Cameras may be needed for movie filming, geological studies, nature programmes, real estate images or pipeline surveys. But with the advance of technology in the field of drones, we have to ask whether unmanned is better than manned flight for getting the job done.

Maltese flight training academy and AOC operator Malta Wings has a Tecnam P2006T which it uses for its research and film flights. It also has three Cessna 172s, purchased initially for training flights: “It is a good dual purpose aircraft,” says general manager Iselle McCalman. “It may not be as fast as, say, the 182 but the 172 is a workhorse and suitable for aerial photography operations.”

National Geographic magazine makes use of the Malta Wings fleet, Malta Freeport employs it to take images of its harbours, and other clients photograph specific ships. Alongside local operations, requests also come in for operations over north Africa, nearby Sicily and many of the other Italian islands.

Feedback to Malta Wings from photographers suggests that a significant limitation of the drone is the distance it can travel. Commercial drones cannot go far or high, but they do give better detail in lower level photography where they can get closer and fly slower than an aircraft. “That's the advantage of the drone – it can hover,” McCalman adds. Generally she finds that photographers prefer to fly at higher altitude in an aircraft for their shots because the perspective is better. “They get the whole picture,” she says. “And you can't do that with a drone.”

Malta has a very congested airspace. It is a small island with a very busy airport so it is crucial for drones to be properly regulated. Once legislation is approved, the next step for Malta Wings may be to offer training to drone pilots through its academy.

In Iceland, CEO of Reykjavik-based Nordurflug Helicopter Tours Birgir Haraldsson says: “Drones have not made an impact on our business and we are not thinking about adopting them.” Drones in Iceland are at risk due to the weather, especially wind gusts, and if they have to carry a heavy lens or camera this adds to the risk. He is also concerned that current regulation, and its enforcement, is inadequate. The company has a fleet of six helicopters, all of which are used for filming TV shows such as Game of Thrones, movies, documentaries and music videos. The landscape in Iceland is one of stark contrasts, perfect for films such as Genesis, Batman, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Interstellar and Star Wars, where its black sands and lava create a background and desolation reminiscent of outer space.

On the other hand, in a typical summer the landscape has the look of New Zealand. It is lush and verdant, partly because the frequent rain washes off the dirt. And of course it is much closer to the London-based studios where many films are made. “To jump over to Iceland is a piece of cake for these guys,” Haraldsson adds.

Competition comes not just from drones

According to HeliAir Sweden CEO Aram Rubinstein the quality of the material that drones deliver is not comparable to that from heli ops. “It is not even close, and it is not competitive,” he says. Drones were prohibited in Sweden for some time so have not had the opportunity to make any impact, but on one memorable occasion he says: “A drone took a brand new Red Epic camera and flew it into a lake. It was lost, and that is more than $100,000 worth of equipment. The crew weren't happy so we came in to finish the production.”

The Swedish police force has started using drones for observation work and a city council has used them illegally to spy on building projects by lakes, but Rubinstein does not think they will be important in the industry for another 10 to 20 years. “Drones will be inspecting power lines with very high resolution cameras and a sensor on each pole so that you can fly it out of sight and know that it is not going to take off into some building or another aircraft,” says Rubinstein. “Bigger drones are very heavy and they can cause a lot of damage. There is also the question of how long they can be airborne with the new batteries and the high resolution cameras.”

He thinks other areas of the aviation industry will draw attention away from drones, namely the Russian 'lighter than air' helium-powered Atlant aircraft, for which there is some Swedish investment. But he also draws attention to the emergence of a multi-body advanced airship, a bit like a large zeppelin, made up of a material that can maintain the gas without leaking and lifting up to 250 or even 500 tonnes. “I think this will emerge sooner than drones and take centre stage,” he says.

The company uses AS350s. “We own the market in Sweden,” he adds. “We carry out power line inspections and geographical surveys, laser scanning and 3D images of power lines so it is possible to see the effects on vegetation, and how the summer sun affects the line.”

“As far as our fixed wing fleet goes, I can't remember the last time we had an aerial photography request,” says Alex Durand, CEO of UK operator SaxonAir Charter. “Any aerial work we do will be using the rotary fleet.

