Estate agents and aerial photography

onlyroz

I'm seeing more and more properties advertised with photographs like these ones, obviously taken with an aerial drone. My understanding is that drones can't be flown within 50 metres of either buildings or people, so are these estate agents just being a bit cheeky, or are they all going out and obtaining commercial licenses from the civil aviation authority?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49735534.html?premiumA=true

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34154808.html

ilikewatch

I think the actual rules relate to flying within 50M of a building outwith the pilots control - though you can probably assume that in most cases the aircraft is within 50M of someone else's property.

My guess is that either estate agents contract the work to an appropriately licenced individual or take the risk assuming that during the 2 minutes they are airborne the CAA are unlikely to turn up with a tape measure and start asking questions.

dimbo61

Just estate agent up a tall ladder !
Maybe selfie stick ?

nonnatus

dimbo is right - it's not done with drones, it's done with extending poles and wide angle lenses. Good innit??? :cool:

onlyroz

We own a drone and so have availed ourselves of the rules. In normal operation they are always "unmanned" because their location is controlled by satellite. You just tell it where to fly to next. Anyway, I was just curious about whether estate agents had actually read the rules, or were just winging it and hoping nobody would complain.

onlyroz

nonnatus wrote: »

dimbo is right - it's not done with drones, it's done with extending poles and wide angle lenses. Good innit??? :cool:

Even this one?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51233342.html

They only cost a few hundred quid these days, you know...

Davesnave

It's nothing specifically to do with drones, though no doubt they are being used now .

'Posh' agents have employed specialists for years, who would have used small but very tall cherry pickers, or perhaps even helium balloons in the days before those.

There are also freelancers about, who take pictures from their plane and then literally knock on the door and offer them for sale.

And finally, there are all those manned balloon flights where people take pictures of their house and neighbourhood.

onlyroz

I've found some interesting info here:

http://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/1138-agents-must-have-caa-consent-for-drone-pics

http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/uk-estate-agents-drones-201411139818.html

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2014/11/27/aviation-safety-chiefs-warn-estate-agents-over-drone-photographs/

DKLS

My old neighbour used to do similar photos pre drone tech, he used something similar to this.

Red-Squirrel_2

A quick google shows quite a few businesses selling these photos to estate agents, they all claim to follow the rules!

Is the 50m measured in any direction? If so I'd have thought it'd be pretty easy to stay 50m above most properties. I'm no expert though.

onlyroz

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

A quick google shows quite a few businesses selling these photos to estate agents, they all claim to follow the rules!

Is the 50m measured in any direction? If so I'd have thought it'd be pretty easy to stay 50m above most properties. I'm no expert though.

I think you can go in closer if you have permission.

A lot of the issues surrounding drones relate just as much to privacy as they do to safety.