Question 1

Are you licenced and insured?

Accepted Answer

Of course!

Vantage has £10 million public liability insurance which complies with regulation (EC) 785/2004 as required by the CAA.
We also hold a GVC and A2 C of C granted by the CAA.

Technically non of these are "licences", but it's easier to call them this, as it's slightly more common terminology!

Question 2

What's a GVC?

Accepted Answer

"General Visual Line of Sight Certificate"
 
Permission granted by the UK Civil Aviation Authority to operate in a number of scenarios that typically require more advanced risk mitigations than that of an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 COFC).
 
This is not to be confused with the drone registration scheme which the government launched in November 2019. Registering your drone and completing an online competency test for an Operator and/or Flyer ID is a legal requirement, but you will be limited to certain sizes of drones, and the areas where you can legally fly them.

Question 3

Is it safe?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Safety is one of our top priorities. We have an extensive operations manual, perform remote pre-flight assessments to gather information on the take off site and surrounding area before we've even stepped foot on site.
 
Every job is risk assessed ahead of any work carried out. No flight will be carried out unless it has been deemed safe to do so.

Question 4

Can weather affect the flight? What if it rains?

Accepted Answer

We all know what the British weather is like; sometimes conditions may not be suitable for flying. High winds, rain or poor visibility can pose safety issues and in this instance Vantage would be happy to rearrange at the earliest opportunity.

Question 5

Where can you fly?

Accepted Answer

Anywhere we are legally permitted! Ahead of every job, we conduct a remote pre-flight site assessment which includes checking the proposed flying area for hazards or flight limitations that could impact your requirements. We'll let you know if we require any permissions to legally carry out the work. For indoor filming we may require a site visit to undertake this assessment.

Question 6

Can you fly at night?

Accepted Answer

Vantage night time operations have been signed off by the CAA - It's perfectly fine. We just need to recce the area during daylight hours first.

Question 7

How much will it cost?

Accepted Answer

This will vary depending on the job and the amount of post production needed. Flying is only one part of what we do, we also edit both video and photos, provide 360 aerials/internals, map/GIS processing and generate 3D Models too. We offer both hourly and daily rates depending on the nature of the work, so would be happy to discuss your requirements and tailor this to suit your budget.

Question 8

My friend just bought a drone...Can't I just use them?

Accepted Answer

Owning a spanner does not make you a mechanic.
 
If you want high quality, professional footage and data - stick to Vantage.
 
But if you do decide to go elsewhere, just make sure whoever you use has insurance.

FAQs

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Get in touch

If you'd like any further information, or you're looking for a quote, then please don't hesitate to get in touch.