This is the biggest issue I found doing my PfCO training. You get absolutely no additional flying rights and yet still have to undergo hopelessly over the top learning just to make the same type of flight that hobbyists do every day. Truly, utterly pointless.
And to have to pay £185 each year just to keep it valid is really wrong.
@OzoneVibe Dave, one interesting point is the CAA’s reasons for not classifying YouTube as commercial. Their view on YouTube revenue has been well-known and defined by the quote below, but it’s interesting that many YouTubers, myself obviously included, shoot video specifically to place on monetized YouTube channels, knowing full well we will receive a revenue from the channel’s advertising. To me, this makes me commercial, even though the CAA don’t think I am…
They state that "…some types of arrangements are not generally considered by the CAA to be commercial operations such as:
Advertising revenue received as a result of persons visiting a website or social media page where video or photographic stills shot from a drone are displayed/posted. This is because these types of web-pages may be legitimately used to post recreational video material that was not commissioned by another party but was conceived and wholly funded by the poster.
Anyway, to @Maxpower I’m afraid having just done the PfCO training, more to prove to myself than any actual intention of commercial aspirations, I have to agree with your view. Not worth it unless you’re genuinely about to go commercial.
