Affordable Aerial Filming

Yes – We have authority from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) called a PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operations). This means we are a licensed commercial operator of unmanned aerial vehicles (drone).

We provide drone aerial filming services for Birmingham and the entire West Midlands.

This includes Walsall, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Telford, Cannock, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Dudley, Redditch, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Stratford upon Avon, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Bromsgrove, Tamworth and Coventry to name just a few.

We are fully insured with five million pounds public liability insurance to fly at altitudes of up to 400 feet.

Our drone pilots are licensed and have passed the relevant CAA-approved examinations and flight assessments. Our pilots have the latest A2 Certificate of Competency as prescribed by the CAA from January 2021.

We are licenced by the Civil Aviation Authority to fly up to a maximum of 400 feet. The reason for this is that manned aircraft fly in airspace that is above 500 feet. Therefore the maximum 400 feet that drones fly at still leaves 100 feet of separation to manned aircraft.

We can fly in winds that have maximum gusts of up to 22 mph. However, the reality is that it’s best not to fly in winds over 15 mph as it affects the shot stability. Our drones are fitted with 4k cameras and gimbals that means we get beautiful stable shots in almost all normal flight conditions.

Flying in the rain is not recommended. This is simply because rain on the lens will spoil any shots.

We can fly in cold weather (and in hot weather). The only consideration with cold weather is that the battery packs drain faster. Freezing weather can drain the batteries up to 50% faster than usual. This is why we keep the batteries warm and (of course) carry spares with us.

Unfortunately, the weather is the challenge in aerial filming in the UK. We use long-range forecasting apps to monitor conditions five days in advance of any filming days. We’ll talk to you ahead of the shoot if the weather changes for the worse or if the forecast does not look like favourable conditions. If we have to cancel, we’ll simply re-arrange to a different day.

We have a maximum flight time of approximately 30 minutes per battery (in ideal conditions). We usually fly for approximately 20 minutes before changing the battery as a safety precaution. Battery changeovers are quick, and it’s worth noting that this needs to be factored into the shoot. The spare batteries mean we can fly all day.

We can fly our drones inside. They do need space, and sometimes the building construction or equipment can interfere with the drone’s communication with the controller. For example, equipment that emits large magnetic fields such as laser cutters does disrupt communications. For much of the time, this is not an issue, but it is worth bearing in mind.

We have one pilot operating one drone. The main cameraman is also a CAA-qualified drone pilot if we have included a drone on your shoot.

The aerial footage is streamed live to the pilot’s controller. This allows you to see what aerial shots we are capturing for you.

We film all over the world. The regulations are different in other countries, so we will need specifics about the locations and shots to carry out an assessment.

The CAA has set out the rules for flying close to buildings and people. Here is a summary;

1. Keep 50m from people and property not in control of the pilot.
2. During take-off and landing, maintain a distance of 30m from people and property not in control of the pilot.
3. You must obtain the permission of the landowner to take off and land your UAV.
4. You cannot fly directly overhead or within a minimum distance of 150m from an open-air assembly of over 1000 people.
5. The maximum flight ceiling is restricted to 400ft.
6. The drone pilot must maintain a visual line of sight of the drone to a max distance of 500m.
7. You must not fly in controlled airspace.
8. There are strict no-fly zones in central London where additional permits are required.

When we have the permission of the owner of a building, we can fly in close proximity. The same goes for flying close to people – we need the people’s consent, and they are to be fully briefed and under the control of the pilot.