Aviation laws and regulations UK

[glennbalsam]

I have been flying for 3 months now and have to say I find it great fun and the images I am getting blow me away. I have the P2 with the Gopro camera. I bought this outfit to add to my photography business http://www.fineimages.co.uk so I could use for weddings and various other projects I have in mind. I never really took much notice before but I understand anyone can fly these things around without any fuss but as soon as you strap a camera on and sell images etc you are now effected by tons of laws and regulations.
I have tried to research the topic but it seems that grey areas are abundant and contradict each other on various sites. Does anyone in UK have a licence or taken a test or doing the same thing as me. I would like to do it properly as I can wave insurance docs and licenses to customers and hopefully will put their minds at rest and perhaps choose me against someone who hasn't got all that!.
Has anyone been through all this and got the correct information that they would like to share.

Thanks Glenn

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Have a read here

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?CATID=1995

 

[dtdyer01]

I too have a photography business, my main income is fom weddings, but portrait also make up a lot of my business.
www.davedyerphotography.com,

I do put up some of my aerial images on my tog facebook page www.facebook.com/davedyerphotography1, however under each photo I put the disclaimer "NB: Aerial Photography is not a service available"
You will also notice I place this in each of my videos. Here is 1 as an example.
https://vimeo.com/88546555
I do not put any aerial photos on my website.

The reason I do this. Because aerial photography with any hint of association with a business, wether intentional or not is illegal, when there is a sniff of profit.
For example, you can't sell your house with a aerial photograph of your house. Even though you are selling your house and not aerial photography, you are using an aerial photograph to make the sale of your house happen. Unless the pilot has a licence from CAA.

The CAA are duty bound to investigate any complaint. I have had lots of people warn me of this in the past, hence why I now display a disclaimer that Aerial Photography is strictly not a service I provide.

You can have all the insurance under the sun, but without a Licence from the CAA you are operating illegally, and trust me jealous competitors have no problem reporting you.
I on the other hand am not a jealous competitor and some day I have to take the exams and get my licence to start profiting from aerial shoots. But until that day, a disclaimer will go with every bit of aerial photography I share.

You have a very attractive website and love your work.
I noticed you have aerial photography on your website, and without a disclaimer.
My advice is to take this down and remove this from your website, it only takes 1 person to report you and you could be in a whole heap of trouble.

Hope this helps you

 

[RUSHNREADY DJI]

I was linked to this thread, I have to say from what i see that the CAA is a private company so why are they saying we need to pay them to go in the air air is free and should and is not owned by any one. I do not believe in having to pay them to be able to do some thing we should be able to do.

 

[rilot]

The CAA is not a private company. They are the Civil Aviation Authority and are a government run department that regulates all aircraft flying over UK airspace.
The companies that offer the courses are private companies. Just in the same way as you would have to pay a private company to learn to fly a light aircraft.

It doesn't matter what you believe in. The law is the law and if you want to operate commercially then you need a license. Just like you need a license to drive a car.