FEATURE SPONSOR
HEALTH & SAFETY - TRAINING
UK DRONE INDUSTRY TRAINING
The UK drone industry has experienced exponential growth over the last five years, with 2500 Civil Aviation Authority approved commercial operators currently active
Commercial drone operators are required under UK aviation law to hold a CAA permission. As part of this permission, an operator must also hold adequate public liability insurance. Due to the increasing availability of equipment, there are a growing number of drone operators offering commercial services without permissions in place.
If hiring in operators the below checks must be made…
• The operator holds a valid permission for commercial operations (PFCO)
• The operator holds current public liability insurance
• The pilot has CAA-approved proof of pilot competence for the category of drone they operate
PROOF OF COMPETENCE
When operating drones as part of a business concern, particularly where you are offering services directly to clients or
as part of a broader service (even if not paid for directly), you must have a PFCO. Pilots wishing to operate under a PFCO must have a CAA-approved proof of competence. This is normally obtained from a CAA full National Qualified Entity (NQE). NQEs are approved to assess pilot theoretical and practical competence. The theory course normally takes one to three days depending on the NQE. It covers a set CAA syllabus including air law, airspace, meteorology, human factors and airmanship. There is normally a formal assessment during the course. The practical assessment covers representative flying as well as risk assessment, pre-flight procedures, post- flight procedures and logging.
LEADING THE WAY
The UK is leading the way in providing a pragmatic framework for drone operations. Drones can be used to complement and expand existing survey and inspection methodology. Recent
PILOTS WISHING TO
OPERATE UNDER A PFCO MUST HAVE A CAA-APPROVED PROOF OF COMPETENCE
improvements in battery life and image quality, as well as the ability to carry specialist cameras, mean that drones can now add high quality, reliable, repeatable data to maintenance teams. Over the next few years, the expectation is that European drone legislation become increasingly consistent which should ensure that offshore operations and operation in multiple countries becomes simpler. The increasing availability of CPD training for operators will also increase professional standards across the industry.
Arial Academy
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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