How we work

Every flight, planned from the ground up.

Anyone can fly a drone; flying one safely and legally is the hard part. A flight takes under two hours on site, but the planning behind it is what makes the difference. Here is the whole process, the permissions we arrange, the paperwork you'll see, and a worked example from first email to finished photos.

The process

Six stages, from first question to finished photos.

  1. Day 1

    Enquiry

    You tell us the job, through the job checker or by email.

  2. Days 1 to 3

    Quote

    A written quote for your site, with our terms and what you'll receive.

  3. After you accept

    Assess

    We study the site, the airspace and the risks, desk-based first.

  4. Up to 3 weeks

    Permissions

    The most work for us and none for you: we ask, chase and confirm in writing.

  5. Flight day

    Fly

    Weather checked, site walked, crew briefed, then the flight.

  6. Within a few days

    Deliver

    Edited, labelled photos and video, sent by download link.

Example mission

A roof inspection near Southampton Airport.

This is an illustrative job, typical of the work we do. It is a semi-detached house about 3 km from the airport, so it sits inside the airport's flight restriction zone: the case that needs the most planning.

Client
Homeowner, at home
Job
Roof & gutter inspection
Concern
Damp patch in a bedroom
Drone
DJI Mavic 4 Pro
Crew
Pilot and observer
Time on site
About 90 minutes

1. The site plan

Before any permission is asked, we draw the site from maps and aerial imagery: where we take off, where the drone will fly, who could be nearby and how we keep them clear.

Example site plan A semi-detached pair of houses with the client's half on the left. The take-off point is in the client's back garden. The flight path loops around the client's roof, inside a flight area, with a separation zone shown around it. The pavement and road are at the bottom, where the observer watches for passers-by. ROAD PAVEMENT Client's back garden Neighbour's garden Client's roof Neighbour H Pilot Observer Take-off and landing Flight path Flight area Separation zone Crew Passer-by
Illustrative plan, not to scale. The drone stays inside the blue flight area. Nobody who isn't part of the job may be inside the orange separation zone; if a passer-by approaches, the observer calls it and the pilot holds or lands.

2. The timeline

The airport permission sets the pace. Southampton asks for at least 14 days' notice, so we apply as soon as you accept the quote and choose a flight date about three weeks out, with a reserve day in case of bad weather.

Example mission timeline over 24 days Enquiry and quote on days 1 to 3. Consent form signed day 3. Site and airspace assessment days 3 to 5. Airport permission applied for on day 4, with the 14-day notice running to day 18; a chase is sent if there is no answer by day 16. Weather is checked from day 18. The flight is on day 21, with a reserve on day 22. Photos are delivered on day 24. DAY 17142124 Enquiry and quote Consent form signed Site and airspace check Airport permission Other permissions Weather watch Flight day Photos delivered 14 days' notice to the airport (NATS) chase if no reply reserve written answer or signature received
A site away from airports usually needs only one week from acceptance to flight. The answers we receive are kept on file with the job.

3. What happened, step by step

Days 1 to 3: quote and consent

The homeowner used the job checker. We sent a written quote with our terms of business. She signed the acceptance sheet and a site permission form, giving consent to fly over her property and choosing whether the photos may be used in our portfolio. Because the roof is shared, we also wrote to the neighbour.

Days 3 to 5: desk assessment

We drew the site plan above, checked the airspace on the official UK aeronautical charts and the current airspace notices, and wrote the risk assessment: the garden as take-off point, the pavement as the area to watch, power lines and trees noted, and what we would do if anything went wrong.

Day 4: permissions requested

We applied to fly inside the airport's flight restriction zone through the NATS online service, and told the military low-flying team when and where we'd be flying so their crews could plan around us. Nothing else applied: no railway, council land or protected sites nearby.

Days 18 to 21: approval and weather

The airport's approval arrived with conditions and a number to call on the day. We watched the forecast from three days out, confirmed with the client the day before, and kept the reserve day free in case the wind picked up.

Day 21: the flight

Arrived early, walked the site, briefed the observer, phoned the airport's control tower before take-off as the approval required, and flew three short flights around the roof. We told the tower when we'd finished.

Day 24: the results

140 labelled photos and a short video. They showed a cracked lead flashing by the chimney above the damp bedroom. The homeowner passed them straight to her roofer, who quoted without needing scaffolding to look.

Permissions

Who we ask, and when.

Permissions are the biggest part of the planning. One job can need answers from an airport, the port, the council and the landowner, each with its own forms and notice periods. It takes a lot of effort, but it always gets sorted, and it's our job, not yours: we check every site against the same list, contact everyone, chase every answer, and don't fly until each one is in writing.

