Author Topic: Drone rules in Europe, do you need a licence? [Funny... (or maybe sad)] (Read 7355 times)

Brightontl · « **on:** May 23, 2018, 15:58 »

Is it still worth buying a drone in the UK?
Do you need a permit or licence for posting in YouTube or for stock video or Photography?
Have a laugh on me!!!
https://youtu.be/huOeNQDTe4w

Brightontl · « **Reply #1 on:** May 24, 2018, 06:44 »

Does anyone here has a pfco for selling stock video (in the UK)?
Have you inquired into this? Did you come to the same conclusion as me?
I would be interested to hear your opinions and experience, also for other countries in Europe

Tommy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 24, 2018, 08:07 »

I’d love to get a drone but pretty pointless if I can’t sell the footage without a load of hassle.

The rules seem ridiculous in the UK, I’d only want to fly it a couple of hundred feet max.

unnonimus · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2018, 21:19 »

I will give you my opinion.

I do not believe that drones will displace traditional photography.

there have been many technologies that have come along, such as drones, action cameras, timelapse, 3d video, 3d photo, 360 footage, etc, and although each seemed cool when they were released, none of them have become a major part of photographic market share.

although drones will earn you money, the traditional methods of earning money will not be displaced.

in addition, drones can often only fly for 15 minutes, so you do not get as much filming time as you do with traditional filming methods.

I thought about using drones as a form of jib but decided that my traditional methods of filming were profitable and it was not worth the risk to start all over again with a device that has a strong learning curve.

for that reason, I decided to leave the drone-style photo and video work to people who are dedicated to it, and I will continue to do the method that has been working for me the past few years.

good luck

Brightontl · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2018, 05:36 »

Quote from: TommyBoy on May 24, 2018, 08:07

I’d love to get a drone but pretty pointless if I can’t sell the footage without a load of hassle.

The rules seem ridiculous in the UK, I’d only want to fly it a couple of hundred feet max.

Thank you for your input.
Let's hope new clear rules will be approved soon

Fatmanphoto · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2018, 06:58 »

I have a chum who has looked into this as he wants to start getting commercial work (adding value to his wedding photography. He told me (so this is second hand) that there is a qualification you need to get before you can start any commercial work. (This is in the UK). Hope that helps.

Me · « **Reply #6 on:** May 29, 2018, 03:47 »

Quote from: Fatmanphoto on May 28, 2018, 06:58

I have a chum who has looked into this as he wants to start getting commercial work (adding value to his wedding photography. He told me (so this is second hand) that there is a qualification you need to get before you can start any commercial work. (This is in the UK). Hope that helps.

Correct, costs anything from £900 - £1200 for a three day course. There is not a requirement for a license per se, but there is a requirement for commercial drone operators to show their competence via this qualification

Brightontl · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2018, 07:13 »

Quote from: TommyBoy on May 24, 2018, 08:07

I’d love to get a drone but pretty pointless if I can’t sell the footage without a load of hassle.

The rules seem ridiculous in the UK, I’d only want to fly it a couple of hundred feet max.

In my opinion it is possible to sell stock video in the UK without any licence (it is what I try to explain in this video), but I agree that there are too many grey areas

everest · « **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2018, 15:59 »

I am an official pilot and drone operator in Spain. Here you have to be a pilot (get an expensive license, theory and practical exam) and still you cannot fly on your own (you can fly for commercial purposes if an operator hires you). So as a solo photographer i had to also apply as an operator to AESA(Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aerea- State Agency of Aerial Security) which is also a slow and expensive procedure ( usually you get a specialized firm to help you with all the documents to start operations). You need an expensive medical exam that in my case I have to renovate every two years (blood,urine,psicological,etc) an insurance for your bird and to keep a detailed book of operation of every flight......

I would say most interesting zones are out of bounds. You cannot fly in controlled airspace, over populated areas or people, over natural parks, protected areas for birds, photography restricted zones (large areas where you are not suposed to film or photograph where sensitive military zones are placed -radars,military base etc-many of those too, restricted areas of different types from nuclear plants to power plants,stay away 15km from instrumental airports (the large ones) and 8km from visual airports-In Spain we have +50 instrumental airports and hundreds of smaller ones,etc

The fines to break this limitations are really big. In case for operators those go from min 4500€ to 4.500.000€. In case of amateurs that make no pro use of the drone (commercial photography is considered a pro use, even to post on youtube it goes from 60€ to 225.000.
More and more large fines are being reported in the media (locals and tourists).

You have to be really careful here were to fly as the consequences of a mistake can really ruin you. I think air security is really important but maybe we have gone too far. Is it worth the hassle? If you like to fly yes , if you want to shoot stock forget about it. All the interesting zones are out off limits and you cannot compete with those that break the law and take the risk. In you tube/stock sites you have hundreds of videos of Barcelona,Balearic islands,etc taken illegally, mostly from foreign visitors that cannot prosecuted once the videos are online and they are back in their home countries.

