Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has confirmed a new partnership with Altitude Angel, the developers of the popular Drone Assist app, aimed at improving the management of drone operations at its properties.
The contract, signed on July 10, 2024, will officially take effect on October 1, 2024. This agreement is expected to enhance how drone activities, particularly take-offs and landings, are coordinated at Properties in Care (PICs) across Scotland.
The contract, signed on July 10, 2024, officially took effect on October 1, 2024, and will leverage Altitude Angel’s Approval Services platform as part of the agreement. This system enables drone operators to digitally request permission to take off and land on HES properties, streamlining what has traditionally been a time-consuming process.
An example of this can be seen at certain HES sites where drone pilots are now greeted with the option to submit flight plans electronically. The system allows users to upload required documents—such as Risk Assessments, Operator IDs, and Proof of Insurance—to receive swift approvals. Additionally, a fee structure has been established, with recreational drone operators paying £20 for access, while internal Historic Scotland operations incur no charge.
As an example, the process for gaining approval on HES-managed sites includes the following steps:
- Digital flight plan submission: Drone operators can submit their flight plan digitally, ensuring clear communication with HES.
- Approval Services: The platform facilitates electronic approvals, enabling faster turnaround for permission to operate.
- Required Documents: Operators are required to provide necessary documentation, including:
- Risk assessments with clearly marked take-off/landing points.
- Emergency landing areas.
- Proof of insurance (minimum public liability £5m).
- Operator and Flyer IDs in line with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidelines.
This online system reduces the need for physical paperwork and manual approvals, making it easier for drone pilots to comply with regulations while ensuring that drone flights are conducted safely and in line with the preservation efforts at HES properties.
Take-Off and Landing vs. Airspace Control
Despite HES’s ability to manage drone operations on the ground, it’s important to emphasise that HES does not control the airspace above its properties. Airspace regulation in the UK is overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The CAA encourages drone operators to follow the Drone Code and check for any ground-based restrictions imposed by landowners before flying, while also noting that airspace remains a state asset and is not subject to local bylaws regarding airspace control.
Addressing the ‘No Drone Zone’ Confusion
This partnership follows confusion earlier in 2024 when a Drone Assist update mistakenly designated several HES properties as ‘No Drone Zones.’ Altitude Angel quickly addressed the issue, removing the erroneous data and issuing an apology. In a public statement, Altitude Angel explained the mistake and reassured drone operators about their continued access to the platform. They clarified:
“We apologise for any confusion caused by the initial release of this data. The “No Drone Zone” classification was applied in error due to a lack of an assigned landowner profile for this data layer, as it was released earlier than planned in our system.
We want to emphasise that this was an unintended setting and does not accurately reflect the intended use of this data. Our goal is never to close down or restrict any drone operations. The intended future use of this data is to enable a greatly improved solution to professionally facilitate TOAL requests to landowner sites.
Our goal at Altitude Angel will always be to enable drone operations and to provide accurate and up-to-date information for lower airspace operations. It is not our ambition today or in the future to allow any landowner to implement a No Drone Zone. The issue has been resolved, and the data removed from the system.”
Stephen Farmer, Head of Communications at Altitude Angel, further added:
“Obviously, it is not our intention to cause confusion [as to where you can and cannot fly or Take Off And Land] within the drone community. We have invested significant resources designing our apps and flight planning tools to make it as easy as possible for drone operators to clearly see where they may, or may not, need permissions to fly or TOAL, and if needed, request the appropriate permissions.
It is also important to remember we provide these free flight planning tools on the mutual understanding drone operators will play their part in conducting safe operations by having an appropriate understanding of airspace, its rules and regulations, dependent on the type and scale of flight they wish to undertake.”
This statement highlights the critical responsibility of drone operators to follow the rules and fully understand airspace regulations and interpret the guidance they receive.
Understanding where they are permitted to fly and when they need to request permissions is essential to maintaining safety and ensuring their operations comply with both legal requirements and landowner conditions, in short, it’s best to understand what you’re looking at.
This partnership between HES and Altitude Angel represents a positive step forward in facilitating safe and responsible drone operations. By streamlining the approval process through the Approval Services platform, it enhances the experience for drone users wishing to take off or land near HES properties.
The system is a boon for responsible operators, providing clear, accessible tools to ensure they fly within the rules and regulations while capturing stunning imagery of Scotland’s historic landmarks.
In the end, this collaboration seems like a smart move for HES. The integration of the Altitude Angel system significantly improves the experience for responsible drone flyers, enabling them to safely operate while respecting the preservation of Scotland’s remarkable historic sites under the care of HES.
