Drone specific FAQ’s

My flight location is within 5 kilometres of Bristol Airport, can you perform a flight here?

The answer to this question is “it depends”. We realise this is frustrating to hear, especially if you are enquiring about a time-sensitive job.

As unmanned aerial system operators, we are bound by rigorous safety standards and are unable to make unannounced flights within the Bristol Airport flight restriction zone (FRZ). This extends 5km from the main runway centre point in all directions. There are additional flight restrictions in corridors extending 5km from the ends of the runway which form a 1km wide corridor that reaches Congressbury in the West and beyond Winford in the East. For a clearer picture of whether the Bristol airport FRZ will affect your flight operations you can check the detailed map here: NATS UAS RESTRICTIONS MAP

Flights can be made within the FRZ but they require pre-authorisation by the Bristol Control Tower team and this authorisation can take up to 30 days to receive (although often a go/no go decision is returned within a few days ). Lens & Land can make the application on your behalf as part of the job plan and can keep you updated on the progress of your application. It is more likely for flights to be authorised if they take-off and land from a location that is further from the airport. Conversely, if you wish to fly within close proximity to the airport or within one of the additional length flight corridors that extend in a West/East direction, you are less likely to recieve the authorisation to fly.

If you wish to discuss operations within the Bristol FRZ, the best choice is to email us a detailed job specification and we will begin initial enquiries to gain authorisation.

My flight location is close to a sensitive facility, (Prisons, Nuclear facilities, Military installations, Festivals, Large gatherings, Hospitals, Schools) can you perform a flight here?

The answer to this question is again “It depends”. We realise this is frustrating to hear, especially if you are enquiring about a time-sensitive job.

Prisons have a No-Fly Zone extending 50m from their borders on all sides. To fly within this zone, the relevant permissions need to be obtained before operations can commence. Lens & Land can make the relevant applications on your behalf. This typically involves contacting the local police and air traffic control, as well as the prison itself. Permission is usually obtained within 30 days but often much sooner than that. There are no guarantees that permission will be granted for operations as these are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

For military and police installations, extra scrutiny may be applied to the purposes of the flight in the vicinity. Expect delays while waiting for permission and there is a likelihood of refusal based on security grounds.

Hospitals are considered high risk areas due to the high concentration of personnel within their boundaries and the higher likelihood of air ambulance flights transporting patients directly to the facility. Permission to fly near hospitals is generally contingent on ensuring that drone operations do not interfere with patient care or the safety of transiting helicopters. Again permission is sought by contacting the local police, the controlling air traffic authority and the hospital itself. Extra safety measures and contingency plans will need to be demonstrated to operate in this area.

Schools are considered to be high-traffic areas populated by young people who may be outside playing in groups throughout the day. There are also privacy concerns which need to be considered. I have a decade of experience working with schools and flying drones for school videography events and usually permission can be obtained through informing the relative services of your plans and communicating effectively with the community.

Festivals and large gatherings are considered no-fly zones for the duration of the event and this zone extends 150m from the border of any event. We are unlikely to obtain permission to fly a drone over festivals and gatherings e.g. to obtain footage of a music concert from the air. In my experience, the default position of events managers is to refuse permission on safety grounds. We may be able to obtain permission to make flights around the edge of a festival or gathering with no public overflight specified in the flight plan. We may also be able to gain permission to film and image unrelated sites that are within the No-Fly Zone during a festival and these would be granted on a case-by-case basis via contacting the event organisers, police and relevant air traffic authorities.

My flight location is within a city centre. Can you perform a flight here?

Yes. By focussing our training and efforts on the ultra-light category of drones, our pilots fly under the Open A1 category which permits flights within built up areas and permits flights in closer proximity to uninvolved members of the public. These small drones have outstanding cameras and provide precise and sharp imagery which is smooth and stable.

We always perform a full safety assessment on application for a job and continue this risk mitigation process right the way through the flight. We never fly if the risk exceeds our expectations or assessment, but always try to offer alternative flight plans in order to make a flight safe.