Drone pilot
Drone pilots remotely operate aircraft used in work like surveying, filmmaking and aerial photography.
Also known as: Unmanned aerial vehicle pilot, UAV pilot
- Typical hours39 to 41 a week
What you'll do
As a commercial drone pilot, you'll:
- plan flight paths
- test flight equipment
- create maps and charts based on flight data
- carry out aerial surveys of land use and features
- take photographs and produce aerial film footage
Working environment
You could work on a film set, on a construction site, in the countryside or in a control room.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of media production and communication
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- concentration skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- leadership skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a drone pilot
You can get into this job through:
- applying directly
- specialist courses run by private training organisations
Direct application
You can apply for jobs directly. Most employers will expect you to have a minimum of 40 hours of recorded drone flying experience.
If you are in the armed forces or the police, you may be able to train as an aerial vehicle pilot to operate drones for military or security purposes.
Other routes
You'll normally need a flyer ID, operator ID and insurance to fly drones for commercial purposes.
To get these, you would complete training with a Recognised Assessment Entity (RAE) approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. Training, including flight skills, can last between 2 and 4 days and covers:
- UK air regulations
- flight safety
- flight planning
- theory test and practical flight skills assessment
You'll also have to write an operations manual describing how you are going to use your drone commercially.
After successfully completing training, you can apply for operational authorisation for the type of drone you are flying.
You must renew this every 12 months.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- have operational authorisation to fly drones, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
Career path and progression
As your experience grows, you may wish to complete a qualification like the Level 3 Certificate and Level 4 Diploma in the Remote Piloting of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Opportunities for skilled drone pilots exist in:
- filmmaking, TV and marketing
- weather forecasting
- mapping land use for farming or archaeological work
- inspecting infrastructure like bridges and tall buildings
- surveying air accident sites as part of investigations
- training people to become drone pilots
If you have engineering qualifications, you could move into drone design and development work.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleTV or film camera operator
- Job roleAudio visual technician
- Job rolePhotographer
- Job roleLand surveyor
- Job roleCartographer
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