“Our view is that drones should be having a significant impact on this market, but the current regulations probably limit that effect.” Indeed the UK CAA considers the visual line-of-sight issue to be of overriding importance. The company has no drones at the moment but has considered moving into unmanned operations once regulations have caught up with technology. A lot of the skill requirements are the same: “It's just a different delivery mechanism,” he says.

However, aerial photography operations vary hugely and some require quite specific flexibilities. Head of ground operations and charter manager Max Randall believes that the type of agricultural surveys SaxonAir undertakes are unlikely to be performed by drones in the near future since the area covered by the helicopter, and the flexibility required to overfly unplanned locations with a specialist observer on board, over a number of counties in a day, renders them impractical.

Drones and helicopters do quite different things

Pinewood in Hertfordshire is an important part of the UK's feature film and TV business. Not only are its studios home to big name TV shows but they are the birthplace of the Star Wars films and have housed the production of a great many blockbuster movies. Based at nearby Denham aerodrome, Helicopter Film Services (HFS) specialises primarily in feature films and operates drones alongside its fleet of Squirrel helicopters. “I would like to think that we were one of the first commercial helicopter operators in the UK to do so,” says group operations manager Derek Desmond.

HFS has the capacity to work anywhere in the world, most recently operating in Iceland, Bangladesh, South Africa, South Korea and the Philippines. Its productions often involve both helicopters and drones, specifically the Aerigon and Shotover cinematic drones, as both mediums bring different yet complementary qualities to the operation.

“There is a perception that drones will be cheaper than a helicopter, and that may be true for the lower end ones,” he says. “But the larger ones that are capable of lifting the kind of equipment that feature films require are just as expensive as sending a helicopter. And if the drone fails to get the shots first time, then you are looking at more expense.”

Perceived economy aside, clients also think drones will cover more locations in less time. However, the reality is often that the drone applications and permissions take far longer to be approved than those for helicopters. For this reason UK drone missions require a planning lead time of at least 28 days, whereas HFS has no such limitations on its helicopters.

Hold the front page

Arena Aviation is based at Redhill aerodrome in Surrey, England, and has specialised in aerial filming since it was formed in 1995. As part of the Arena Group, it works alongside colleagues providing the latest technology in outside broadcast facilities and with its London Biggin Hill airport-based executive jet team.

“There are two dedicated news helicopters in the UK,” says operations manager James White. “One is contracted to Sky News and the other to BBC News. We hold both of those contracts and we own and operate the aircraft which fulfil these contracts.”

The company originally invested in Cineflex camera systems which at the time represented a huge leap forward in terms of stabilisation and camera housing. They provide viewers with rock steady images and, up until very recently, would have been used for aerial coverage at most major events. Arena now has a Shotover F1 camera, a state-of-the-art gyro-stabilised system that is used for larger productions and feature film work, television commercials and live sport; perfect for its motor racing coverage, particularly the International Isle of Man TT motorcyle race.

The company can comfortably ship its camera system to northern Europe and other areas fairly close to the UK for use on craft belonging to collaborating operators. In this way it has worked on Amazon Video's motor show The Grand Tour in Italy and Germany, but also managed to send a camera and technician all the way to Nepal last year to work on the Doctor Strange movie produced by Marvel Studios.

Arena's Twin Squirrel is popular with photographers and film crews because it has a single cabin without any bulkheads or parts to restrict visibility. Specialist aerial photo-grapher Jason Hawks is a regular client. Pilot, cameraman and director all sit within the same environment, which means they can communicate effectively with each other and can clearly see what is going on. Furthermore, a photographer can slide the door open and sit with feet dangling outside of the aircraft for unimpeded photo opportunities.

The company has a rapid response time: “The helicopter and crew are on standby so the news helicopter is going to arrive at an incident significantly faster than somebody in a Range Rover with a drone in the back,” says White. “And the crew on board are in direct communication with the people in the studio. They can be directed and there is often more intelligence coming in in terms of what's just happened.”

Its helicopter provides a completely unique view of the scene. Shots that are gathered are used to piece the story together and often the story can develop around the aerial shots rather than those taken at or near ground level. “A drone is generally limited to operating below 400 ft, while a helicopter tends to be 500 ft and above,” he says.

