Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Drone Operator
A short qualification call saves time and money. Use these questions to compare drone operators before you book.
Licensing and authorisation
Ask which national authority licenses them (FAA Part 107, CAA GVC, Transport Canada, CASA RePL/ReOC, CAA NZ Part 101/102, IAA, SACAA) and whether they're authorised for the specific type of flight you need — night, BVLOS, over people, or near controlled airspace.
Insurance
Confirm current public liability insurance and the cover limit. Ask for a certificate. For commercial work £1m / US$1m is a common minimum; some sites require £5m or more.
Aircraft and sensors
Ask which aircraft and sensors they'll use. For surveys, confirm RTK/PPK and ground control workflow. For thermal, confirm a radiometric (not visual-only) thermal camera.
Deliverables and turnaround
Get specifics: report format, image counts, file types (DWG, GeoTIFF, point cloud), accuracy specification, and how many business days from flight to deliverable.
Site access and permissions
Ask who handles airspace permissions, landowner permission, NOTAMs and stakeholder notification. Confirm whether take-off/landing site, parking and on-site escort are needed.
Pricing and scope
Get a written quote with scope, deliverables, exclusions and travel. Confirm what happens if weather forces a return visit.
Next step
Get quotes from verified drone operators
Tell us about your project — usually matched within 24 hours.
Request a QuoteFAQ