Safety First: Operating Within Airport Flight Restriction Zones (FRZs)
Why Airspace Awareness and Compliance Are at the Heart of Responsible Drone Surveying
At Drone Surveying, safety is never an afterthought—it’s embedded in every flight, every plan, and every project. As the use of drones in surveying, construction, and infrastructure monitoring becomes more widespread, it is crucial that all operators—commercial and recreational—act with the utmost diligence, especially when operating near airports.
From congested urban zones to critical infrastructure corridors, our operations sometimes require access to areas that fall within the boundaries of Flight Restriction Zones (FRZs).
A Flight Restriction Zone is a 2 or 2.5 nautical mile radius boundary (depending on the airport) around all airfields that restrict the use of drones. In addition to the 2 or 2.5 nautical mile radius boundary around the airport is a runway protection zone which is 5 km by at least 1 km buffer that extends at the end of the runway which protects incoming and outgoing planes. Both zones extend upwards to a height of 2,000 feet above the airfield.
It is illegal to fly any drone at any time within these restricted zones unless you have permission from NATS, or if NATS don’t operate the airport then it’s the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the airport or, if air traffic control is not operational, from the airport itself.
Working in these environments demands a meticulous, safety-first approach—one that goes far beyond simply “following the rules.” It requires proactive communication with authorities, detailed risk assessments, and swift action in the event of an unexpected aerial encounter.
The Risks: Lessons from UK Incidents
Recent history has shown us that when drones enter restricted airspace without authorisation, the consequences can be enormous. Perhaps the most widely publicised example occurred in December 2018 at Gatwick Airport, where unauthorised drone sightings caused three days of chaos. Over 1,000 flights were cancelled or diverted, stranding more than 140,000 passengers. Despite extensive investigations and military assistance, no one was ever charged. The fallout, however, was clear: airports shut down, airlines incurred millions in losses, and public trust in drones suffered a major setback.
Just weeks later, Heathrow Airport reported a similar disruption after another drone sighting halted departures. These incidents—though rare—highlight the potentially catastrophic impact of negligent or untrained drone use.
They also reinforce a vital point: every drone operator, especially commercial ones like us, has a duty to operate with precision, caution, and full regulatory compliance.
Drone Surveying’s Approach to Safe FRZ Operations
When a project site is located within an FRZ, our team follows a comprehensive, step-by-step protocol designed to eliminate risk and ensure seamless coordination with aviation stakeholders.
🔍 1. Site Assessment and Flight Planning
We begin by conducting a full assessment of the site, identifying any airspace restrictions, known hazards, and the proximity of runways or heliports. We use approved flight planning tools such as Altitude Angel’s Drone Assist, NATS DroneSafe, and AirMap to check for NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen), temporary restrictions, and live traffic feeds.
Every flight plan includes specifics such as:
GPS coordinates and altitude limits
Take-off and landing zones
Intended flight duration and operational hours
Emergency landing procedures
📞 2. Permission from Air Traffic Control
Before a single propeller spins, we contact the relevant Air Traffic Control (ATC) authority to request formal authorisation. This includes:
Submitting our risk assessment and flight details
Confirming operating times
Agreeing on contingency protocols
Awaiting written permission before proceeding
We maintain open lines of communication throughout, often coordinating with airport operations staff to avoid interference with any manned aircraft movements.
🧾 3. Compliance with CAA Regulations
All our pilots are Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) certified, and our drones are operated under the terms of an Operational Authorisation. We maintain insurance and a digital record of all authorisations, flight logs, and safety checklists to ensure full traceability and accountability.
Responding to Aircraft Encounters
Even outside of FRZs, it is possible to encounter helicopters, light aircraft, or emergency services while operating a drone. We treat any such sighting as a serious event and follow strict procedures to reduce risk:
🚨 If we see or hear an approaching aircraft:
Immediate descent: We begin a safe but rapid descent to a lower altitude or land the drone immediately, depending on proximity.
Maintain VLOS (Visual Line of Sight): Our operators always keep visual contact with the drone, allowing for swift responses to aerial threats.
Cease operations: We stop the mission until it is clear that the airspace is safe to resume.
Notify local authorities (if applicable): If an aircraft is flying at an unusually low level or in a hazardous way, we document the event and report it where necessary.
All team members are trained to anticipate and handle such encounters calmly, prioritising manned aviation at all times.
What Sets Drone Surveying Apart
While drone regulations exist to prevent incidents, compliance alone isn’t enough. What sets Drone Surveying apart is our ethos of proactive safety. We don’t just work within the boundaries of the law—we build additional safety layers into every aspect of our operations.
We invest in:
Continuous pilot training
Risk management software
Real-time airspace monitoring tools
Insurance and audit trails
More importantly, we treat every project near an FRZ with the respect it deserves. This not only protects our staff and clients—it protects the reputation of the entire drone industry.
A Safer Industry Starts With Us
The future of drone surveying depends on public confidence, aviation safety, and responsible innovation. Each time a drone operator cuts corners or flies illegally, it undermines years of progress made by responsible operators and regulators.
At Drone Surveying, we’re proud to lead by example. Whether we’re surveying a housing development next to a regional airfield or mapping infrastructure within a military airspace buffer, our commitment is the same: zero risk, full compliance, and world-class safety standards.
If your next project is located near an airport, heliport, or controlled airspace, don’t leave safety to chance. Choose a team that puts professionalism—and the protection of our skies—at the heart of its mission.
Ready to work with a drone surveying provider you can trust?
Contact Drone Surveying today to discuss your FRZ project and find out how we can help you navigate complex airspace safely and efficiently.
I have worked with DRONE SURVEYING for some years now, from checking a boundary of new land to auditing earthworks. The use of drones on our sites is now standard; we monitor progress and calculate cut and fill via the online software as our sites progress.
The use of regular mass data collection and the latest drone technology and practises will without doubt save us time and money on our sites.
We use DRONE SURVEYING on all of our sites to support our cut and fill strategy, with regular surveys and their cutting-edge software, we are able to manage our sites much more effectively.
Having now worked with DRONE SURVEYING engineering solutions for a number of years, their services have proven to be invaluable conducting our volumetric surveys, progress videos and cut and fill support. The drone data platform has allowed us to get the best from the data with full support and training provided from the DS team
The drone data helps us to make quicker and smarter key decisions to ensure we have budget and time control on our projects. Having monthly surveys on our sites ensures we keep full control of all earth movements.
Using aerial imagery from drone surveys helps us anticipate errors or mistakes in the next stage of development instead of waiting for work to start on the ground. This proactive approach has saved us hundreds of thousands of pounds; a reactive approach can be costly
DRONE SURVEYING’s nine-strong team includes specialist drone operators based in the North, Midlands, South-West and South-East enabling us to survey construction sites across the country, often at short notice. We are fully compliant with the regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and are in regular contact with them to ensure safe and legal operations.
Our team includes experts who are available to provide ongoing support to assist you in analysing and interpreting the survey data to make informed decisions for your project, often acting as an extension to your in-house team.
