The True Costs of Aerial Photography

This post reveals the true costs behind starting up and running an aerial photography business. This is to help entrepreneurs and clients understand the overheads involved with starting up such a business and the on-going overheads behind each and every flight.

The Start-up Costs

The following is example of some of equipment needed; aircraft, camera, gimbal, carry case, safety cones/signs, memory cards, video transmitter, video receiver, video screen etc. We won’t detail the ins and outs of different aircraft but on a tight budget you’re looking at £3000+. You might also consider spare aircraft and equipment “just in case”.

So you’ve got your aircraft, “Aerial Photography? Oh that’s easy peasy, I just need a drone and camera right?” WRONG! So wrong!

The first thing governing what you need, is the law! You must have permission from the UK civil aviation authority (CAA) before you can charge a single penny for an aerial photo. This permission in the form of a “Permission for Aerial Work” or PFAW requires 2 things:

• RPAS / Drone Qualification
• Certificate of Insurance

The RPAS / Drone Qualification is to demonstrate that you as a commercial operator are safe and professional in your operations and also that the aircraft you intend to fly is airworthy and safe (i.e. it’s not going to fall on someone’s head and kill them!). The main way to do this is to go on a course and do a couple of exams (including a flight exam). The average cost of obtaining this qualification is in the region of £1500-2000 (not including accommodation and travel) plus another £110 for the PFAW application.

The insurance for your drone all depends on what cover you want, as a minimum you’ll need 3rd party liability but you’ll also probably want cover for the aircraft in the event of a malfunction. Insurance costs will depend on how much your aircraft is worth. On average though you’re looking at about £750 per year.

So all in all on a shoe string budget the start-up costs are around £6/7000.

But let’s not forget the ongoing costs:

• Insurance – this will be needed year on year
• Qualification – this needs to be updated every year
• PFAW – this too needs to be renewed year on year
• Software – if you want professional result in your photos and videos, you’ll need professional software
• Spare Parts – wear and tear takes it toll on aircraft, for safety reasons you’ll need to replace things like props and motors on a regular basis
• Battery Charging – a minor expense but nevertheless, it’s there!
• Transport – Company Van, Decals, MOT, TAX, Insurance and Petrol to name just a few of the costs
• Website Fees – It’s the 21st century, every business needs a website!
• Risk Assessments – in order for your insurance to be valid you must carry out a thorough risk assessment for each and every flight. This can take between 2 and 3 hours for every new location and may even require a site visit beforehand. More on this here.
• Software Updates – software inherently has bugs, you’ll need to put time aside to make sure your drone has the latest and safest software versions installed

These are just a few items to name and your list will vary depending on the size of the company. If you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the comments or contact us page.