Civil Aviation Authority Approved
Firefly Imagery has Permission for Commercial Operations accreditation from the Civil Aviation Authority, which is mandatory for anyone flying drones for commercial use.
Our pilots have passed the CAA-approved exams and flight assessments, have a Night Flight rating, and hold Remote Pilot Qualification for multi-rotor aircraft between 7-20kg.
In addition, to fly a drone in the UK, either commercially or recreationally, pilots are required to comply with CAP393: Air Navigation Order - the main conditions of which are:
(1) Maintain a distance of 50m from people and property not in control of the pilot (reduce to 30m during take off and landing) (2) Gain permission of the landowner to take off and land (3) Do not fly overhead or within a minimum distance of 150m from an open-air assembly of over 1000 people (4) Fly a maximum height of 400ft above ground level (5) Maintain visual line of sight of the drone to a maximum distance of 500m
Flight restrictions apply in some areas of Central London and additional permissions need to be sought from the CAA. Restrictions also apply to flying near airports and aerodromes.
Public Liability Insurance
Firely Imagery has £1m public liability insurance.
Flight Safety
Safety is our number one priority. We perform a detailed online pre-flight survey with location checks that include airspace restrictions, nearby airports and no fly zones, and each job is risk assessed in accordance with our CAA approved operations manual. All of our drones are fitted with “return to home” safety features. On the day the pilot has the final say in determining if the flying conditions and location can be deemed safe.