Film crew hire/Drone operator
Hire a drone operator, anywhere in the UK. Aerials planned round the airspace, the landowner and the weather.
Drone operators for brand films, property, events and documentaries across the UK, from the Cornish coast to the Scottish Highlands. They fly to the CAA’s 2026 rules, check the airspace before they quote, and get the landowner’s and the film office’s say-so for take-off and landing. From £750 a day, with their own drone.
- 54 five-star Google reviews
- 2 hrs for our team to read your brief, in working hours
- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
- 2,800+ freelance crew on our books, across the UK
Photos: Diana Măceşanu, Here Now Films, Nicolas Luna and William Bayreuther
The role
What a drone operator does on your shoot
A drone operator plans and flies the aerial shots: the reveal over the coast, the building from above, the road through the hills. Most of the work comes before the day: checking the airspace, asking the airport or NATS where it’s restricted, and getting the landowner’s permission for take-off and landing.
The rules are the CAA’s, and they changed on 1 January 2026. A Flyer ID is now needed for any drone of 100g or more, and an Operator ID from 250g, or from 100g with a camera. New drones carry a UK class mark, UK0 to UK6, and UK1 to UK3 drones fly with Remote ID on. Most filming sits in the open category, under 120m and never over crowds; closer or riskier flights move into the specific category, with an operational authorisation from the CAA (checked October 2026).
Then the place. Airports have flight restriction zones round them, and the restricted areas over Windsor, Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs need NATS clearance at least 21 days ahead. Landowners set their own rules: the National Trust allows no unauthorised drones, Forestry England wants a permit for any drone flight, and the Canal & River Trust charges £179 an hour plus VAT for one over its water (checked October 2026). The operator checks which apply before quoting. More in filming locations and permits in the UK.
- Airspace checked. Flight restriction zones, restricted areas and temporary restrictions, before the quote.
- Flown to CAA rules. A Flyer ID, an Operator ID, Remote ID where the class needs it, and an operational authorisation where the flight does.
- Insured to fly. Third-party insurance meeting Assimilated Regulation (EU) 785/2004, which the CAA requires for any commercial flight.
- Shots that cut in. Frame rate and colour profile matched to the ground cameras.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- A day’s flying, with their own drone, batteries and spares
- Flight planning, the site assessment and the airspace check
- Their CAA IDs and any operational authorisation
- Their drone insurance, checked before we book them
- The rushes at wrap, matched to the ground cameras
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Airport and NATS clearances, quoted on the brief
- Landowner and film office drone fees, where they charge
- A second operator on the camera, for a cinema drone
- A spotter, where the site needs one
- Travel, mileage and hotels when the shoot is away from the crew member’s home city, at cost
How our rates work, overtime and the APA/Bectu card: film crew rates in the UK.
Two ways to book
Crew hire or full production: who’s the producer of record?
One question sets the price: who’s the producer of record? Book a drone operator for your own shoot anywhere in the UK, or have us take the production on, with the airspace, landowner and film office permissions in our name.
Crew hire
You run the shoot.
10% + 2% booking fee and insurance, on everything we book for you: crew, kit and travel.
We do
- Find, book and brief the crew, and pay them
- Book kit, travel and hotels too, if you want them
- Send the full price before anything is booked
- One person to call all day
- Employers’ liability for the crew we book, and insurance on kit we hire in
You do
- Run the shoot, or your producer does
- The plan, the schedule and the call sheet
- The location, its permission and its public liability
- Responsibility for the production: you’re the producer of record
What the 2% insures: employers’ liability for every crew member we book, and the kit we hire in for you. Nothing else on the shoot. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
Full production
We’re the producer of record.
15% + 5% production fee, plus insurance and contingency, on the whole production budget. Quoted as a production.
We do
- Our producer plans it with you and runs the day
- Locations, permits, kit, studio, travel and hotels, booked and paid in our name
- Insurance for the whole shoot, public liability included, plus the risk assessment and the call sheet
- One contract and one invoice, so overseas teams need no UK company
You do
- The creative calls
- Signing off the plan and the budget
What the 5% pays for: our production insurance across the whole shoot, £10m public liability included, and the contingency.
