Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at what you need to do as a PfCO Holder, to fly your drone at night safely... AND in accordance with your CAA PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operations).

With rumours about a recent crash with a drone at night, in a heavily congested area; it appears that some people may not actually be aware of the requirements placed upon us in the UK, as Remote Pilots (RPs) of Drones, in addition to the requirements for just flying in the daylight.

There are a couple of sections in the PfCO wording, which outline the basics of the additional requirements and it's essential that, as Remote Pilots and/or SUA Operators; we ensure that we know them in order to be allowed to continue to exercise the rights and privileges granted to us by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), allowing us to fly our SUAs commercially at night.

Links to the 'Adding Night Flying to Your Operations Manual' video mentioned, below:

https://youtu.be/ySIPou-FUyw

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Every year, we see awesome drone videos from Firework Displays and Shows. Particularly as we approach bonfire night, here in the UK - it's worth looking at how to do firework videos with your drone safely and looking at the settings you should use to get some awesome footage, first time!

So, we've pulled together the 5 best tips we've always used, to help us get the best firework footage from our drone flights and to fly safely and legally too!

Links to the videos mentioned below:

Fly your drone safely at night: https://youtu.be/ktXXZ8V9Xx4

How to add Night Flying to your CAA Drone Operations Manual: https://youtu.be/ySIPou-FUyw

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

So, the UK CAA have FINALLY announced a little more detail on the Drone and model aircraft registration and education service (DMARES)... It's about as disappointing and, if it was even possible; slightly more frustrating than the original proposals!

Big points to take away:

Operator ID: Anyone who owns or is responsible for the operation of a drone or model aircraft weighing between 250g and 20Kg MUST register as a Remote Operator and obtain an Operator ID. This costs £9 and is renewed annually… You must be aged 18 or over to register as a Remote Operator. Your Operator ID must be placed on your model aircraft or drone and be visible if required for inspection. As far as we’re aware, it will be possible to place this ID inside somewhere like a battery bay, so that it isn’t always visible; particularly useful for those people who are flying scale model aircraft.

Flyer ID: Anyone who wants to fly or operate a model aircraft or drone in the UK, as of the 30th November will need to pass a 20 question online examination. The pass mark for this is a minimum of 16 correct answers and the learning required for the examination will be contained in a new ‘Drone and Model Aircraft Code’ which forms part of the DMARES. The questions will come from the learning which the CAA provide and even if you fail, you can keep learning the code and attempting it (at no cost). Once you’ve passed the test, you’ll be issued with your Flyer ID. There are currently no age requirements for the scheme but it should be noted that children under the age of 13 can only register with a parent or guardian present.

It now costs £9 instead of £16.50 to register as an operator, annually.

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at a question which has just come in, as a direct response to a thread in one of the UK CAA PfCO Facebook Groups... The question surrounds what constitutes 'control' of Persons, Vessels, Vehicles and Structures, according to the CAA and, if you can get to within a distance of say, 20 metres of a towerblock if you've got permission from the building custodian (or whoever controls/can grant permissions), for you to fly your drone closer than 50 metres from the structure... Without getting permission from all of the individuals who are occupying the building.

We dive into the latest version of the CAA CAP 722 (v7.3 at the time of creating the video) and look at what is required of us as a Remote Pilot (RP) and/or SUA Operator, in order to be operating within the rules and regulations...

Links to the videos mentioned below (What is a Drone OSC - Operating Safety Case)?:

https://youtu.be/9Mc7eIx7BU0

Link to the CAA CAP 722 - Check out Pages 48 & 49 for more on 'How to Control (or not) Persons, Vessels, Vehicles and Structures':

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapp...

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at the 'Drone Incident' that occurred at Gatwick Airport in late 2018.

Almost a year later, and, as a community, we've still not been told what it was or if there was even a drone there after all...

The impact that this 'incident' had on the drone community (and potentially aviation as a whole) shouldn't be underestimated.

Therefore, I think it's high time that we demanded some answers from the Government, Gatwick Airport Execs and the relevant Police Forces so that we can see the justification behind the CAA/Government's Drone Registration Scheme (which will affect all drone operators by the end of November 2019) AND the increasing regulations placed on us.

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at what an OSC (Operating Safety Case) is, and what are the outline requirements to be granted one by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). Getting an OSC isn't as straightforward as some people may think - BUT, it's certainly not a difficult process to complete, especially once you understand what's involved and where to find the required information.