All countries are becoming stricter and I think from a financiall point of view it is not compensating for stock. Another thing is for commercials with large budgets where the time and money to go through special permits might be worth it.

Quote from: Brightontl on May 30, 2018, 07:13

Quote from: TommyBoy on May 24, 2018, 08:07
I’d love to get a drone but pretty pointless if I can’t sell the footage without a load of hassle.

The rules seem ridiculous in the UK, I’d only want to fly it a couple of hundred feet max.
In my opinion it is possible to sell stock video in the UK without any licence (it is what I try to explain in this video), but I agree that there are too many grey areas

Brightontl · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2018, 05:32 »

Quote from: everest on May 30, 2018, 15:59

I am an official pilot and drone operator in Spain. Here you have to be a pilot (get an expensive license, theory and practical exam) and still you cannot fly on your own (you can fly for commercial purposes if an operator hires you). So as a solo photographer i had to also apply as an operator to AESA(Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aerea- State Agency of Aerial Security) which is also a slow and expensive procedure ( usually you get a specialized firm to help you with all the documents to start operations). You need an expensive medical exam that in my case I have to renovate every two years (blood,urine,psicological,etc) an insurance for your bird and to keep a detailed book of operation of every flight......

I would say most interesting zones are out of bounds. You cannot fly in controlled airspace, over populated areas or people, over natural parks, protected areas for birds, photography restricted zones (large areas where you are not suposed to film or photograph where sensitive military zones are placed -radars,military base etc-many of those too, restricted areas of different types from nuclear plants to power plants,stay away 15km from instrumental airports (the large ones) and 8km from visual airports-In Spain we have +50 instrumental airports and hundreds of smaller ones,etc

The fines to break this limitations are really big. In case for operators those go from min 4500€ to 4.500.000€. In case of amateurs that make no pro use of the drone (commercial photography is considered a pro use, even to post on youtube it goes from 60€ to 225.000.
More and more large fines are being reported in the media (locals and tourists).

You have to be really careful here were to fly as the consequences of a mistake can really ruin you. I think air security is really important but maybe we have gone too far. Is it worth the hassle? If you like to fly yes , if you want to shoot stock forget about it. All the interesting zones are out off limits and you cannot compete with those that break the law and take the risk. In you tube/stock sites you have hundreds of videos of Barcelona,Balearic islands,etc taken illegally, mostly from foreign visitors that cannot prosecuted once the videos are online and they are back in their home countries.

All countries are becoming stricter and I think from a financiall point of view it is not compensating for stock. Another thing is for commercials with large budgets where the time and money to go through special permits might be worth it.

Quote from: Brightontl on May 30, 2018, 07:13
Quote from: TommyBoy on May 24, 2018, 08:07
I’d love to get a drone but pretty pointless if I can’t sell the footage without a load of hassle.

The rules seem ridiculous in the UK, I’d only want to fly it a couple of hundred feet max.
In my opinion it is possible to sell stock video in the UK without any licence (it is what I try to explain in this video), but I agree that there are too many grey areas

Hi,
thank you for your extremely interesting and detailed post about the situation in Spain.
Triple wow!!!
The situation in Spain seems to be much much worse than in the UK, and again this show how hard it for us in Europe to cope with totally different rules in each country

Brightontl · « **Reply #10 on:** June 03, 2018, 10:58 »

Quote from: TommyBoy on May 24, 2018, 08:07

I’d love to get a drone but pretty pointless if I can’t sell the footage without a load of hassle.

The rules seem ridiculous in the UK, I’d only want to fly it a couple of hundred feet max.

I agree with you Tommy,
there are a lot of grey areas at the moment, but it is understandable as it is a new technology.
I am sure that rules will be much clearer very soon

loop · « **Reply #11 on:** June 04, 2018, 08:53 »

I hire the services of a drone operator. It's up to him to decide if a specific shooting can or cannot be done, it's his pesponsability.

Brightontl · « **Reply #12 on:** June 05, 2018, 03:44 »

Quote from: loop on June 04, 2018, 08:53

I hire the services of a drone operator. It's up to him to decide if a specific shooting can or cannot be done, it's his pesponsability.

Interesting,
but not for stock photo/video, I suppose for other kind of projects, right?

Brightontl · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2018, 08:32 »

Quote from: Fatmanphoto on May 28, 2018, 06:58

I have a chum who has looked into this as he wants to start getting commercial work (adding value to his wedding photography. He told me (so this is second hand) that there is a qualification you need to get before you can start any commercial work. (This is in the UK). Hope that helps.

Yes, if he wants to do marriages or any other COMMISSIONED work, with a fixed price in advance, then he needs a PFCO in the UK.
But posting on Internet or selling stock footage is not considered Commercial Operation

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Author Topic: Drone rules in Europe, do you need a licence? [Funny... (or maybe sad)] (Read 7355 times)

Brightontl

Brightontl

Tommy

unnonimus

Brightontl

Fatmanphoto

Me

Brightontl

everest

Brightontl

Brightontl

loop

Brightontl

Brightontl

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