We have put together a selection of our more frequently asked drone questions.
If you have a drone question, please let us know.
We have a fleet of drones that we use for different applications, this is to ensure that the best drone is used for the right job. We predominantly use DJI equipment for both aerial and ground filming, which includes Phantom 4 Pro Advanced, Mavic 2 Pro, and the M210. For ground filming we use the Ronin S as a stabilizer/gimbal and film using a Panasonic GH4 with changeable lenses. All our filming equipment is capable of shooting in 4k resolution at various frame rates to suit and produce high resolution images. Our fleet is reviewed when new equipment is released.
Yes, although a drone licence is actually called an “Operational Authorisation” and is known as a Permission for Commercial Operation (PfCO), there is a lot of people who refer to this as being a drone licence. The Operational Authorisation is issued by the Civil Aviation Authority when the drone pilot is able to demonstrate confidence in flying of a drone as well as passing a theory test which covers Aviation Law, weather conditions, other airspace users, care and storage for the drone and general safety /good practice. Once this has been achieved, it’s a requirement for the drone operator to obtain a flyer ID and an Organisation ID and the relevant insurance.
The CAA is an acronym for the Civil Aviation Authority, they set the benchmark for aviation legislation and they overall manage airspace in the UK, this is for all air craft, including drones, weather balloons, as well as manned aircraft from Hot Air Balloons right up to large commercial aircraft. We are required to abide by the aviation laws and comply to the legislation that is set out by them in respect of drones.
A UAV is an acronym for Unmanned Air Vehicle, this is the correct name for a drone so there is no difference at all, you may also here them being referred to as a UAS which is an Unmanned Air System – again, this is exactly this same thing, just a different term for it, we just call them drones though, as that’s what most people are familiar with.
This is all done from the remote control held by the drone operator, the drone operator has one of three methods to view what the camera can see – remote controller has a built-in monitor, a mobile phone with the drone app is plugged into the remote control or a iPad/tablet is plugged into the remote control – if using a mobile or iPad, the operator can view what the camera can see on the app which is used to control the drone.
We shoot video in 4k resolution, this is the best quality to use for editing, it can then be graded or reduced to 1080HD if required after this, for frame rates, this can be changed to suit most requirements. The imagery we capture is in High Definition.
Drones have come a long way since we first started and they are safer than they ever have been. The drones we use have some amazing technology built into them for safety, sensors and obstacle avoidance is built into each drone we use, but we don’t just rely on this. We carry out a flight assessment before each flight and complete a RAMS before the scheduled drone flight.
Yes, we hold Public Liability Insurance with a Limit of Indemnity of £10m. The insurance company we use is Moonrock Insurance and the Policy is compliant with EC 785/2004 – This is a requirement by law if you wish to operate a drone with valid insurance.
DroneCam Solutions Ltd registered office is 65 Duke Street, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 7SD. We travel nationwide for our clients but we have been further afield (Europe) when a client has requested us to!
Yes we do, we have multiple arrangements in place with clients who are regular clients, all of whom benefit from preferential rates as a returning client.
Each job is tailored to the needs of a client, we do have a structure in place, so to ensure you receive an accurate quote, please contact us to discuss your requirements and you will receive a written quote shortly after.