Not sure which you need? If your own producer or director will run the day, it’s crew hire. If you want us to take the production on, it’s a full production quote.
On the day
A day with a drone operator, call to wrap
An example: aerials of a headland and a cove in Cornwall for a brand film, taking off from Cornwall Council land. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- D–21 Airspace and landowners The site checked against airport flight restriction zones and other restricted airspace. The beach is the Duchy of Cornwall’s foreshore and the headland belongs to another owner, so each is asked about take-off, landing and the flight.
- D–14 The council Cornwall Council’s permission through FilmApp, ten working days ahead, with £5m public liability and a risk assessment (checked October 2026).
- D–1 Coastguard and lifeguards Told about the filming on the beach and over the water, as Screen Cornwall advises.
- 06:30 Site walk Take-off and landing points, walkers on the coast path, the cliff edge and the tide checked. A spotter placed.
- 07:00 Weather and airspace Wind, rain and any temporary restriction checked on the morning.
- 07:30 First flights Low-sun reveals of the cove and the headland while the light is soft.
- 15:00 Last flights and wrap Pick-ups in the afternoon light, the rushes handed over, the flight log written up.
Which kind
Which drone do you need?
The shot and the camera decide the drone, and the drone decides how close to people it can fly.
Standard aerials DJI Mavic 3 Pro or Air 3 From £750 a day
Small, quick and quiet, with good 4K or 5K cameras. The weight and the class mark decide the subcategory: over people, near people (30m from anyone not involved, or 5m in low-speed mode, with the A2 certificate) or far from people (50m from people and 150m from built-up areas) (checked October 2026).
Best for property, events, establishing shots and social content.
Cinema drone DJI Inspire 3, full frame Quoted on the brief
A full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses and RAW recording, often with a second operator on the camera.
Best for brand films, adverts and anything graded with the main camera.
FPV Fast, close and through gaps Quoted on the brief
Small, fast drones flown in first person: through doorways, along a track, close to a moving car or a runner.
Best for sport, venues and action. Usually needs more permission and a closed set.
Restricted airspace Airports, Windsor, Hyde Park, the City, the Isle of Dogs Plus weeks of notice
Inside an airport’s flight restriction zone, the 2 or 2.5 nautical mile circle plus the runway zones up to 2,000ft, the airport’s air traffic control has to agree. The restricted areas over Windsor, Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs need an enhanced NATS application at least 21 days ahead, and one sent under seven days may not be processed (checked October 2026).
Our drone pages for London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cornwall cover their airports.
What it’s for
What people book a drone for across the UK
Brand films
The coast, the hills or the skyline that open the film, cleared with the landowner first.
Property and developments
New buildings in city centres, and estates and sites outside them.
Documentary
The scale of a place: moorland, rivers, harbours and the Highlands.
Events and sport
Festivals and outdoor events, with the organiser’s say-so and never over the crowd.
Overseas productions
Teams flying in who need a UK operator with the CAA paperwork in place.
How we crew it
How we crew drones across the UK
How we crew it · UK
The paperwork checked before the operator is booked
Before we book a drone operator, we check their Flyer ID and Operator ID, any operational authorisation the flight needs, and their third-party insurance, which the CAA requires for any commercial flight. Then the site: the airspace, the landowner, and the council or film office. Bristol Film Office, for one, asks for the pilot’s CAA qualification, a risk assessment and a method statement, and charges £245 to £465 plus VAT for a drone (checked October 2026).
How we crew it · UK
When the sky or the landowner says no
Some places say no outright: the National Trust’s byelaws ban aerial activity without its permission, and Forestry England allows no drones in the New Forest (checked October 2026). The weather can ground a drone on the day, so a weather day is agreed on the quote, and the operator checks for temporary restrictions on the morning. When the shot needs a take-off point nobody will give, we look for another way to it: a long lens from a neighbouring hill or roof, or a site whose owner says yes.
