Filming Private Land

Check our National Trust, English Heritage and Natural England sections to learn about flying over their properties.

Every day, we see more of these nauseating No Drone Zone signs slapped across any location worthy of some decent aerial footage in an attempt to stop pilots flying their drones. This section is designed to show you that you can safely and you can confidently ignore the fun police and their little signs, and fly perfectly legally.

Ignore The Signs

You can ignore these people and their little signs because, unless the airspace at your intended flying location is restricted, you are allowed overflight and there is nothing anyone (including the police) can do about it. If you're confronted by members of the public, ask them, did they try and restrict the Google imaging aircraft (that photographs their back garden), overflying aircraft or hot air balloons. They'll likely respond with "well, that's different". How? They're all airspace users and all subject to the freedoms (and restrictions) applied by the Civil Aviation Authority. There is no difference.

You are legally allowed to fly over and/or film private sites - just be aware some people may not understand this is allowed. As a rule of thumb, if you can see into a private site from a public place, you're allowed to film it.

Filming private land is allowed under UK law providing you are doing it from a public area. You are also allowed to film and photograph into a site if it's accessible or visible from the public land you're on, this can be done from the ground with handheld devices and also from the airspace above using your drone.

Think And Plan

All that said, as a pilot you should risk assess every flight. Even if there are no airspace restrictions in the area in which you plan on flying, look at the site or location and risk assess it before flying. Don't be a dick and fly, just because the law says you can. Be considerate. Be nice.

I've seen auditing videos for example where the auditors overfly industrial sites just to prove the point that they are allowed as there's no airspace restrictions. Even when the staff onsite explain that the site is an ATEX Zone with a high risk of explosion should something go wrong, they fly anyway.

Use common sense in all situations and if there is a higher risk that something could go wrong, just abort the flight. It's not worth it.

Other Interactions

There are three likely interactions you'll deal with as a drone pilot. Those with the general public, the police and employees (including security) of companies.