Drones at English Heritage Sites

There is increasing interest in the use of drones to film or photograph our historic locations. While drones offer a fantastic new perspective to enjoy and explore our historic buildings, we need to carefully balance these possibilities with the need to care for and conserve our sites, and maintain the safety of our visitors.

Conditions for Drone Flying

Current CAA legislation states that drones are not permitted to be flown within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft. The aircraft should not be flown within 50 metres of any person except during take-off or landing or within 30 metres of any person except for the person in charge of the aircraft.

To ensure the safety and security of English Heritage sites, any drone flying must take place when the site is closed to the public. All operators must hold the following:

• A current and valid GVC (General Visual Line of Sight Certificate) from the CAA for commercial work;
• evidence of valid drone and public liability insurance;
• a risk assessment for the proposed drone flight; 
• a flight plan for the proposed drone flight;
• a technical specification for the make / model of drone to be used;

All drone operators and fliers must also provide details of their Drone Registration Identification numbers, as per new government guidance introduced in November 2019.