For any Op’s based in the UK you can stop paying to fly in Airport FRZ’s (Flight Restriction Zone)  as we are now armed with the wonderful CAP 722C 2nd Edition - December 2022. (I’ve put a link to the CAA pdf below.)

Specifically you need to jump to 3.2 which states

3.2 Airspace Access Charging

The establishment of an airspace restriction means that the sponsor is responsible for

managing it, and not that the sponsor ‘owns’ it; airspace is a State asset. There should be

no reason for a Sponsor to charge for access to airspace for UAS. Whilst some burden of

work may exist in processing applications for UAS access to airspace, it is envisaged that

this will not require an undue burden on the Sponsor and should incur negligible time or

cost.

Any such cost should not be passed on to UAS operators, or manned aviation operators -

in the case of an airspace restriction which facilitates UAS flight by restricting manned

aviation.

I’ve just had an arm wrestle with Cambridge Airport, as their FRZ virtually covers the whole of the City of Cambridge, where I have a job booked for next week. They initially wanted to charge me £60 inc VAT for a permit to fly, which they then claimed was an admin fee. The thing is if I was a Heli or Light aircraft flying from another airport and just wanting a jolly over the same airspace all I would have to do is contact the ATC an hour or so before I approach and it wouldn’t cost me a bean. It’s basically Drone apartheid, and totally unfair.

I likened this practice to me standing in my street with a fluorescent tabard and trying to charge anyone who drove a car or bike down it. Purely because I seem to represent some kind of authority. But in Cambridge Airports case Instead of Highway robbery it’s Skyway Robbery!

I’ve had the same ding dong with London Heliport a while ago, although  the job eventually didn’t happen,  so I never really managed to apply the CAP722C ruling.

If you do find yourself in a battle you can complain to the CAA here, which is section 3.1 of the CAP

Note: Airspace Access Complaints: An airspace user may report issues with access to an airspace restriction to the CAA. Such a report may be made to the CAA General Aviation and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Unit here. The CAA will assess every complaint, and if required, investigate further.  

We need to nip this money grabbing practice in its tracks, because as soon as one outfit thinks they can get away with it the rest will follow. So don’t take the easy route with the ‘Can’t be arsed, the client will swallow it’ approach as this will only make things worse.

Cheers Phil

CAP722C

Apologies, I've posted to the wrong forum! Still relevant for any Mavic owners though.

I don't hugely mind paying if it's £30 and I've worked with Battersea Heliport a few times, the cost gets shoved over to the client anyway.

It's the likes of the National Trust and Port of London Authority wanting to charge £200 per flying hour for a permit that needs to stop.

I will stress that CAP722 is just guidance, not law.

I can see your point, but me it's the thin end of the wedge.  I still think they're taking the p*ss, especially when they don't apply it to much larger manned aircraft.

Webevision Posted at 2-20 06:53
I can see your point, but me it's the thin end of the wedge.  I still think they're taking the p*ss, especially when they don't apply it to much larger manned aircraft.

Manned aircraft get hit with their own costs, but I agree that flying through airspace that is free for others shouldn't cost us.

In case you want to know, at Battersea it's £350-£2110 to land a helicopter and parking charges of £380-£1010 per hour, depending on the size.