Renting a UAV/drone/quadrocopter

[SanguiniusZ]

(Mods - please plonk this in another area of the forum if this is not the appropriate place?)

Work has been incredibly dull of late, so I have been having a flight of fancy (fnar) about getting into the UAVs business. I assume it can't be as straightforward as simply buying a quadrocopter with a gimbal, decent camera equipment, business insurance and pimping myself out to all and sundry who want this kind of service? Or is it?!

Anyone on here got experience of flying UAVs / hiring UAV equipment? Is there any flight certification an operator needs to go through to be able to use one commercially?

Cheers.

[Ledaig]

Have a look in the photography forum. There's a couple of people who have discussed a similar venture, and from memory at least one person who does it for a living (or at least part of).

[Super Slo Mo]

A couple of people I know, who work in TV, have recently got some and are touting for work.
You do need proper certification, although some people aren't bothering.
There's a chap on here, forget his username offhand, but he's based in the midlands and offers this service.
Other than that, I don't know much about it. I suspect the market will get flooded very soon, and with operators willing to flout the rules, competing might be difficult.

[Magic919]

Never seen anyone hiring out equipment. Plenty of them offer their services.

Basically, buy it, get insurance, start flying. You'll need look at CAA site too.

[SanguiniusZ]

Nice one, cheers for the responses folks!

[Andehh]

Estate Agents would definitely be worth contacting, for the big houses/country estates a few nice bird eye views of the land must surely be worth it?