Drone Assisted

Pilot guide

Drone pilot jobs, payments and what to expect

Drone Assisted is building a managed UK network designed to connect professional drone pilots with commercial assignments from insurers, property businesses and major corporate organisations.

This guide explains what you'll see before accepting work, how customer funding operates and what happens from assignment offer through to pilot payment.

Join the pilot network How payment works

Free to join · Choose your assignments · See your payout before accepting

Drone inspection being carried out above a residential property roof

Payment security

Most assignments are paid for before you fly

For standard Drone Assisted assignments, the customer pays Drone Assisted before the assignment is released to a pilot. This means the job is already funded before you travel to site.

You'll see the amount Drone Assisted will pay you before deciding whether to accept the assignment. Provided you complete the agreed work satisfactorily and submit the required deliverables, your pilot payment is processed in accordance with the Pilot Agreement.

Payment assurance

Most customer payments are taken up front, before a pilot is dispatched

Invoice terms are only offered to established businesses that have been financially checked and approved

Pilot payout
£XXX
Payment basis
Satisfactory completion of the agreed assignment

Customer funds collected first

The large majority of assignments are paid for by the customer before pilot dispatch.

Your payout is visible

You know what Drone Assisted will pay before accepting the work.

Complete the agreed assignment

Complete the job and provide the agreed deliverables for review and payment processing.

Where a customer buys on invoice terms, that organisation has already been through Drone Assisted's commercial and credit approval process.

How customer payment is handled

Paid up front as standard

For standard Drone Assisted work the customer pays before the assignment is released to a pilot, so the job is already paid for by the time you travel to site.

Invoice terms are the exception

A small number of established insurers and large organisations buy on agreed invoice terms. Those accounts are only approved after Drone Assisted has completed commercial and credit checks on the business.

Pilots do not need to assess or chase customer payment. Drone Assisted manages the customer relationship and the collection of funds.

Why does the Pilot Agreement refer to customer payment?

Drone Assisted manages the commercial relationship between the customer and the pilot network.

In practice, most customer money is collected before the pilot travels to site, so that condition has usually already been satisfied by the time the assignment is offered.

Where a customer buys on invoice terms, that organisation is an established business that Drone Assisted has financially checked and approved in advance.

The signed Pilot Contractor Agreement remains the governing contractual document.

From assignment offer to payment

  1. 01

    Assignment offered

    You receive the job details when an assignment matches your location, capabilities and availability.

  2. 02

    Review the job

    See what is required, the location, deadline, deliverables and your pilot payout.

  3. 03

    Check the payout

    The pilot payout for the assignment is shown up front, so you know exactly what the job pays before you commit.

  4. 04

    Accept or decline

    You decide whether the assignment suits you. There is no obligation to accept an offered job.

  5. 05

    Complete the assignment

    Carry out the work safely, legally and in accordance with the agreed brief.

  6. 06

    Upload deliverables

    Submit the required imagery, data, notes or other agreed outputs.

  7. 07

    Quality check

    Drone Assisted checks the submission against the agreed job requirements.

  8. 08

    Payment processed

    Once the assignment has been satisfactorily completed, pilot payment is processed according to the applicable payment terms.

Know the job before you say yes

Drone Assisted is not intended to operate as a blind bidding marketplace. Before accepting an assignment, pilots should be given the information needed to decide whether the work is suitable.

Drone carrying out a roof inspection above a UK residential property
Illustrative assignment
Location
Sheffield
Service
Residential roof inspection
Required output
High resolution roof imagery
Required date
12 August
Estimated site requirement
Approximately 60 minutes
Pilot payout
£250
Relevant requirements
Commercial insurance and appropriate CAA registration

Example only. Actual assignment values, requirements and payouts will vary.

You fly. We manage the customer.

For Drone Assisted assignments, the commercial relationship sits with Drone Assisted. Pilots do not need to chase the end customer for payment or issue invoices directly to Drone Assisted customers.

One commercial relationship. One agreed pilot payout. No customer debt chasing.

  • Customer quotation
  • Scope confirmation
  • Customer payment
  • Assignment administration
  • Customer communications
  • Pilot matching
  • Deliverable collection
  • Customer delivery
Drone operator working outside a modern industrial facility

Commercial demand

Being built for major organisations

Drone Assisted is being developed around the requirements of organisations that need reliable drone services across multiple locations. We are already working with and developing relationships with some of the UK's largest insurers as well as major corporate organisations.

These organisations need more than access to an individual drone pilot. They need consistent standards, national coverage, central administration and dependable delivery. That is the opportunity Drone Assisted is building for its pilot network.

Insurance & claims

Property damage evidence, claims support and inspection imagery.

