We offer such a range of services, that we had no choice but to create a simplified list below.
Therefore, if you don't see what you are looking for, or would like a more bespoke quote, please get in touch, as chances are we can help.
Rest assured we are experts with drones and cameras, and our knowledge comes from over a decade of commercial experience...
Get stunning broadcast quality footage from our 'in-house' range of cameras and lenses.
'A picture is worth a thousand words' and we believe an aerial image can say even more.
'First Person View'. Get close up and into the heart of the action or push the limits of speed.
When you need something that little bit unique we can create a bespoke flying solution.
100 drones
300 drones
500 drones +
It is a legal requirement to hold a current UK Operator ID and UK Flyer ID *, as well as commercial insurance compliant with EC785/2004 as a minimum to fly drones as a business in the UK. There are then further laws and limitations based on the size of drone you wish to fly and where.
On their own, the Operator and Flyer ID will only let you fly in the 'Open Category' and not let you fly in any area that is considered 'built up', which is anything recreational, residential, commercial or industrial, or in layman's terms, anywhere that is not an empty remote field far away from people, unless the drone weighs under 250g. Although these drones can be used in built up areas, as you may expect from their weight limit, their cameras and ability are very restricted.
There is an A2 Certificate of Competence course that can be completed to allow a pilot to fly up to 2kg drones in built up areas, however, the pilot must keep the drone a minimum of 50m horizontally from uninvolved people. This essentially means that anywhere there is likely to be members of the public, i.e. a built up area, you are very restricted on where you can fly legally. Believe it or not, this law also includes any person inside a building, vehicle or vessel, not just those that our outside.
Our dedication to safety and professionalism, combined with only using the best equipment and highly trained remote pilots, has enabled us to apply through the UK Civil Aviation Authority for 'Specific Category' permissions.
This means that we can fly heavier drones up to 25kg in weight, allowing for better cameras and sensors, anywhere in the United Kingdom, even in towns and cities!
* The UK Flyer ID does not currently apply to drones weighing under 250g.
Here is our 'top tips' checklist for making sure the drone operator you want to hire is legal and legit and doesn't drag you in to a legal problem of their causing.
You will likely find that many of the locations you want to fly from also request this information already, as they want to protect themselves too.
We've been flying drones for over a decade now, and in that time, we've noticed a selection of 'trends and buzzwords' that many use to make things sound better than they are, or as a way of confusing and over selling.
We like to be upfront and honest, so each section detailing our services has a 'rough price guide' and what is involved for estimating purposes, so you know what you are paying for and why.
We have a 'Get the most' guide below intended to help cut through the jargon, as well as assist you to plan your perfect shoot for the best results. We're also here to help if you have questions.
Not every shoot is the same, with the following items all having an impact on the equipment used, the number of crew needed, the amount of safety planning required, and ultimately the budget:
The most important thing we need to consider is how likely are we to interact or cross paths with members of the public, especially during take off and landing.
Typically, a remote location can be done with just the remote pilot and the drone, but for complex locations, especially in towns and cities, it is always safest to have at least two trained crew on site to help control the take off and landing area.
In very public locations, especially near crowds and events, it may also be necessary to use security staff and crowd control measures.
The date, and even the time of day, can play a part in how busy an area might be. For example, roads at rush hour compared to a typical Sunday morning, or schools during term compared to the middle of the summer holidays.
Weather is another significant influencer on the work we can do safely and to a good standard, so we always advise customers to consider a reserve date that can be moved to it needed.
The location can also affect how many flights can safely be achieved in one day, especially if more than one location per day is required and we need to move.
We see so many companies that love to quote 'pixel-count' or 'max-resolution' as proof of quality, but there is so much more you should consider.
Filming: All our cameras are capable of shooting 4K or higher, as well as up to 120 frames per second for super slow motion, but these numbers are meaningless if not supported by quality camera sensors, quality lenses and suitable data recording rates.
For example, even the HD footage shot on one of our professional Canon Cinema series cameras can look more cinematic, perform better under colour grading, and match footage from other cameras better, than any 4K footage from a basic drone camera. Also, consider the end use of your footage and what you need, as 4K and higher creates significantly bigger file sizes.
Photography: We offer cameras capable of anything from 12mp to 100mp, so when choosing what you need consider the final use and how much detail you need.
For example, if you only want images to put on a website, or print at A4-A2 in size, then you likely only need smaller 12mp type files with a low level of detail. However, if the image is for high end use where people may look more closely, or for printing over a large area like a wall print or billboard, then 30mp or above will be significantly better.
Editing: Do you want RAW images or LOG footage, or do you want finished files ready to use? RAW and LOG both offer ways of recording more detail and information for better results but require an additional step of editing to use.
For example, a LOG file on our Canon C70 or C300 records an increased dynamic range to capture a broader range of colour and tones but will look grey and washed out unless colour graded to correct.
The type of drone used for a shoot can have a huge impact on the type of shots that can be captured, as well as how precisely and smoothly.
Basic: Many of the smaller drones used have fixed cameras that don't offer the ability to pan, this means the remote pilot must turn the drone itself to point the camera.
This is best used only for simpler shots that don't require much camera movement. For example, vertical lift wide angle reveals, or straight tracks and sideways panning.
Complex: Using bigger drones allows for dual control, where the remote pilot concentrates solely on flying, while a remote camera operator can focus on pointing the camera at the action.
This is best when the item you want to shoot is moving, or you want to add movement to the shot. For example, following a moving vehicle or actor, or moving around a static object to create parallax movement, or any combination of both
Dynamic: If you want to get in to the heart of the action, you may want to use the drone equivalent of the action camera, which is FPV or First Person View drones.
This is best when you want speed, dynamic movement, or shooting through small gaps. For example, compared to tracking a moving vehicle like in a complex shot, FPV lets you get right down to the driver's window as they drift around a corner, or under the car as it flips in an explosion.
Control: Some of our drones also support additional controls, such as focus pulling, for when the ultimate control of the images is required.
This is best when you want to shift focus from the foreground to the background in a shot or ensure that auto focus doesn't move to the wrong part of the action. For example, if dropping down from a wide shot to a close up of an actor, manual control of the focus can ensure that the actor and not their surroundings is the core of the shot.
As you can imagine, some areas are easier to film in than others, with some locations requiring additional planning steps to ensure both safety and legality.
There is a system of Flight Restriction Zones (FRZs) around the UK, that control certain airspaces, including drones. Most of these are near airports, but there are also some around prisons and other high security locations. There are also some areas, where national security is enforced, such as central London.
Some areas may require up to 28 days notice to fly in. Our professionalism and experience often enable us to reduce this, sometimes to only 24 hours, but not always.
There are some occasions where there is a legal requirement for us to use additional crew. For example, when flying FPV the remote pilot wears goggles, so we are legally required to use a second person to maintain sight of the drone instead. This is a UK CAA legal regulation that must be followed.
In summary, there are legal requirements for the general operation of unmanned aircraft, or drones, that apply to everywhere in the United Kingdom that must be followed.
We make it as easy as we can for you and take care of all the aviation law and safety, so you can rest easy and focus on what you need to.
You can trust in us; this is our speciality and we are a leading expert with it.
All the information we share on our website is intended to help our clients plan, but we understand that nothing is more useful than just chatting to us direct.
We offer free desktop reviews of your projects to assess feasibility and legality, as well as offering free no-obligation quotes.
For highly complex projects, or just for when planning on site is best, we also offer a recce service.
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