Is Dronecorp licensed by the CAA?

 

Yes - Dronecorp has the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) “Permission for Commercial Operations” PfCO which means as a licensed commercial operator of UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles) we are governed and regulated by the CAA. The Civil Aviation PfCO is mandatory for anyone flying drones for commercial use in the UK. We also have a license and qualification to fly in the EU and are happy to show you our approvals.

 

Is Dronecorp Insured?

 

Yes - Dronecorp are fully insured against injury and damage for each flight with £5million public liability to fly at altitudes of up to 400 feet.

 

How high can your drones UAV’s fly?

 

Under CAA regulations we are allowed to fly from ground level up to a maximum altitude of 400ft.  The airspace for manned aircraft is over 500ft so this leaves a separation zone of 100 feet.

 

What about flying in wind and rain?

 

We do not fly in high winds and rain. We can fly in winds gusting up to 22mph. Our advanced camera gimbal system gives very smooth shots in winds of up to about 15 mph.

Our drones are capable of flying in light rain but rainwater on the camera lenses can spoil any shots.

 

What about flying in cold or freezing weather?

 

Our drones will fly in temperatures from -10°c to 40°c.  In very cold weather we make sure the battery packs are warmed and kept warm before flying.  The maximum drone flight times on one battery of 24 minutes can be reduced by up to 50% in very cold temperatures.

 

What if we have bad weather on the day?

 

We monitor the weather forecast 5 days in advance of any shoot. If the signs are not good we talk to the client 48 hours prior to the shoot.

If we both decide to stay with the day and we have bad weather, our pilots will wait on site as long as possible in the hope of a break in the weather.

If we have to re-schedule a date because of weather the booking deposit is transferred to the new date.

Weather is known business risk in the UK so we are as flexible as possible to ensure that bookings can be rearranged.

 

How long can you fly?

 

The maximum flight time on a single battery in normal conditions is upto 30 minutes. On average we fly up to 22 minutes before landing and changing the battery. We carry spare pre-charged batteries on each shoot. It only takes a few minutes to change the battery and get back in air. So we are able to fly all day with very little disruption.

 

Can I see what is being filmed?

 

Yes - We stream the aerial drone footage in real time to the pilot’s remote controller which allows the client on the ground to see what the aerial camera is capturing.

This lets us to adjust the camera pan, tilt, framing and drone flight path as we fly to get the best shots.

 

Can you fly your drones at night?

 

Yes we can.  We have a night rating from the CAA and all our pilots are trained to fly at night.  We are skilled in setting up the cameras to film at night.

 

Are drones better than helicopters?

 

They get different aerial footage and results.  Drones can fly closer to the subject, they are quieter, can be deployed quicker as weather and filming dictates, and they are a fraction of the cost of hiring a helicopter and pilot.   

 

What is your drone range and speed?

 

The maximum airspeed of our drones is over 50 mph.   Our maximum range permitted by the CAA is 500m with the pilot maintaining a visible line of sight at all times to the UAV.  Our maximum permitted altitude by the CAA is 400ft.

 

It’s confusing the different acronyms for drones - what do they all mean?

 

Here are the most common ones:

SUA – small unmanned aircraft (used by the CAA)

SUSA - small unmanned surveillance aircraft (used by CAA)

UAV - unmanned aerial vehicle (used by the CAA)

RPA – remotely piloted aircraft

RPAS - remotely piloted aircraft system 

UAS – unmanned aircraft systems

UA - unmanned aircraft

You often see them before or after the word drone – UAV drone or drone UAV