Catalyst Video Services have been granted a fourth year’s ‘Permission for Commercial Operations’ (PfCO) by the Civil Aviation Authority this week.
Catalyst Video Services has the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) “Permission for Commercial Operations” PfCO which means as a licensed commercial operator of UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles), we are governed and regulated by the CAA.
The PfCO is mandatory for anyone flying drones for commercial use in the UK along with drone public liability insurance. It is the basis of the drone photography laws in the U.K.
Catalyst Video Services are fully insured against injury and damage with £1million public liability to fly at altitudes of up to 400 feet.
Flight Safety
Safety for aerial drone flights is our number one priority. Our pilot has passed the CAA-approved exams, flight assessments, and holds the established industry qualifications for multi-rotor aircraft under 7kg.
The CAA approval regulations are very detailed but we are able to help you through the process of making an aerial shoot both legal and safe.
We do a detailed online pre-flight survey with location check that includes airspace restrictions, nearby airports and no fly zones to see if there are any flight restrictions we need to be aware of.
Each aerial photography job is risk assessed on an individual basis in accordance with our CAA approved operations manual. We include cordons, clearly marked landing area, and observer/ground safety personnel. All aircraft are fitted with “return to home” safety features.
An operations plan for each job is written and checked before any flights are undertaken.
On the day a full on-site survey is undertaken. The pilot has final say when determining if flying conditions and the location can be “deemed safe”.
What is a PfCO?
A PfCO allows flights within the UK subject to the conditions and limitations specified by the CAA. A permission from the CAA is required to be held if you conduct commercial operations with your aircraft, or if you wish to fly your aircraft:
- within 150m of either a congested area or an organised open air crowd or more than 1000 persons
- within 50m of people or properties/objects that are not under your control (iaw ANO2018)
In both cases the CAA must be suitably satisfied that the operation can be conducted safely. The PfCO enables a person to conduct commercial operations with a small unmanned aircraft (drone) and also permits drones weighing 7kg or less to be operated within a congested area. Potential operators are required to provide evidence of pilot competence and an Operations Manual which details how the flights will be conducted.
Catalyst are fully CAA approved and insured for 2019/20.
Looking forward to another busy and exciting year ahead in the world of commercial drones!
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