FAQ – Capital Wireless

FAQ & Legal Requirments

Capital Wireless are a licensed operator with a permission to operate UAV’s commercially by the CAA. In order to remain inline with our permissions and insurance there are certain regulations that must be met before any flight can take place.

Each job is assessed on an individual basis but a basic overview of what is required is listed below:

A full site and surrounding area survey is required to check whether the flight will be in controlled air space as well as assessing potential hazards that can cause harm to people or structures within the flight plan.
Permission from the land owner is required for the take off and landing area.
Visual line of site of the UAV must be maintained at all times up to a maximum of 400ft is allowed. Special permissions can be obtained for flying above this height and in restricted areas, enquire for more details.

A pre-flight visit may be required, but usually a postcode would be sufficient for checks to be made so we can see if there are any flight restrictions that we need to be made aware of.

Capital Wireless are experienced UAV pilots and are fully trained and qualified. Every pilot holds the Remote Pilot Qualification (RPQ) and are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

What Are The Restrictions?

The pilot always needs to maintain line-of-sight with the drone.
Drone must be less than 500m from the pilot at a maximum altitude of 120m (400ft).
Minimum 50m from uncontrolled buildings and people.
Cannot fly over crowds of people
Cannot fly over built up areas.
Cannot fly in restricted or danger areas such as near airports, prisons, power plants, unless appropriate permission is obtained.

Special flights can be requested, for example, to fly at a greater heights or in restricted areas or restricted airspace. In this scenario, we need a minimum 21 days planning time to obtain the permissions from the CAA, which are not guaranteed. Part of this process is to satisfy the CAA that the flights can be made safety and communicate with the local Air Traffic Controller the flights are taking place, be aware there may be an additional cost involved.

How does the weather affect opperations?

Weather has a big affect on operations, for example, we are unable to operate in high-wind, rain or snow as it’s unsafe for people/equipment and outside of our permissions outlined by the CAA.

Please bare in mind, wind and rain are always a consideration in your planning and quite often reduce the amount of flying time on the day. We constantly monitor the weather to give the best chance of flying but cannot guarantee flights can be made. A few days before each flight we usually have a high certainty if the weather will be suitable for flying and at that point we allow our client to decide whether to commit to the day.

Are We Allowed To Operate Commercially ?

Capital Wireless Ltd have been granted Permission for Aerial Work (PFAW) from the CAA and the chief pilot holds an RPQ-s qualification from Resource Group.

Are We Insured?

Capital Wireless Ltd are fully insured and have £5,000,000 public liability.

How Long Can We Fly For?

Depending on the drone used, an average flight lasts from 10 – 25 minutes. We always aim to maximise time in the air whilst being mindful of over-stressing the pilot or aircraft. We have ability to charge on-site with a car charger and / or 240v mains and always carry multiple batteries.

Flights In Congested Areas

We use all sub 7 KG drones, so flying in congested areas is permitted providing:

We need 30m clearance during take off and landing.
We need to maintain a 50m clearance at all times be that vertical or lateral from any structure, vessel, person that is not under our control.

Exceptions are in restricted airspaces, such as central London, where a minimum of 21 days is required to get permission from the CAA, although permission is not always guaranteed and there is someitmes an additional cost involved.