Operations and Safety
- We never, under any circumstances, overfly people or property
- We always have 2 people on site
- We always take time for thorough pre-flight checks
- All aircraft and electronic control equipment are subject to continuous maintenance checks in properly equipped workshops.
We carry a £5m third party insurance policy, specifically for these activities, and operate fully in accordance with the Civil Aviation Authority’s CAP658 guidance. We are able to provide a Risk Assessment document, and/or a copy of our Operations Manual, should this be required.
Before the Shoot
All operations are preceded by a full briefing from the client and a safety and operational survey of the site. This will cover:
- Take off and landing corridors
- Weather
- Proximity of roads, occupied buildings and members of the public
- Security and restricted access to take off and landing corridors for safety purposes
- Escape routes and abort plans in case of operational difficulties
We will also discuss the best time of day to achieve the results you want, taking lighting, the sun position, shadows and angles into account.
At the shoot
It is entirely up to you whether or not you attend the shoot.
All aircraft are subjected to a full pre flight inspection, similar to that performed on a full size aircraft, according to a prescribed checklist in accordance with best practice. This can take up to 20 minutes and we ask for your patience during this period if you are present at the shoot.
The first flight will be used to get an overview of the target area, identifying key features, angles, and approaches. If present, you will be invited to participate in the development of the detailed flying and shooting plan, and of course may look at the viewfinder via our live downlink screen.
Pictures can be downloaded onto our laptop for clearer viewing after each flight.
One thing that surprises people is the speed of the operation. We will normally be airborne within 30 minutes of arrival, and will shoot over 50 pictures during a 5 – 7 minute flight. An hour to 90 minutes on site will typically yield 150 – 200 pictures, from which the agreed number can be selected.