Before you book
Things to know
The CAA in 2026
- Flyer ID from 100g; Operator ID from 250g, or 100g with a camera.
- New drones carry a UK class mark, UK0 to UK6; EU C-marked drones count as their UK equivalent until 31 December 2027.
- Open category: 120m maximum, never over crowds. Specific category: an operational authorisation, and a GVC or RPC-L1 for the pilot (checked October 2026).
Permission on the ground
- Every take-off and landing needs the landowner’s permission.
- In London: a Drones CAD reference from the Met Police Film Unit, and at least £5m public liability, as Film London advises (checked October 2026).
- Elsewhere, the council or film office: Film Edinburgh charges £184 an hour plus VAT for a drone, and Cardiff Film Office asks for the CAA certificate, drone insurance and RAMS (checked October 2026).
The day
- 11 hours, including an hour for lunch: ten working hours.
- Overtime by the hour at the APA card’s rate for the role, agreed with you before it happens.
- At least 11 hours between wrap and the next day’s call.
- Wind and rain can ground a drone: a weather day is agreed on the quote.
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the drone operator.
- 50% by card when you book, 50% on receipt of the final rushes.
- Every line on the quote: day rate, booking fee, kit, travel.
- Moving the date? Tell us as soon as you know.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Employers’ liability for the drone operator we book: £10m.
- Kit we hire in for you is insured. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
- Nothing else on a crew hire. Public liability, the location and your own kit stay with you, and your venue will want your certificate. When we’re the producer of record, our policy covers the shoot.
- The drone and its flights: the operator’s own third-party insurance, checked before we book them.
From £750 a day
There’s no APA/Bectu card rate for drone operators: they price per day, with the drone.
| Operator and drone, a day | £750 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £75 |
| Insurance, 2% | £15 |
| One day, before permissions and travel | £840 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the drone operator we book, and cover on kit we hire in. Insurance for a UK shoot
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the drone operator.
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
- Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours
- Every line on the quote before anything is booked
Or call us on 07412 543822.
Reviews
What clients say about our crews
Straight from our Google Business Profile.
Book a drone operator, anywhere in the UK.
Tell us the date, the place and the shots. We check the airspace before we quote. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role across the UK, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our UK day rates, paid to the crew member in full:
Production 06
- Director From £500
- Producer From £450
- Production manager £504–627
- 2nd AD £355–448
- Production assistant £400
- Runner £245
Camera 09
- DOP From £850
- Camera operator £529–656
- Lighting camera operator £529–656
- Videographer £529–656
- Focus puller (1st AC) £461–575
- Clapper loader (2nd AC) £355–448
- Steadicam operator From £950
- Gimbal operator £529–656
- Drone operator This page From £750
Data and playback 02
- DIT £527
- Video playback £334–518
Sound 01
- Sound recordist £550
Hair, make-up and costume 02
- Hair and make-up £398
- Costume £519–694
Art department 02
- Art director £675–878
- Set builders £341–512
Post-production 01
- Editor From £350
How our rates work: crew rates across the UK. In one city? London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cornwall have their own role pages.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Aerials need the airspace cleared, a landowner who says yes and, in most places, the council or film office too. Each goes on its own line of the quote, and the permits guide covers drones across the UK.
01
Crew rates in the UK
Day rates for every role, the APA/Bectu card, overtime and what a day covers.
02
Kit and equipment hire
Rental houses across the UK, wet hire and dry hire, and the crew’s own kit.
03
Insurance for a UK shoot
Employers’ liability, public liability, kit cover, and what can leave you uninsured.
Questions
Hiring a drone operator in the UK: questions
How much does a drone operator cost in the UK?
Our drone operators start at £750 a day with their own drone. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so a day comes to £840 + VAT, before airspace clearances, landowner and film office fees and any travel. Cinema drones and FPV are quoted on the brief. There’s no APA/Bectu card rate for drone work. Film crew rates in the UK
What does the insurance on a crew booking cover?
