Thanks
@arruntus.
Part of the commercial process in the UK includes the submission of a full Operations Manual as part of your PfCO. This manual details everything from company details, the necessary training documents, proof of ability which includes a written examination based on UK air navigational law, weather, charts, safety etc and a practical examination that requires you to conduct certain flight methods, conduct pre flight checks, mid flight checks and also includes emergency procedures, including the ability of co pilot or ground staff to take over the flight if the pilot becomes ill or incapacitated etc. Only after successfully completing all of this can you apply to the Govt agency for commercial approval.
Lots of hoops to jump through, a lot of money to complete, and massive amounts of paperwork to maintain.
My safety procedures include double checking everything that either I do as pilot or my co pilot/ground-crew does for mean relation to the drone.
This includes the props, the camera, the SD cards, the battery, and a general once over prior to flight. During any changeover of batteries this process is redone. We check for prop damage, we change SD cards, we check camera and gimbal, and clean any bugs that may have gathered in the sensors. Like before this is double checked by a second person prior to any take off.
Every take off involves hovering at around 12ft, stopping, double checking all connections are functioning on the controller, double checking response to stick inputs, rechecking the gimbal and camera control etc. Once happy we then rise to a safe height before going forward to our first point or specific area.
Once in the air the ground crew/co-pilot monitor the surrounding airspace, maintain the security of the landing/take-off area and provide the pilot with updates on weather or movements of birds etc.
We have safety procedures for mostly all scenarios, including over water, flyaways, collisions in air, collisions with property, pilot error, and in relation to our landing/take-off area. By planning for the worst and ensuring all crew are trained we ensure we react in the appropriate manner to mitigate injury and damage to any property.
We have commercial drone insurance with £10 million liability cover.
This is whats required of all legally approved drone companies in the UK. It's the reason why so many cowboys work commercially without approval, without proper training, any qualifications, and any liability insurance. It's also the reason why there is so many negative stories in the media regarding near misses and dangerous flying.
I live on the west coast of Scotland and therefore I regularly fly over water whether its rivers, lochs (Scottish Lakes), reservoirs, and over our beaches. This is included in my commercial insurance policy as a result.
My procedures for flying over water doesn't change depending on the type of water. We stop prior to flying over the water, we then move over the water and stop again. We check for any changes in elevation, errors in GPS readings, basically any changes that would effect our ability to fly safely. Once happy with the results we then conduct whatever project we have to do during which both the copilot and I continually check for any changes regarding GPS etc.
I hope this helps to explain what commercial pilots in my country have to do to stay within the rules and regulations. Im happy to answer any questions anyone from outside the UK has on them.
Thanks
R