The company claims the camera systems on its news helicopters are far superior and more versatile than those on drones in terms of the range of the shots and their zoom capability. The distance they can cover point to point far outweighs that of the drone, especially in the news gathering environment. Within feature films or television series the drone may have made its mark, but White doesn't expect one to replace the other any time soon.

Operational support for aerial photography

Ex-helicopter pilot Paul Hay set up helicopter support business Puma Aviation based in Bradford in 2002, primarily providing fire and rescue cover for small aviation events. He can provide a refuel on an airfield or park land or in some of the more remote parts of Scotland, setting up a mini airfield for the aircraft to operate from and putting up ground night lighting systems for helicopters operating after sunset.

Aerial coordination involves liaising with the pilot, talking him through any manoeuvres, while taking direction from the film director and getting the helicopter into position and resetting for the next shot. “We also cover the safety side, making sure that we can get personnel in and out of the helicopter with the rotor still running,” he adds.

Hay notes that the quality of drone camera images can now be virtually indistinguishable from the footage from helicopters, but they fall short in terms of stability. “The helicopter is a more stable base and there are more camera options. You've got the range and the pilot is there with the camera attached. I think you have got better scope with the helicopter,” he says.

But drones come into play when shooting closer to the action. “You can get a drone to 'run' through a park or forest, weaving in between the trees only one foot above the ground, and this is just not possible with a helicopter.” The drone is more nimble, as evidenced when Puma recently used a drone to shoot from an animal's perspective and flew it just over the top of the undergrowth. “Otherwise it would either have to be a human-operated camera, or footage shot from a track-mounted system.”

Capturing the beauty of the Scottish glens

Inverness-based PDG Helicopters owns and operates eight AS355 Twin Squirrels and six AS350 Squirrels. The company has been involved in almost every major movie production filmed in Scotland over the last 20 years, from Harry Potter to James Bond and Batman, and regularly works with Top Gear and BBC documentaries. It does live broadcasts and delivers aerial surveys covering rail, road, power and pipe line applications, and in remote areas it organises its ground crew to be on location with mobile fuel bowsers to minimise filming downtime.

It is sometimes necessary to fly lower or in restricted areas for photography missions, and in these instances the company seeks special exemptions from the UK CAA. Business development manager Duncan McDonald remembers filming the first ever landing of a Qatar Airways aircraft at Dublin airport, which involved permissions and co-ordinations from the Irish Aviation Authority, Dublin airport, Dublin ATC and Qatar Airways.

The company offers a range of camera systems that are fitted according to the specific task. “For TV and live broadcasts we'll equip the aircraft with a special camera mount and our Cineflex HD camera system,” says McDonald. “For movie production we'll use our Shotover F1 system and for surveys we have a range of systems that cater for high resolution photography, thermal imaging, corona discharge and light detection and ranging technology.”

In the Seychelles, the core business for Mahe-based Zil Air is two-fold: VIP charter for inter-island transfers between the mainland and the various inner islands; and scenic flights. Business development manager Wayne Powell admits: “Aerial photography doesn't make any great impact on the overall bottom line of the business.” Its clients are after the breathtaking experience of helicopter flight.

However, when there is demand it tends to come from resorts and hotels; the larger, brand name franchises often look for fresh content for their marketing material. While the company is happy to make its services available, for reasons of cost it will often refer clients to drone operators that may be better placed to fit in a 20-minute photoshoot. “To us, drone operators are an ally, not an enemy,” says Powell.

“There will always be room for professional aerial photography in our business, but in our micro environment in the Seychelles it certainly doesn't make up the bulk of our business. We actively promote the drone operators that we know in the area and we exist symbiotically alongside them,” he adds.

Downside of drones

GB Helicopters operates aerial filming missions in its twin and single Squirrels from its base in Cheshire, UK. “The Twin Squirrel is such a versatile craft and has great load capability,” says director and chief pilot Will Banks. “We operate the latest variants, the Ns and NPs rather than the Fs, so we have got a high maximum all-up weight and first class performance when we need it.”

The helicopters can accommodate a good number of mounts, which broadens the choice of different cameras available for production companies to use, and can carry multiple personnel on board. They are easily manoeuverable and the AS355 and AS350 are more or less a world standard. Since people from many countries are familiar with these airframes they are a known quantity.

