Useful Info
What are drones?
Drones offer unique opportunities for business and recreational usage. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones are flying machines that don’t require the use of a pilot within the device itself.
The initial purpose of drones were military in nature, an innovation that was intended to eliminate the dangers to pilots in potentially dangerous situations.
Now many companies are experimenting with drone usage as part of their business model. Drones have also helped to revolutionize the cinematic industry, with picturesque views from the sky and even been used in agriculture to better monitor crop conditions. And the list goes on.
Why do we have no fly zones?
On August 2, 2014, a drone pilot accidentally crashed a drone into one of Yellowstones delicate hot springs , leading to a ban on drone flight over National Parks. A visiting tourist seeking a unique view of the park, accidentally crashed in the Grand Prismatic Spring. This resulted in a ban and fine for the tourist and legislation that prohibits flying over National Parks in the United States.
Other prohibitions include restricted airspace and areas identified by local agencies. You can see a full listing of No Drone Zones in the B4UFLY app.
Drone accessories and upgrades
Send your drone work to new heights with the best drone accessories in the business! Whether you’re shooting videos, photos, or both, the best drone accessories can augment your experience in all sorts of ways, some of which you may not have considered. There are useful, drone-specific backpacks that keep your gear protected from the elements, as well as incredible goggles that allow you to fly from a first-person POV.
There’s also more prosaic stuff that is nevertheless essential, including batteries, chargers, filters, blade protectors, and more. Without spending loads of money, you can outfit your drone to be safer, more protected, and better equipped to achieve your vision.
Safety and guidelines (UK)
The UK’s drone rules are based on the risk of the flight – where you fly, the proximity to other people, and the size and weight of your drone.
The rules don’t apply if you are flying indoors. Flights within buildings, or within areas where there is no possibility for the drone to escape into the open air (such as a closed netted structure) are not subject to aviation legislation.
The main rules and advice are covered in our Drone and Model Aircraft Code
Key rules include:
- Never fly more than 120m (400ft) above the surface
- Always keep your drone or model aircraft in sight
- Never fly in an airport’s flight restriction zone unless you have permission
If your drone has a camera (unless it is a toy) or weighs 250g or more then you need to register with the CAA. You need to renew this registration every year. This is a registration of you as the operator rather than the drone itself.
Anyone flying a drone weighing 250g or more needs to pass a test and get a flyer ID from the CAA. This is free and online.
Regardless of whether you legally need a flyer ID we strongly recommend that you do the learning and test as it gives you valuable information on flying your drone safely. If you already have a flyer ID that is still valid, you don’t need to re-do the test until it expires, although you are required to keep up to date with the new regulations.
You can register, get your flyer ID and find more information at register-drones.caa.co.uk
Drone Job Opportunities
There are lots of industries leveraging drones these days—creating a big need for jobs to support the technology too. In fact, Optics Mag reports that drones are expected to create approximately 103,776 jobs by 2025, which will grow to an estimated $63.6 billion.
Drone operators are needed in fields such as construction, emergency management, entertainment, logistics, surveying and many more.
Businesses are in need of drone services. If they don’t have internal capabilities, they’ll look to vendors or solution providers to help fill that gap. Only about 1/3 of organisations in need of drone services are using internal resources.
According to CompTIA research, a little more than 1/4 of organisations fully leverage Drone Service Providers (DSPs) to source their needs, while nearly 40% use a combination of in-house and solution providers. There are real opportunities for solution providers to add drone operation to their list of offerings.
Counter-Drone Technology
Drones have become so widespread that counter-drone technology is now essential to keep unwanted eyes off of proprietary or sensitive events. In 2020, Heathrow Airport installed a unique counter-drone system to prevent flying in restricted space and even track down the rogue pilots. Some counter-drone systems are even designed to protect against rogue drone pilots gathering intelligence in stadiums and during the development of movies.