Drone
Insurance

The term drone is widely used to describe unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In brief a “drone” is a machine that can fly autonomously with software controlled flight plans, or from a remote control device. Drones come in all shapes and sizes, with many features, functionality and optional extras. The drone market is rapidly expanding with constant intuitive additions

Are drones easy to control?

A common feature of the latest consumer models of drone is GPS Position Hold technology; this attempts to stabilise the current location, heading and altitude of the drone to essentially “loiter” by locking the three principle axes of flight dynamics (roll, pitch and yaw). This is better handled by multi-rotor drones.

When learning to control a lightweight drone, there is a projected period of approximately two weeks for an operator to feel confident with flight, with first time drone pilots being encouraged to practice in large open spaces focusing on orientation and operating at a safe altitude. Consumer drones can typically fly at a range of 500 to 1000 metres; this range dictates the highest possible altitude your drone can reach before you would lose RLOS (radio line of sight) and result in Lost Link (meaning you lose control of the drone as it passes outside the range of control).

Pay close attention to battery size and life when operating your drone. Flight time will vary greatly depending on the battery capabilities of your model. A typical consumer drone such as those fitted with a GoPro camera will fly for approximately 25 minutes, whereas those with higher lifting capacity will deplete their battery within around 15 minutes due to power output required to compensate for the extra weight. The term “take-off weight” refers to the maximum weight that the drone can lift including itself; this means that a drone weighing 10kg with a take-off weight of 15kg would be able to carry a 5kg payload. Heavy lift drones are multi rotor aircrafts that can carry a significant payload usually in excess of it’s own weight; these drones will often have larger batteries and props than any consumer “hobby” drone.

Drone Insurance is very important to ensure you are not breaching any drone law regulation that could ultimately result in criminal prosecution, and also to avoid costly claims in the event of public liability. No operator of a drone intends to damage any third party property (such as vehicles or structures), however in the event of Lost Link (loss of command and control link with a remotely-piloted aircraft) there is the potential for an expensive claim against an operators assumed negligence. In the event that loss of control causes physical injury to a third party (for instance loss of sight caused by a rotating propeller), the costs could escalate astronomically.

What is drone insurance

Drone Insurance gives public liability for up to £10 million for damage or injury to any third party. Insurance is also available for damage or loss to the drone, associated drone equipment, employer’s liability cover to cover a business’ employees. Also drone insurance cover can be purchased for the flight assessment exam commercial users need to take.

There are very specific compliance regulations for operators of unmanned aircrafts; any operator of a unmanned aircraft is advised to consult the Insurance Requirements for Air Carriers and Aircraft Operators to ascertain the minimum level of insurance required.

Other reference material that may be useful:

2015 Briefing on Civil drones in the European Union

European Aviation Safety Agency – Civil drones (Unmanned aircraft)

European Aviation Safety Agency – Flying a Drone Leaflet

UK Parliament – Civilian Use of Drones in the EU – European Union Committee

Drones come in all shapes and sizes depending on the purpose of their use. Drones commonly come in either Quad, Hex or Octo categories; these prefixes refer to the number of rotors. A Quadcopter has four rotors, a Hexacopter has six rotors, and an Octocopter has eight rotors. The more rotors a drone has, the more stable it is and easier it is to control. Increased numbers of rotors also provide the drone with more lifting power which is essential for aerial drones used for professional photography to ensure the heavy cameras can be carried. An added benefit of Hexacopter Drones and Octocopter Drones is that some can still fly if a motor or ESC (electronic speed controller) fails mid flight; whilst not ideal, most drones with additional rotors can usually return home suitably, whereas a Quadcopter Drone would be compromised by a failure and resultantly suffer from a break in RLOS (radio line of sight) and crash, potentially damaging the drone or causing third party damage in the process.

• Battery Life – On average drones can only fly for around 20 minutes before their battery life depletes. Spare batteries should be budgeted for to ensure you never have to cut your fun short.
• FPV – First person view allows the operator to “see” as their drone does, often via a video downlink from the camera on the drone transmitting to an LCD monitor or a smart phone/tablet. This functionality is essential for a videographer and highly recommended for any photographer.
• Gimbal – A pivot point that allows rotation; a 3-axis gimbal essentially provides the same functionality as a gyroscope such as those used for ballistic missile guidance systems. Gimbals afford pan and tilt functionality for cameras mounted on drones.
• GPS-Based Autopilot – This feature provides desirable options of smart flight controls including “follow me” and “auto return to home” functions amongst others.
• Waterproof – Most consumer drones should not be operated in the rain; this is because many motors are not waterproofed and the ESC reaches high temperatures requiring ventilation. Some manufacturers are producing waterproof drones but this is not a typical feature of most consumer level hobby drones.

So you wanted a drone, but couldn’t justify the price tag for what would essentially be a “toy”? Well we have good news. Lately we have seen Drones become much more mainstream and widely utilised for professions such as photographers, videographers and site surveyors.

Is a licence required to fly a drone?

Where a drone is being used for commercial purposes, the law dictates that the operator must acquire ‘Operating Permission’ (Permission to Fly) from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). If the drone you intend to use exceeds 20kg in weight when fully equipped, you will also need a special licence for “Airworthiness Approval” from the CAA to fly it in the UK. You can find a range of regulatory and law guidance information in the FAQ menu of this website.

Where can I fly my drone?

When operating a drone, it is important to always ensure you do not fly within 50 metres of any person, vehicle or structure (such as a building). Even with the drone in your VLOS (visual line of sight) do not control it over congested areas such as sports events and music festivals. The drone should be operated in large open spaces to ensure there is no danger presented to third parties. Public liability Insurance should be arranged to protect you from claims in the event that an accident does occur.

What commercial use is there for my drone?

Using a drone for commercial purposes is typically in the niche of photography and surveyance. Good examples include wedding photography and the construction industry. Amazon have recently been looking into the potential for using drones as a delivery method in the distribution sector under their service named Amazon Prime Air. Beyond these industries, american company Fly4Me has been subcontracting it’s drone services to commercial sectors such as golf courses, solar panel installers (for roof dimensions and shading data for panel placements), alongside infrastructure inspections. Other commercial sectors currently being considered for the benefits of drone use include mining, farming and agriculture, disaster response and premises security.

It is important that when operating an unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera or video, you remain aware of the regulations regarding privacy.

The digital age and the increasing availability of affordable cameras has resulted in an large increase of adept photographers and videographers; the introduction of drones to the field has resulted in a surge of interest for aerial photography. Though many drones boast their camera-equipped capabilities, it is worth knowing that not all “off the shelf” solutions are suitable for professional photography. Experts in the field of professional photography advise a minimum spec of 1080p resolution at 60 fps (frames per second) for video, and a minimum 12 megapixel for still image captures.

What is “Aerial Photography”?

Anything shot from the air, whether it be video or photos can be called aerial photography. In the past the most common Aerial Photography was done from helicopters; thanks to the range of battery powered multi-rotors on the market, aerial photography is now more accessible than ever before.

Which camera drone is best?

Just like the old saying “the best camera is the one that you have with you”, this applies to camera drones as well. With a few exceptions the ‘best camera drone’ (for video/photography) could be any with a gimbal, a decent flight range and some sort of FPV setup.

Can drones be used for seascape photography?

Drones can be used for seascape photography, and for flight over bodies of water, as long as the operator pays attention to the altitude. Sea spray and seawater in general can be very corrosive where any motor or electronics are concerned. As drones are not commonly waterproof, submersion in water should be avoided to prevent damage to, or destruction of your drone.