The property owner

Every job

Written consent from the owner or occupier to take off from and fly over the property. Where a roof is shared, we ask the neighbour too.

Signed before we book

Airports

Inside a flight restriction zone

Southampton and Bournemouth airports are surrounded by flight restriction zones. Flying inside one needs the airport's permission, applied for through NATS, and a call to the control tower on the day.

At least 14 days' notice

Port of Southampton

Docks, quays and Southampton Water

ABP runs the Port of Southampton and is the harbour authority for Southampton Water. Flying from or over the docks and quays, or close to ships and terminals, needs the port's agreement, so we contact ABP before planning any waterside job there.

Ask early

Military sites

Portsmouth, Gosport, Thorney Island, Poole and others

Some military sites have protected airspace that needs the site's own permission. Separately, we tell the military low-flying team about our flights so their aircrews can plan around us.

Notice depends on the site

Railways

Within 50 m of a running line

Network Rail is notified of any flight close to the railway. We'll tell you at the quote stage if your site is affected, as it can change what's possible.

Checked at quote stage

Councils and public land

Southampton City Council and others

If we need to take off from or fly over council land, such as parks, open spaces, car parks or highways, we ask the council that owns it first: Southampton City Council inside the city, or the borough, district or county council elsewhere. For roads, we plan so the flight can't distract drivers.

Usually 1 to 2 weeks

National Trust and New Forest

Protected land

The National Trust and Forestry England have their own permission routes. Drones aren't allowed on New Forest Crown land from March to August, while birds are nesting.

Seasonal limits apply

Churches and listed buildings

Churchwarden, vicar or owner

No extra flight permission is needed for a listed building, but we agree access, timing around services and events, and consent with whoever looks after it.

Agreed before we book

Temporary restrictions

Events, air shows, emergencies

Events like the Southampton Boat Show can bring temporary airspace restrictions. We check the official notices when we plan, and again on the morning of the flight.

Checked twice

However many people need asking, you deal with one.

Our process for applying is well established: we know who to contact for each site, what each body asks for and how much notice it needs. We handle every form, phone call and follow-up, and keep you updated until every permission is confirmed.

Paperwork

What's written down, and why.

Every job has its own file. You sign two short documents; the rest is our planning record, and you're welcome to see any of it before the flight.

01

Quote and terms of business

What we'll do, what you'll receive, the price and our standard terms.

We send
02

Acceptance sheet

One page confirming the job, the date range and payment.

You sign
03

Site permission and consent form

Your consent to fly over the property, and your choice on whether we may use the images in our portfolio.

You sign
04

Site assessment and risk assessment

The site plan, hazards, take-off point and how we keep people clear.

Our record
05

Airspace briefing

The official charts, notices and restrictions in force for your site and date.

Our record
06

Permission record

Every request we sent and every written answer, kept with the job.

Our record
07

Flight plan and flight card

Heights, routes, camera settings and the one-page card the pilot carries.

Our record
08

Emergency plan

What we do if the drone, the weather or the site doesn't behave as planned.

Our record
09

Flight log and delivery

The record of each flight, your images, and the invoice.

We send
Flight day

What the day looks like.

Times are from the example mission. You don't need to do anything except be reachable, and keep people and pets indoors while we fly if you can.

07:00
Final weather check

Wind, rain, visibility and the airspace notices, against the drone's limits. If it's a no, we tell you now and move to the reserve day.

09:00
Arrive and walk the site

We check the take-off point, look for anything the plan missed, and say hello.

09:20
Brief and set up

Pilot and observer go through the plan, the emergency drill and the keep-clear areas. Pre-flight checks on the drone.

09:30
Call the airport

When the approval requires it, we phone the control tower before take-off.

09:35
Fly

Usually two or three short flights, with battery changes in between. The observer watches for people and aircraft the whole time.

10:20
Land and confirm

We tell the tower we've finished, check the images on site, and pack up.

10:30
Leave

Photos follow within a few days.

The rules we fly by

The limits behind every flight.

120 m

Maximum height above the ground

VLOS

Visual line of sight: the drone is kept in direct view at all times

30 m

From people not involved, or 5 m in low-speed mode, under our A2 certificate

No rain

For our current drones, and never wind above a drone's limits. The Matrice 4TD, coming soon, can fly in light rain

£1m

Public liability insurance on every flight

Written plan

A flight plan and risk assessment for every job

We plan with extra margin on top of these limits, and the pilot can stop a flight at any point if conditions change. Everything on this page comes from our own operations manual. Open Category flying doesn't require one, but we follow it on every job. Our Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC-L1) is in progress: the theory exam is passed and the practical assessment is booked for this November.

Want this level of care on your roof?

Tell us the job and we'll start the planning.

Tell us the job