Property & loss adjusting

Roof, building and site evidence for professional property workflows.

Construction & infrastructure

Surveying, progress monitoring, inspection and specialist aerial data.

Corporate estates

Repeat requirements across multiple sites and locations.

Customer names and logos are only published where Drone Assisted has received permission to do so.

Insurance will be a core specialism

One of Drone Assisted's key areas of focus is insurance related drone work. The network is being developed to support use cases such as:

  • Roof and building inspections
  • Storm damage evidence
  • Flood damage documentation
  • Fire damage imagery
  • Property claims
  • Loss adjusting support
  • Rapid property assessment
  • Remote evidence capture
  • Portfolio inspections

Our financial services background gives Drone Assisted a strong understanding of the standards, processes and service levels expected by insurers and other regulated businesses.

The network will also support a much wider range of drone services including construction, infrastructure, surveying, thermal inspection, solar, agriculture and specialist aerial operations.

Drone inspecting solar panels on a commercial warehouse roof

Who we are

Built by experienced business leaders

Drone Assisted has been founded by senior level individuals with extensive experience in UK financial services and in running and scaling multi million pound businesses.

The founding team's experience includes insurance, technology, commercial operations, distribution, customer service and major business partnerships. That experience is being applied to building Drone Assisted as a professional national service rather than simply another online drone directory.

The focus is on strong financial controls, clear commercial processes, verified pilot standards and relationships capable of generating repeat work for the network.

More about Drone Assisted

More than access to jobs

Registered Drone Assisted pilots can also access selected partner benefits covering professional training, insurance, software, equipment and other services relevant to commercial drone operators.

View exclusive pilot offers

Pilot questions answered

Is there a fee to join Drone Assisted?
No. Pilot registration is free. Drone Assisted does not charge pilots simply to appear on the network.
Does joining guarantee work?
No. Assignment volumes depend on customer demand, geography, pilot capability, network coverage and the services required. Drone Assisted is being built around organisations capable of generating recurring and multi location commercial requirements, but no minimum amount of work is guaranteed.
Do I have to accept every assignment?
No. You decide whether an offered assignment suits your location, availability, equipment, competence and operating permissions.
Will I know my payout before accepting?
Yes. The amount Drone Assisted is offering the pilot should be shown before the assignment is accepted.
How do I know the job will actually be paid for?
The large majority of Drone Assisted work is paid for by the customer before a pilot is dispatched. Invoice terms are the exception and are only offered to established organisations that have passed our commercial and credit checks.
Will standard jobs be paid if I complete them properly?
Yes. Provided the pilot satisfactorily completes the agreed assignment and submits the agreed deliverables, pilot payment is processed according to the Pilot Agreement.
Why does the contract refer to customer payment?
It reflects the fact that Drone Assisted holds the commercial relationship with the customer. In practice most customer money is collected before dispatch, and any customer working on invoice terms has been financially assessed and approved by Drone Assisted first. The signed Pilot Contractor Agreement remains the governing contract.
Do I invoice the customer?
No. Drone Assisted manages the financial relationship with the end customer. Pilots must not separately invoice Drone Assisted customers for work allocated through the network.
What happens if weather prevents the flight?
Safety and legal compliance come first. Where weather or operating conditions prevent safe completion, the assignment should be handled in accordance with the existing rescheduling and Pilot Agreement provisions.
What happens if the customer cancels?
Refer to the current cancellation provisions in the Pilot Agreement.
What happens if the deliverables are incomplete?
Pilots are expected to complete the agreed brief. Where deliverables are incomplete or do not meet the agreed requirements for reasons within the pilot's control, additional capture or correction may be required.
Are mileage and travel paid separately?
The pilot payout displayed for an assignment is the amount being offered for that job unless additional expenses are expressly approved. Pilots should consider travel and operating costs before accepting the assignment.
Am I employed by Drone Assisted?
No. Pilots operate as independent contractors and remain responsible for their own safe and legal operation, competence, insurance, equipment and applicable permissions.
What qualifications do I need?
There is no single qualification required for every Drone Assisted job. Requirements depend on the operation. Pilots must hold the registrations, insurance, competency and any additional qualifications or authorisations required for the work they accept. Commercial drone requirements.
Who will the work come from?
Drone Assisted is being developed for customers including insurers, loss adjusters, property businesses, construction and infrastructure companies and other organisations needing reliable drone services.

Ready to join the network?

Join Drone Assisted, tell us where you operate and the type of work you're equipped to undertake. Registration is free, you remain in control of which assignments you accept, and your payout is shown before you commit to a job.

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Read Pilot Contractor Agreement