BIRD’S EYE VIEW
I’ll admit it up front: I’m not a skilled drone pilot. I’m in awe of the onboard reporters in the Volvo Ocean Race who flew drones in the Southern Ocean in 30 knots of wind. Back in the day in the 1989/90 Whitbread race I made a kite to fly a camera away from a boat!
Drones are a great way to capture images of remote areas. Here are a few tips on using a drone to film/photograph yourself and your boat, particularly if wildlife is close by.
I usually try to launch the drone from a dinghy or tender to minimise risk of hitting lifelines, mast, boom, shrouds, spreader etc.
When recovering the drone I usually have someone catch the drone by hand when it’s just above head height. Wear cut-proof gloves, and sunglasses to protect your eyes. You may need to turn off collision avoidance sensors when retrieving the drone by hand.
When on its final approach to land you are normally flying the drone towards yourself; turn the drone to face away from you, so left is left and right is right on the controls.
Read the manual regarding the Return to Home function. As you’re on a boat you’ll have moved from your launch position. I’ve seen drones literally descend into the water just out of reach of the launch boat.
Never fly the drone close to wildlife, nesting birds or bird colonies. The wide angle lens on a drone is not the right lens for wildlife photography, but it is great for scenic locations and top-down pictures.
In Svalbard drones are not allowed to fly in Longyearbyen – check for local restrictions before flying.
You must register before flying most drones outdoors in the UK. If you fly the drone you must pass a theory test to get a flyer ID. If you’re responsible for a drone you must register for an operator ID. Visit registerdrones. caa.co.uk/ individual for this and to find the Civil Aviation
Authority’s Drone and Model Aircraft
Code for the rules to follow.