OK so here's something...

[fjc]

Say I shoot some aerial footage of a cottage resort. I then "give" the video, no charge, no sale, no nothing to the cottage resort owner, it's a gift, and some weeks later he uses the footage that he now owns, to advertise his little cottage resort on the net on his own website. Now does that require me to have obtained a commercial license? I made no money from it. Thanks

 

[Mavic Mac]

IMHO - If I understand it correctly it is the INTENT (money does not to have to change hands) of the flight at the time it was done. From your post it sounds like you intend to "give" the video to the cottage owner at a future date, so yes you need to be certified.

 

[deltamike]

I do not understand the reasoning behind your answer Mac. Perhaps the rules are different in Canada, but here in the UK if a friend asks me to shoot some video and I give them that video gratis then what they do with it is no concern of mine and therefore I do not require a commercial license. (I think)

Is that not the same as in Canada?

 

[Lurch003]

My understanding is that you haven't flown for commercial purposes or to make a profit, so you wouldn't require a licence. What he does with the footage after you've gifted it to him is, to put it bluntly, nothing to do with you. YOUR intent is what matters, not his.

Just my understanding

 

[deltamike]

My understanding is that you haven't flown for commercial purposes or to make a profit, so you wouldn't require a licence. What he does with the footage after you've gifted it to him is, to put it bluntly, nothing to do with you. YOUR intent is what matters, not his.

Just my understanding

Maybe different rules in Canada where the OP is.

 

[Lurch003]

Maybe different rules in Canada where the OP is.

Good shout, I saw the start of "Peterborough" and assumed UK- didn't even know there was one in Canada! Learn something new everyday...

 

[deltamike]

Good shout, I saw the start of "Peterborough" and assumed UK- didn't even know there was one in Canada! Learn something new everyday...

Canada and the USA copy a lot from the old homeland. There is even a Poole in Nebraska. ?

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Fjc why not, in writing, ask your regulating authority? That surely is the safest bet.

 

[fjc]

Fjc why not, in writing, ask your regulation authority? That surely is the safest bet.

Hi, yes you are absolutely correct, that would be the safest bet indeed. But since I have access to this forum I thought it would benefit others as well if we had an exchange of understanding and experiences, isn't that one of the purposes of this forum? Otherwise why would a forum exist?

 

[Deleted member 103366]

This forum is indeed a place for discussion and great and my post was not meant to suggest otherwise but sometimes matters get clouded by the international nature of this forum.
In this instance, since there is an absolute authority available, going straight to the horse's mouth might avoid any confusion.
Aside from that and really the reason behind my post there is the fact that, should any problems arise, quoting a forum carries less weight than being able to put written answers from the regulating authority on the table.
Hopefully this explains my post

 

[Lurch003]

This forum is indeed a place for discussion and great and my post was not meant to suggest otherwise but sometimes matters get clouded by the international nature of this forum.
In this instance, since there is an absolute authority available, going straight to the horse's mouth might avoid any confusion.
Aside from that and really the reason behind my post there is the fact that, should any problems arise, quoting a forum carries less weight than being able to put written answers from the regulating authority on the table.
Hopefully this explains my post

Problem is with the internet, things can be read with a tone that wasn't there when it was written! This is an amazing website full of helpful people with a lot more pateince than me to keep answering the same old questions! Great for discussions and learning from others mistakes, sharing footage/issues etc.
Am not berating or getting on a soapbox but what was asked in an International forum wasn't open to interpretation or discussion, as would constitute a forum, the question was surrounding the legalities of doing something in particular.
We're all flyers, we're all a bit frustrated in the lockdown, but no one intended any malice, just opinion

 

[Greekislandlover]

Canada and the USA copy a lot from the old homeland. There is even a Poole in Nebraska. ?

Never knew that! (resident of Poole UK)

 

[Lurch003]

Never knew that! (resident of Poole UK)

That makes two of us!!!

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

You gave a neighbor free footage of his place. That is perfectly legal and fine in Canada, where I live myself. Once you gave it to him, what he did with it, is not your legal issue. Besides the cops are not standing outside your house waiting to arrest you for a simple drone video, unless for some reason they hate you for a prior reason, and are just itching for you to do anything slightly wrong.

 

[Mavic Mac]

I do not understand the reasoning behind your answer Mac. Perhaps the rules are different in Canada, but here in the UK if a friend asks me to shoot some video and I give them that video gratis then what they do with it is no concern of mine and therefore I do not require a commercial license. (I think)

Is that not the same as in Canada?

Yes rules may be different in Canada (there is also a Peterborough in the U.S ). But from the OP it sounds like @fjc already feels that his friend might use the video to advertise his cottage. IMHO that sounds like he was making the flight to provide video to his friend so he could advertise his cottage. Again, my original post was based on what I have read.

The below quote is from THIS article


“The FAA has traditionally adopted a very broad view of activities that constitute commercial operations,” says lawyer Brian D. Smith of Covington & Burling LLP. “In short, receiving anything of value is considered compensation. When traditional regulatory interpretations designed for aircraft are applied to drones, it often leads to very strange results.”
One such strange result: What matters is the intent of a pilot at the time of flight, not whether money was made off the footage or photography later.