Drones are not as robust or stable as helicopters in Banks' opinion. They can't do multiple locations easily in one day, whereas a helicopter can reposition from place to place and take the director with it, covering huge amounts of ground with greater endurance. Helicopters can carry equipment to remote locations quickly, so although initially they may seem more expensive, the workload and added benefits they offer to larger productions should outweigh the cost. Then there is their better performance in adverse weather conditions. But essentially there will always be advantages to using both drones and helicopters depending on the task requirement.

GB Helicopters does all the flying for British adventurer, writer and television presenter Bear Grylls. Drones are outsourced for aerial filming, and the GB Helicopters team briefs the film crew on drone use while it is flying in order to get the best aerial shots of its own aircraft in action. Its considers this to be valuable promotion for the company.

It is also no stranger to film action or sport. Recently it was involved with the movie Dunkirk, supplying aircraft on the south coast of the UK in Lee-on-Solent, in Dunkirk and Amsterdam and working alongside a US film pilot operating a drone. It also supplied logistics and permissions for the movie Transformers: the Last Knight in 2016, including high-end risk assessments for low level flying over London. It will be filming for the Americas Cup this year as well as the Fastnet race around the Isle of Wight, and has been covering the World Athletics Championships in London. All these tasks have involved either working alongside a drone operator or have brought the team into contact with drones. “We have always been briefed and able to discuss the jobs beforehand so there hasn't been an issue,” adds Banks.

Because of the current absence of a regulatory framework it is easy to set up a drone operation and claim proficiency says Banks. At the higher end of the market, the professional set-ups are full of good people doing a good job, but it is at the lower, non-professional end where the problem lies.

With a big, open event like Fastnet or the Cowes week sailing regatta, everyone wants to capture great footage and the airspace is buzzing with drones. Some of the big racing yachts have drones on board so they can film themselves and, from the point of view of a helicopter filming crew, if it wasn't for someone on the ground in radio contact to advise of drone positions it would be impossible to know where they all are at any time.

Generally people are unaware of the stringent airspace rules and regulations that are put in place for everyone's safety, and of the severe consequences that a collision between a drone and a helicopter or other aircraft could have.

“There is no doubt about it: drones are here to stay,” says Banks. “A drone that can return some pretty good footage can be bought for a couple of thousand dollars, which is within reach for a lot of people. But, it would be nice if they were better regulated and licensed.”

Managing the union of helicopter and drone

It seems the aerial photography industry is changing, as we all must when faced with the march of technological progression, but at what cost to safety?

There are two sides to the regu-lation issue. Drones are great, but the regulations governing them are fairly restrictive in terms of visual line of sight (VLOS) operational limits. According to the UK CAA, for any kind of commercial operation within the UK at present VLOS operations are normally acceptable up to a maximum distance of 500 m horizontally and 400 ft vertically from the remote pilot. But at the same time, if the skies are full of unregulated drones then what's to prevent a collision?

Later this year EASA will be assuming regulatory responsibility for drone use and its published proposal on drone regulation does not differ much from the CAA standard.

ExecuJet Africa is adding unmanned aerial vehicle services at its facilities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Lagos. Director of aviation Gavin Kiggen says: “The market for drone technology in the commercial sector has been increasing in recent years and is expected to grow by at least 19 per cent between 2017 and 2020.” It is expected that the drone market will create more than 24,000 jobs in South Africa by the end of 2018, contributing more than US$152.9 million to the economy.

But outside of Africa, it seems that until the technology is robust enough to allow drones to be autonomous in the way they avoid obstacles and other airspace users then extended VLOS operations will remain prohibited. Until a drone can make decisions for itself to avoid collision, nothing changes. Autonomous operations for drones need to be supported by technology, developed by the manufacturers, which then must be certified and approved. But solutions to these problems are being tested already. Further on, drones still need to be integrated into wider airspace systems ensuring other airspace users know they are there. They must be monitored, tracked and have open communications channels so that aircraft and helicopter pilots, and air traffic control, can all communicate with the drone pilot.

Generally operators are embracing the drone's capabilities, if not by putting them on their books then by sharing the aerial photography workload between them. We may not be looking at the imminent collapse of the helicopter aerial photography business but as we all know, things rarely stay stable for long. n