I am seeking some advice. I work in TV and am a Camera Operator. I’m also a drone pilot and use my drone for my work as well.
When I do commercial jobs, I usually provide a copy of my Risk Assessment, Licenses and make sure my commercial insurance is sufficient for the terms of the project.
I usually operate on my own. That is, I’ll go to a location and film a project, and occasionally get out the drone to get some establishing shots or track a vehicle or basic shots like this.
I am currently working on a project where there are 2 other drone operators. My employer is keen for all 3 of us to be available at certain big events we are filming and we can take it in turn getting drone shots depending on our schedule and availability on the day. I will offer the team some flexibility if we can all take it in turn.
I am also the most senior member of the team and it has come to me to put a risk assessment together for the stakeholders and put a shoot plan together for where we will TOAL and where we will fly, and also spell out the rules of how we can operate to the other 2 drone operators.
The locations we have filmed up till now have been pretty low key and safe, however the next two events will also have Heliports nearby and there will be a lot more people and traffic around us. It’s a live sporting event too, so there is additional rules we willl have to follow about flying only at certain parts of the day.
My question: Am I sticking my neck out or putting myself at risk by doing an RA for myself and the two other pilots, if they don’t follow my instructions or if an accident occurs.
Is it as simple as having the other two pilots just read and sign my RA and agree to follow those protocols? Or do I take more of a liability because I’m the one who is doing the recces and putting the application together with the independent production company that I’m working for?
Any advice is welcome - or if you know someone who would be good to speak to I’d love to have chat.
Most sites will do a general risk assessment plus some for particular activities, this covers anyone who is carrying out that activity providing they agree to comply with it. You should be fine but would need to ensure the others complied to cover yourselves as well as having insurance cover for commercial use. I often produced several different assessments for staff/ contractors to comply with.
Hope this helps.
Don.
A risk assessment is just that.
Protocols to mitigate said risks are different and fall under the OA.
I would actually discuss the RA and site protocols with the other 2 pilots before finalising any documentation. If they have been asked to join the team, i doubt they are fly by night, and as such may spot something you missed. And if have input will be more inclinded to operate to the ageed protocols without question.
Under H&S law, the duty of care for each operator ultimately rests with their respective employer.
As a senior operator assisting in planning, your duty of care just extends to ensuring that your actions—or any failure to take necessary action—do not contribute to foreseeable harm to others, including the other pilots, crew, or public.
In other words, plan the flights and RA to the best of your training and ability, in accordance with your employers policies and processes.
Interesting question. I am unfamiliar with PDRA01. I have a sub 250g drone and an A2CofC and CAA Operational ID. I have my own template for RA and my own commercial insurance. This usually has been sufficient for my commercial flights.
One of the pilots I am working with has a mavic pro 3 (Cine). Would he not be covered by the RA that I have put together? Would he need to provide a PDRA01 because his drone is between 250g and 25kg?
Please correct me if I’m wrong but my understanding is I don’t need a PDRA01 because my drone is dub 250g?
Thanks for all the advice around this. Everyday is a learning day!
With a Mavic 3 pro, if he can stay >50m away horizontally from uninvolved people, and has the A2 CofC then he could do the job in Open Category A2.
If he needs to be closer, then he’s into specific flight territory (i.e. having an operational authorisation from the CAA)
And if he has one of those, then he should be doing his own planning / RA !
Ah, understood. I mentioned the Operational Authorisation because that could well put the onus on you for the whole affair… but if you’re just flying under the Open category with your own insurance then you’re all responsible for your own flights.
Nice of you to put the risk assessment together for them, but it doesn’t transfer any responsibility on to you. As @stevesb says, you should definitely get their input… in their shoes I’d be insisting on it, to be honest - especially if I were the pilot with the Mavic 3 as that’s probably going to need some additional mitigations.
Just occurred to me… you said you are “putting the application together” and mentioned nearby heliports. If you’re doing any applications to fly in their FRZ then I’d be cautious as that might mean you are accepting responsibility in terms of any permission you’re given by ATC. Definitely worth giving ATC a call and asking how they would recommend you submit a joint application like this. Given you aren’t all operating under one OA and will all have separate insurance, etc. they may actually ask that you all submit your own applications (even if you all just use the same risk assessment).
Thanks, this is super useful. You actually hit the nail on the head regarding the other drone pilots giving input on RA. I was wondering about this at the time, but wasn’t sure. Makes sense though.
Do you think it would be sufficient to have the Pilot with the Mavic 3 Pro feed into my existing RA and add any specific controls for his own drone, given it is a larger/heavier drone and may have some different protocols to operate safely, or would they need to do their own RA seperate from the one I’m doing for drones under 249g?
Sorry to say, there’s not really a direct answer to that - it’s going to depend on the circumstances of the job and what risks you (collectively) identify. You might find combining in to one RA is fairly simple, or you might end up with a monster document that would make more sense, and be safer, as separate RAs for each pilot. Suck it and see, I’m afraid.
Possibly a silly question. I’ve read that drones between 250g and 25kg require a PDRA 01 and a flight log. Are drones under 250g exempt from doing this? Do they not require a PDRA 01? Or do they require a different RA? I have a sub 250g drone and I always do a RA for my flights? So I’m not sure what a PDRA 01 does differently for drones between 250g and 25g?
Am asking because, depending on the answer it might influence me on my decision to recommend that the pilot with the Mavic 3 Pro does a separate RA (PDRA 01/Flight log)
or I might have to ask that he really spell it out on the joint RA that he has a PDRA 01 and will do a flight log.
Forget the PDRA01 for a minute. What you’re really asking is whether you (or the other pilots) are flying in the Open category or the Specific category. That’s not going to come down to the weight of the drone, it’s going to be whether any of the pilots hold a GVC and has an Operational Authorisation (which is where PDRA01 comes in to play).
You don’t, so you’re flying under the Open category.
Check with the other two pilots. If either of them is flying in the Specific category under an OA then you MUST NOT do their risk assessment for them (it’s part of an OA that the operator does their own planning and keeps their own flight logs, etc.).
If they’re not then they are also flying under the Open category.
Once you’ve confirmed everybody is in the Open category, you then look at the drone’s weight to work out what subcategory applies. You’ll be in Legacy A1. Your colleague with the Mavic 3 will either be A2 Transitional or A3 Transitional depending on whether they have their A2 CofC. Since you’ve got yours I’m assuming you know what the restrictions are on the subcategories for distances, operating areas, etc.
One “last” question: If the Pilot with the Mavic Pro 3 holds a GVC are they automatically considered to be flying in the Specific Category under an OA? or technically speaking could you hold a GVC and flying under the Open Category but be limited to A2 Transitional or A3 Transitional depending if they have their A2 CoC?
