Don't Send in the Clowns — Hiring a Drone Company Shouldn't Be a Circus
You've got a business to promote. You've decided drone footage is the way to do it. You jump online, find someone offering aerial video for a price that seems too good to be true, and book them in.
What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, actually. And if you're not careful, you might end up with less of a cinematic masterpiece and more of a slapstick comedy — minus the laughs.
The Circus Is in Town
The drone industry has a problem. Because drones are now relatively affordable, anyone with a credit card and a YouTube tutorial can call themselves a "drone operator." Some of them are brilliant. Many of them are… not.
We're not here to name names. But we've seen enough horror stories — from businesses across the Peak District and beyond — to know that hiring the wrong person can be an expensive joke.
So in the spirit of keeping things light (while making a very serious point), here's your guide to spotting the clowns before they turn your project into a three-ring circus.
Act 1: The Disappearing Paperwork
You ask for their CAA registration. There's a pause. A long pause. Then something like "oh, I'll send that over later" or "you don't really need to see that."
Yes. Yes you do.
Flying a drone commercially in the UK without proper CAA registration is illegal. Not "a bit naughty." Illegal. And if an unregistered operator has an incident on your property, guess who might be sharing the liability?
A professional will hand over their Flyer ID, Operator ID, and any additional qualifications before you even ask. If you have to chase it, that's your first red nose — sorry, red flag.
Act 2: The Invisible Insurance
Insurance is the safety net under the trapeze. Without it, everyone's at risk.
Professional drone insurance is a specialist product. Your mate's general liability policy from when he did a bit of decorating on the side does not cover a 900g aircraft buzzing over your customers' heads.
If the operator can't produce a valid certificate of insurance — from a recognised provider like Coverdrone or Flock — that specifically covers unmanned aerial vehicles, do not let them fly. Full stop.
At Aerial Action, we carry comprehensive public liability and professional indemnity insurance. We'll show you the paperwork before we even unpack the drone case. Because that's what professionals do.
Act 3: The Borrowed Showreel
Their showreel looks incredible. Sweeping cinematic shots. Dramatic FPV fly-throughs. You're sold.
Then they turn up, and the footage they produce looks like it was filmed on a calculator.
This is an old trick — older than the drone industry itself. Showreels can be bought, borrowed, or quietly assembled from other people's work. Some operators have genuinely beautiful portfolios made up entirely of footage they didn't shoot.
The fix is simple: ask them about specific projects. Where was it filmed? What was the brief? What drone did they use? A real professional will talk you through each project like they were there. Because they were.
If the answers are vague, the honking nose is on them.
Act 4: The Toy Drone Surprise
There's a world of difference between a professional-grade DJI system and something that came free with a magazine subscription.
For proper commercial work, you should expect to see equipment like a Mavic 3 Pro, Air 3, or Inspire series. For FPV fly-through filming, the operator should be flying custom-built rigs with high-quality action cameras — not a plastic toy that struggles in a light breeze.
And let's not forget post-production. Filming is only half the job. Professional editing, colour grading, and sound design are what turn raw footage into something that actually works for your business. If their idea of post-production is slapping a filter on it and uploading to WeTransfer, you've hired a clown.
Act 5: "Risk Assessment? What's That?"
A proper risk assessment isn't optional. It's a legal requirement under CAA regulations.
It should cover the location, nearby people and structures, airspace restrictions, weather conditions, and any site-specific hazards. For indoor work, there's a whole additional layer of assessment needed.
If the operator's idea of a risk assessment is looking up and saying "yeah, should be fine" — that's not a professional. That's a liability in a high-vis vest.
Act 6: The Bargain Basement Quote
We get it. Everyone loves a good deal. But professional drone filming involves expensive equipment, specialist insurance, CAA registration, ongoing training, and skilled post-production work.
If someone's quoting you £50 for a full day of aerial filming, they're either losing money, cutting corners, or both. And when the footage comes back looking like it was shot during an earthquake on a phone from 2014, that "bargain" suddenly looks a lot less clever.
A fair price reflects the cost of doing things properly. The cheapest quote and the best result have never been the same thing — in any industry, ever.
Act 7: The "Turn Up and See What Happens" Approach
A professional drone company will want to understand your project before they arrive. They'll ask about your objectives, the intended use of the footage, specific shots you need, and any logistical considerations.
An amateur will say "don't worry, I'll just have a fly around and see what we get."
That's not a production plan. That's a hope and a prayer with propellers.
At Aerial Action, every project starts with a proper brief, a shot list, and a clear plan. Because winging it (pun absolutely intended) is not a strategy.
Act 8: "Yeah, I Can Fly Indoors Too"
Indoor FPV flying is a completely different discipline to outdoor aerial work. It requires specialist equipment, specific experience, and a tailored risk assessment for the interior environment.
An operator who normally flies in open fields offering to "just pop inside and have a go" is a recipe for a drone embedded in your ceiling — or worse, your customers.
Our action drone filming includes indoor FPV work using custom-built drones specifically configured for confined spaces. It's what we do. Not something we "also do on the side."
Act 9: The Mystery Deliverables
"So… what exactly am I getting?"
If you're asking this question after the shoot, something has already gone wrong.
A professional company agrees deliverables upfront — format, resolution, number of edits, turnaround time, and whether raw footage is included. You should know exactly what you're paying for before anyone takes off.
If the answer to "what will I receive?" is a shrug and a vague mention of "some clips," congratulations — you've booked a clown.
Act 10: Zero Relevant Experience
Filming a holiday cottage is different to filming a construction site. A wedding venue is different to a sports facility. A café is different to a quarry.
Experience in your specific sector means the operator already knows the shots that work, the challenges they'll face, and the content that will resonate with your audience. They won't be learning on the job at your expense.
Ask for examples of work in similar environments. If they can't show you any, they might be perfectly competent — but they might also be about to use your project as a training exercise.
The Grand Finale — Don't Hire a Clown
Look, we've had a bit of fun with this. But the underlying message is deadly serious.
Hiring an unqualified, uninsured, or inexperienced drone operator puts your property at risk, your customers at risk, and your reputation at risk. The footage you get back — if you get anything usable at all — could end up doing more harm than good for your brand.
The drone filming industry is full of talented, dedicated professionals. It's also full of chancers who bought a drone last Tuesday and set up an Instagram page on Wednesday.
Knowing the difference is everything.
Skip the Circus — Work With Aerial Action
At Aerial Action, we're fully CAA registered, comprehensively insured, and backed by over 20 years of broadcast and film production experience. We fly professional-grade equipment, we plan every project properly, and we deliver polished, usable content — on time, every time.
We offer:
- Aerial and FPV drone filming — cinematic and action drone work
- Classic camera production — ground-level filming with broadcast experience
- Hybrid production — aerial, FPV, and ground combined in one shoot
No clowns. No circus. Just professional drone filming that makes your business look as good as it deserves to.