What do we do?
Maybe you just want a few digital images of your house from a new perspective; maybe you're a production company needing some aerial video footage to incorporate into an advertising, documentary or feature shoot; maybe you're a developer or facilities manager needing to survey a site from above; whatever your needs, you could well find that we offer an effective and surprisingly economic solution..
The new breed of electrically-powered, radio-controlled aerial vehicles – often known as drones – can carry a sophisticated self-levelling gimbal to house the video or stills camera; the result is footage that is vibration-free and stabilised, mounted on a platform that is flexible enough to go almost anywhere. We can offer single takes of 15 – 20 minutes between battery changes; we can fly from 2ft up to 400 ft; we can track at over 40mph.
Any operator using aerial vehicles for commercial purposes In the UK is required to hold a license issued by the Civil Aviation Authority; this will only be granted where the operator holds a recognised pilot qualification – in our case, BNUC-S™ accredited through EuroUSC- and carries adequate third-party insurance. The current listing of Approved Operators can always be inspected on the CAA website; it is illegal in the UK to undertake commercial work in the field if you don't appear on this list.
Where to start?
Get in contact by email, or using the phone number or form shown on the Contact page, and let us know what you are looking for. We operate out of Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels, about half-way between Bristol and Exeter, but are happy to travel anywhere in the UK for the right job. There are some regulatory constraints on where and when we can fly – these apply primarily over heavily congested areas, at large organised events, and after dark - but if this is not an issue we can discuss the options with you and quote a rate. If the job is likely to be extended or complex we will arrange a preliminary site visit to satisfy ourselves that everything will run smoothly on the day, but this will not always be necessary. We can then schedule the date(s).
We normally operate as a two-person crew, the pilot-in-charge and an assistant. You will be able to monitor the shooting in real-time on a screen on the ground via a low-definition link from the aircraft; high-definition footage is transferred for detailed assessment each time the craft lands. The camera and gimbal is controlled from the ground in all three axes to get the results you want; control is via a simple pair of levers on the hand-held controller and should you wish to handle this directly through your own DP or camera operator we can usually accommodate this. For those interested, a bit more about the technology can be found in the News pages.
The stills or video resulting from the session will be passed to you either on the day or within 48 hours, on memory-stick or through the cloud, with unrestricted and exclusive rights for exploitation worldwide; remember that recorded imagery from the air carries exactly the same implications under Data Protection and Privacy legislation as filming on the ground. We retain no rights in the stills or video although we may ask to use short clips for promotion.
We do not normally offer post-production facilities. However, for small jobs, if you do not have facilities or expertise yourself, we may be able to perform some simple editing and colour-grading; we will quote for this separately.
Disclaimer
Weather conditions do affect our ability to fly; we cannot fly in rain or where the wind exceeds safe limits. We monitor the weather forecast in the days ahead of your shoot and will keep you informed of any likely issues. If uncertainty persists over the likelihood of bad weather in the 48 hours immediately preceding a shoot you can choose to reschedule or cancel without penalty. If as the result of weather conditions we are unable to shoot, whether or not we have been able to give you notice, we reserve the right to offer an alternative date.
If we can't achieve acceptable results from our shoot as the result of a technical failure, weather conditions, or some other unforeseen event we will not bill you for the session and will refund any fees paid; in such a case we will retain any stills or video images, unless we come to a mutually acceptable agreement otherwise. We will not be liable to you for any costs you incur, direct or consequential.
In the event of our acts causing damage or injury to you or to third-parties the assessment of liability will be passed to our insurers John Heath (UK) Ltd for resolution.