Two things. Employers’ liability for every crew member we book, up to £10m, and insurance on the kit we hire in for you. That’s what the 2% pays for. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote. The 2% doesn’t insure the rest of the shoot: public liability, the location, your own kit and anything you book yourself stay with you, because you’re the producer of record. If you’d rather we were, it’s quoted as a full production, and our insurance covers the whole shoot, public liability included.
How long is a day, and when does overtime start?
A day is 11 hours, ten of them working and one for lunch. After that, overtime is paid by the hour at the APA card’s rate for the role: 1.5×, 1.25× or single time on an hourly rate of a tenth of the day rate, graded by day rate, and we agree it with you before it happens. Between wrap and the next call there are at least 11 hours. Film crew rates in the UK
What do drone operators need from the CAA in 2026?
Since 1 January 2026: a Flyer ID for any drone of 100g or more, and an Operator ID from 250g, or from 100g with a camera; the Operator ID holder has to be 18 or over. New drones carry a UK class mark, UK0 to UK6, and UK1 to UK3 drones fly with Remote ID on. The open category caps height at 120m and needs no operational authorisation; riskier flights go into the specific category, with an authorisation such as PDRA01 and a GVC or RPC-L1 for the pilot. Any commercial flight needs third-party insurance meeting Assimilated Regulation (EU) 785/2004 (checked October 2026). We check every operator’s paperwork before we book them.
Can you fly a drone near an airport?
Inside an airport’s flight restriction zone, only with the permission of its air traffic control. The zone is the airport’s 2 or 2.5 nautical mile circle plus 5km by 1km zones off each end of the runway, up to 2,000ft. Other restricted airspace goes through the CAA’s ACOMS, and NOTAMs flag temporary restrictions (checked October 2026). Our drone pages for London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cornwall cover their own airports.
Can you fly a drone in central London?
Yes, with planning. The City of London, Hyde Park and the Isle of Dogs are restricted areas, like Windsor: a drone there needs an enhanced NATS application at least 21 days ahead. The landowner has to agree to take-off and landing, a flight within 30m of a road may need the road authority’s permission, and the Met Police Film Unit issues a Drones CAD reference. Film London advises at least £5m public liability (checked October 2026). More in drone operator hire in London and drones and permits in London.
Do I need a permit to fly a drone?
The CAA’s rules cover the flight; the ground belongs to someone. Councils and film offices charge for drones on their land: Production Central WM £229 in the West Midlands, Bristol Film Office £245 to £465 plus VAT, Film Edinburgh £184 an hour plus VAT. The Canal & River Trust charges £179 an hour plus VAT over its water, Forestry England wants a permit for any drone flight, English Heritage treats a drone as a commercial hire flown outside opening hours, and the National Trust allows no unauthorised drones (checked October 2026). Filming locations and permits in the UK
Who insures the drone?
The operator. Any commercial flight needs third-party insurance meeting Assimilated Regulation (EU) 785/2004, and we check it before we book them. Our 2% is employers’ liability for the operator and cover on kit we hire in; it doesn’t insure the flight. Landowners and film offices ask for public liability too: Film London advises at least £5m for drone filming, and Bristol Film Office asks for £5m (checked October 2026). Insurance for a UK shoot
Are your drone operators near us?
We crew from near the shoot where we can, from the 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK. Where the right operator lives in another city, the travel goes on the quote before anything is booked. Our team books from London, with bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall. City detail, from local permits to kit houses: drone operators in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cornwall, and in New York if the shoot goes there too.
More on crew across the UK
- Film crew hire UK
- Film crew rates in the UK
- Drone operator hire in London
- Drone operator hire in Manchester
- Drone operator hire in Birmingham
- Drone operator hire in Bristol
- Drone operator hire in Cornwall
- Drone operator hire in New York
- Camera operator hire UK
- DOP hire UK
- How we select our crew
- Our crew hire case studies