C-DRONE GUIDE · 12 MAY 2026
Preparing a drone shoot: the complete checklist
A successful drone shoot is won before take-off. From airspace checks to paperwork and day-of logistics, here is the checklist our pilots run through on every assignment, from real-estate clips to corporate films.
Two weeks out: define the brief and scout the site
Everything starts with a precise brief: what images do you need (stills, 4K video, a one-take sequence, an orbit around a building), at what time of day, and for what end use (website, social media, technical report)? The answers determine which drone to deploy, how long the job takes and, above all, which regulatory category applies. Flying over a rural field and flying above a city-centre street are not governed by the same rules. Take the opportunity to agree on a prioritised shot list: if weather cuts the session short, the pilot will know what to save first. A one-page document is enough, but it must exist before the day.
Then comes scouting. Ideally on site, otherwise via satellite imagery and Street View: identify possible take-off and landing points, obstacles (power lines, cranes, tall trees), the sun's position at the planned hours and the presence of bystanders (schools, markets, café terraces). Serious scouting prevents 90% of day-of surprises and lets you quote the job accurately — typically €350 to €700 for a half-day of standard video capture in France in 2026.
Check the flight zone on the Géoportail map
The essential reflex: open the "UAS restrictions — Open category and model aircraft" map on Géoportail, the French national geographic portal. It shows, area by area, the maximum permitted heights (120 m by default, often lowered to 100, 60, 30 m or zero near aerodromes) and no-fly zones. Around an airport, the CTR imposes reduced ceilings; near a hospital helipad, a prison or a Seveso industrial site, flying may be outright prohibited.
Three scenarios emerge from this check. Green zone with no restriction: open-category flight is possible up to 120 m outside built-up areas. Reduced-ceiling zone: flight remains possible within the displayed height, sometimes after an agreement with the aerodrome operator. Red zone or built-up area: you must switch to the specific category with prior declaration, which adds one to two weeks of lead time. This analysis must happen before the shoot date is fixed, not after. Also check NOTAMs and temporary restricted areas (air shows, official visits) published a few days before the flight.
The pilot's paperwork: what you are entitled to ask for
A professional operator must be able to produce four documents. One: their UAS operator number issued by AlphaTango, the French civil aviation authority's portal, which must be affixed to the drone. Two: their training certificate — the online A1/A3 exam as a minimum, the A2 exam or the CATS theoretical certificate plus practical training attestation for specific-category missions. Three: aerial third-party liability insurance, mandatory for any commercial operation under Regulation (EC) No 785/2004. Four: for flights over built-up areas, proof of the prior declaration filed with the préfecture.
Asking for these documents is not rude: it is standard practice, and it protects you. If an accident is caused by an uninsured or undeclared operator, the client who commissioned the work can be held partly liable. At C-Drone, these documents are attached to every quote. Beware of abnormally low prices: a €150-per-day service almost always means no insurance, no declaration, or both.
The day before: weather, batteries, briefing
The day before, three checks decide whether the shoot goes ahead or is postponed. Weather first: average wind and gusts (a practical limit of around 38 km/h for most professional drones), rain probability, cloud base and visibility. Equipment next: batteries charged to 100% (expect 20 to 25 minutes of usable flight per battery, so four to six batteries for a half-day), formatted memory cards, spare propellers, and firmware updated the night before — never on the morning of the shoot. Finally, the briefing: confirm timings with the client, lock the shot list, exchange on-site phone numbers.
This is also when you notify affected third parties: building caretaker, neighbours near the take-off point, the site's security team. A simple heads-up the day before defuses almost every challenge you might face on the day. For sensitive sites or shoots with extras, a marked safety perimeter (tape, cones) is prepared, and one person is assigned to make sure nobody enters it during flights.
On the day: the recap checklist
On site, the pilot runs a systematic procedure before every take-off: visual inspection of the drone (propellers, motors, sensors), compass calibration if needed, video feed and GPS check (at least 10 satellites), setting the return-to-home altitude above the tallest obstacle, and announcing take-off to everyone present. The table below sums up the whole preparation.
| Deadline | Action |
|---|---|
| D-15 | Client brief, scouting, Géoportail check, quote |
| D-14 | Préfecture declaration if flying over a built-up area (10 working days minimum) |
| D-2 | First weather check, confirm or propose a fallback date |
| D-1 | Charge batteries, pack equipment, final brief, notify third parties |
| Day D | Safety perimeter, pre-flight checklist, capture, dual backup of footage |
| D+2 to D+15 | Delivery of images (see our guide on delivery times) |
One last point that is often forgotten: backups. Footage is copied to two separate drives before leaving the site. Memory cards do die on the drive home, and no insurance policy will replay the golden light of your event.