The CAA have handily moved all of the information about how to get an OSC into the new version of the CAA CAP 722A which you can find linked below:

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapp...

It's worth a read if this is something you're considering...

If you are interested in getting an OSC or thinking about applying for enhanced permissions, then make sure you go over to the Mr MPW website & sign up to the newsletter - you'll find it at the bottom of the page (the website is being fully updated over the next few days; but the newsletter signup will still live in the footer!)... We're hosting a FREE OSC Seminar for 60 randomly selected applicants, which we'll release the details for through the newsletter as soon as we've confirmed the venue and date.

This will be an awesome opportunity to meet some of you and to be able to teach you the mechanics of getting an OSC. The same training is likely to cost ~£2000/person if you miss out on the free training day... So go register for the newsletter ASAP and then be sure to apply for a space at the seminar as soon as we announce it! :)

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, I'm afraid that in this one, I go off on a bit of a rant, discussing where the UK Government are getting their 'Drone Experts' from; to present evidence to the Select Committee(s), Parliament, Parliamentary Steering Groups etc...

Who decides who gets to present the evidence and represent the industry?

WHY are a small group (of seemingly unaware and uninvolved) people being used over and over again to represent us all?

** Are these people deliberately being selected by the 'powers that be', because they know that they'll say what the Government wants and needs to hear? **

I'm definitely no conspiracist and I'm not suggesting that I'd be remotely appropriate to represent us, as a community at these levels/events, but what I am suggesting, is that we, as a community of drone operators need to look at who is choosing the people who represent us and who are being chosen to represent... And, if we're not happy about the level of representation, we need to do something about it!

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at whether adding a parachute to your drone actually makes it safer...

More manufacturers are starting to make small and (relatively affordable) parachutes for drones like the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, Phantom 4 series and the DJI Inspire 2 - but, does adding a parachute to your aircraft make it safer, or does it actually increase the chances of something going wrong with it - which may lead to needing to use the parachute in the first place?!

Many of the drones we see now, have the manufacturer recommended maximum take-off mass, set to the actual weight of the aircraft, so surely; putting a parachute system onto these platforms makes the SUAS operate at a weight above the maximum recommended by the designer...

Lots of people see or think that adding a parachute to your drone will also allow you to get the much-coveted 'operating safety case' (OSC) from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) but... This isn't necessarily the case - in our extensive experience, the CAA don't look at the fact that a parachute has been added to a drone and give an immediate 'YES, you're good to go on an OSC'... They'll weigh up the entire Safety Management System (SMS), of which the parachute forms a (admittedly significant) part; but it's not the magic bullet that some people seem to think.

What do you think? Does adding a parachute and operating above the manufacturers recommended weight limits justify the risk? Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at a question which came in from a Subscriber a few days ago - 'What you need to do in order to fly your drone over your own house...'

Can you even do it? Surely, if you want to take a look at your own roof or chimney, then you can, because you own the property, right?!

Well - there may be more to it than that and there's a bunch of things to consider! Just because you own the property (or even if you rent it), it doesn't automatically mean that you can fly over or around it. You've got to abide by the separation distances shown in the Air Navigation Order and then, any additional requirements if you want to exercise the privileges granted to you by the CAA under any issued permissions (PfCO) if you have one.

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the channel - in this video, we take a look at a question sent in last week by a Channel Subscriber. It's actually something we get asked all the time; Is it worth joining organisations such as ARPAS (The Association of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems), or The Drone Safe Register (DSR) - which many people have seen on the BBC's Dragon's Den programme...

Or, are these organisations a waste of money?

It's a difficult question to answer to be honest; as we're not members of any of these types of organisation, but - particularly as is the case behind WHY we're not a member of ARPAS, it may be worth knowing the reason why we're not a member...

Hopefully, this video outlines what you should be asking yourself when it comes down to deciding if joining these organisations is worth it to YOU, or if they're a waste of YOUR money.

If you'd like to see interviews with the people behind these organisations, let us know in the comments down below and we'll do our best to get them on here and bring that content to you all!

Please feel free to rate the video and leave any comments or questions below...

There are more videos and reviews coming all the time so be sure to check back regularly or subscribe to stay up to date!

Blue skies,

Matt