
You may have seen information in the press recently regarding the upcoming drone regulations that are shortly to take effect in the UK. But did you know that there is currently a whole raft of legislation in place that covers the use of drones (both commercially and for leisure purposes) yet many people are still unknowingly hiring unqualified and unsafe drone pilots to carry out their aerial work.
CAA qualified holders of the Permission for Commercial Operation (You need this in order to fly commercially) have all been through rigorous training to ensure that they meet the minimum standard of operation necessary in order to be safe. Notice the word minimum, this implying that if you haven’t done this training you are definitely NOT safe to operate commercially.
Hiring an unqualified pilot is very often cheaper, but instead of thinking in terms of money think in terms of safety and reputational damage. Each and every aerial imaging project carries its own unique risk assessment, and if done properly they can take several hours. A qualified drone pilot is instantly able to spot potential hazards and mitigate any risk to an acceptable level. The risk assessment includes everything from the type of airspace that will be operated within, to the detailed analysis of aviation charts and ordinance survey maps in order to spot hazards. In addition to this, a further dynamic risk assessment will also be carried out once on-site, in addition to detailed pre-flight checks.
An illegal pilot will just turn up, fly his drone, and in the words of Mr Murphy ‘If anything can go wrong it will’ Normally in dramatic style and with no insurance to boot!
The moral of the story, as it always is, has to be DO THE RIGHT THING.
Hire a professional, be safe, be sensible! As always if you have any questions call us!
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