The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – often referred to as drones – to help combat the threat of flooding has been given the official go-ahead to operate on a commercial basis by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Urban flood specialist Richard Allitt Associates (RAA), based in Haywards Heath in the south of England, has pioneered the use of UAVs, having worked alongside the Environment Agency and a number of water companies, including Severn Trent and Thames Water. The company’s new Remote Aerial Survey business (www.remoteaerialsurveys.co.uk) already has three qualified pilots and a number of UAVs capable of carrying imaging equipment designed to conduct diverse aerial surveys.