAA registration and a copy of their drone insurance. Drones are classed as aircraft and if the pilot isn’t insured and something happens it could mean you are liable.
Things you should be looking for . .
The pilot’s qualification and insurance – this is the first thing to do.
Look at their work, a professional website isn’t a definitive testiment but for credibility it’s perhaps better than just a facebook page.
If you do all this you shouldn’t go far wrong
If you want more advice . . .
If I can help in any way from advice to working with you my email is here or you can contact me on 07964 10 9 8 7 6