An Aerial Perspective Operational Policies.
We are a company that respects the law, privacy, quality, integrity and safety of everyone involved in our drone operations. These might include all parties directly involved in the project as well as those indirectly affected by these operations.
Below is our operational policies that we follow when we do any flight. This is a working document and will be amended and expanded as the company and technology expand and improves over time.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us
Drone SACAA Compliance
But first of all, why being COMPLIANT is so important?
​Out of all the thousands of drone pilots operating in SA, less than 60 are actually compliant! Having just a drone license is NOT enough to operate and generate an income from drone operations. According to SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority), any illegal operator (and drone service contractors for that matter) can face a fine of R50 000 and/or up-to 3 years of jail!!
In order to commercially operate in South Africa, any drone pilot MUST have:
​1) A valid drone license.
2) A valid Class 3 (aviation) medical certificate.
3) An ROC (drone business license) OR operate under one.
4) SACAA registered drone(s). All our drones are registered with SACAA.
We are therefore VERY PROUD at An Aerial Perspective to say that we're a compliant commercial drone operating business!
​
Qualifications and Regulations
- The Pilot In Command is a fully qualified Drone Pilot authorised to operate in accordance with RPAS Regulations CAR 101, to commercially operate RPA’s (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) known as “Drones” in South Africa as laid down by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).
- Further to the above, The Pilot holds both NEBOSH International General Certificate as well as the NEBOSCH Oil and Gas Operation Certification.
NEBOSH stands for National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, a UK awarding organisation offering professional qualifications in health, safety and environmental management.
Privacy
Due to the possibility that any drone operations might overfly people and property, the privacy of all parties explicitly involved, or not, are recognised and respected.
- An initial general assessment of possible privacy infringements would be completed
- Identified property owners will be visited and written permission will be obtained to overfly
- A notice of intent will be posted/hand delivered 2 – 4 days before the planned flight operations
- Our Field Operations Manual, being another SACAA approved document shall be implemented as per statutory requirements
Safety
The Safety of persons and property are paramount to our drone operations and our SACAA endorsed Standard Operating Procedures are strictly adhered to.
The following constitutes the procedural requirements to be taken into account before any flight operation authorization
Feasibility and Planning of the Operation including but not limited to:
- Feasibility of the Operation Request
- Permissions
- Risk Assessment
- Adherence to the Field Operations Manual
- Site assessment
- Communications
- Statutory Documentation
- Emergency Procedures
Public Liability Insurance
We have public liability insurance as required by law to cover most incidents as laid down in our insurance policy documentation. This information is available on request for interested and affected parties.
Aircraft Maintenance
Preflight checks of our aircraft and remote controlling devices are a mandatory requirement, for safety purposes before every flight
The Pilot In Command is responsible to maintain his drone rating in accordance with the requirements as stipulated by the SACAA and the drone manufacturer.
General maintenance will periodically be done in accordance with the procedures laid down by the manufacturers, including any special safety and maintenance bulletins published by any manufacturer of any of the integral parts used in our operations.
Project Briefing
A proper and thorough project briefing will be conducted and objectives agreed upon before any flying operations are commenced. This might include, but are not limited to the following;
- A general overview of the project
- Clear objectives of the project
- Expected outcomes of the flight
Ownership of Video and Photographic Material
All raw video and photographic material remains the intellectual property of An Aerial Perspective and may be used at our discretion for marketing purposes.
If said video and photographic material contain footage of sensitive industrial information, a document stipulating exactly what material can be used by us for promotional material will be drawn up and agreed upon by both parties after the reviewing of all available material.
All ownership of all material can be transferred to the client upon acceptance of an agreement with the understanding that An Aerial Perspective retains the copyright of said material and if the material is to be reused or published in any format on any platform, An Aerial Perspective should be recognised as the producers of the material.
Debriefing and Final Product/Reports
After any flight, successful or not, a debriefing will be held with the interested and affected parties.
Payments
To be negotiated at the onset of a flight operation enquiry – for potentially large/lengthy projects, a 50% non-refundable deposit shall be payable upfront with the balance payable on successful completion and delivery of the project.
