Our entire team is made of trained professionals who have truly delved into the vast science and art of photography, videography, editing and aerial operations. Unlike standard ground based operations, Aerial Photography and Drone work has many laws and legalities that we must follow before an operator can even perform their mission.  To give you an idea, here are a few aspects to every aerial operations:

• Location Analysis
• Airspace Authorization (LAANC)
• Altitude and Elevation Planning
• Flight Mapping
• Weather Report Consideration
• Equipment Preparation
• Schedule and NavLogs

Commercial Drone Pilots now must qualify and possess an FAA Part 107 UAS License in order to operate a drone in specific airspaces, or to use their drones in business operations. We must be proficient with Sectional Charts, Weather Reports, FAA LAANC Operations/Authorizations, Flight Planning, Restricted Airspace and much more. If these items are not met there are severe financial penalties for the operator and businesses. This is why the market that was once saturated with drone operators (Remote Pilot In Command) has now become very selective.

Each of our team members is at bare minimum FAA Part 107 Certified while others also have additional pilot licenses. We have also partnered with our aviation teams to be able to provide aerial services using fully manned aircrafts as well. This is useful in large commercial properties which may require a helicopter or small airplane to access.  Meanwhile, our UAS Drone Operators also conduct on-going training on operations, laws and regulations, weather, photography/videography, drone maneuvering, and much more. Our team mandatory is all members must attend these training sessions at minimum once per month. This allows our team to be current and proficient in their operations as well as safety protocol.

On the “Reporting” deliverables, we have In-House professionals working on measurements, volumetric calculations, surface and grade analysis, 2D Orthomosaic Mapping or 3D Photogrammetry. This allows us to expedite the return time as well as maintain the highest level of quality control.

Many drone operators are very specific to operating drones only for their services just like there are photographers/videographers who only utilize their handheld cameras. Our team is BOTH!!

Being industry professionals for us means that we must be proficient in photography and videography just as much as we must be proficient in drone operations. The two items are not exclusive of each other.

Photo/Video professionals understand aspects such as composition, exposure control, aperture, metering, light diffusion, shutter speeds, ISO and other specific characteristics that are necessary to produce high quality images. This isn’t even the creative part, just the deep understanding and control of the camera. In order for a professional to maximize the time and capture the images we need for the mission, we must be proficient in using these intricate controls with fluidity.

Drone Operators understand the art of working the drone flight. We consider altitude, temperature, humidity, density altitude, airspace, flight restrictions and commands of the aircraft specifically. All very important aspects of aerial operations that help ensure safety and successful missions. But what happens when you hire a drone operator that can operate the drone at high levels and comes back with dark photos with deceptive angles or motion blur?

This is why our team started with the fundamental understanding that we cannot be one without the other. Not only do we need to have high levels of skill in camera operations but we will also need to have great command of the aircraft as well. If the aircraft cannot safely and effectively be positioned, then we will not be able to capture the data/imaging our clients have tasked us with. To top this off, we also spend extensive resources to train in flight, camera operations, AND editing! All missions are based on the deliverables, and we deliver!

Our Equipment Includes:

• Drones:
  • DJI Phantom 4 Pro’s
  • DJI Mavic Pro’s
  • DJI Spark
  • Access to FLIR Thermal Cameras
• Handheld Cameras:
  • Canon 90D’s
  • DJI Osmo Action
  • GoPro 9’s
  • Sony A6300 or better
  • Prime and Telephoto Lenses (Over $25k worth in value)
  • Full Frame and Crop Sensor Cameras
  • Handheld 3 Axis Gimbals such as the Ronin
• Drone Data Analysis
  • Drone Deploy
  • Certifly
  • Pix4D
  • RoofSnap
• Photo and Video Editing
  • Vegas Pro 16 Suite
  • Photoshop
  • Lightroom
  • Adobe Premier Pro

Our team is always focused on the safety protocol in all aerial operations. That includes safety for ourselves, your team, equipment, buildings and anyone/anything in the surrounding area. As we focus more in the construction and real estate market, there is no compromise for safe measures at all times. Our team has developed our own safety checklist that must be completed before any aerial operations take place. Many of our clients jokingly ask why we are taking notes before we even unpack to begin… and those notes are a part of our safety protocol.

On arrival we immediately do a survey walk to get a general idea and recognize any potential hazards. This might be items like power lines, or trees, or heavy machinery. We then review those items with our flight plan and mark those items in relationship to the flight path accordingly. If your project also requires a Visual Observer, that person will also make a notation in their folder.  Once the review is done, we will discuss our flight plan with your staff to ensure that everyone is aware of the plan and we are aware of your operation.  In some cases, we will need to file NOTAM’s (typically near airports).

Our next stage is our Pre Flight Inspection. This is to ensure that the drone itself is in working condition and not in need of any additional service. Calibration of the GPS, propeller/motor, camera gimbals, connectivity and other items are all on the checklist. At this time we also ensure that our flight plan has LAANC authorization (if needed) and no TFR or other restrictions are in effect. If all is clear then we will have a brief review flight that is solely hand-flown. Many of the operators solely depend on automated flight capabilities and skip over this stage. The issue is that if there is a safety hazard or an issue with the aircraft, they would never know until it is too late. Hand flying the drone allows us to immediately change course or take command of any fly-away characteristics. It is also a great way to calculate camera angles necessary.

The third stage for us is to make a final inspection of the drone including battery life, flight plan, and propeller health then it is time to execute the mission. While this is happening, the Remote Pilot is solely focused on the aircraft and camera. When needed, we also bring a Visual Observer or even a Remote Operator. The communication between the team is clear, concise, and prevents any hazards. Once the flight is complete, we will review that all imaging is indeed appropriate for use and conduct a Post Flight Inspection of the aircraft before it is packed away. Afterall; the aircraft will be in use for the next client as well.

On construction sites, our team is aware of OSHA standards and wear hard hats, vests and eye protection as required. On real estate operations we ask that you alert the neighbors, and we will also maintain a professional presence in working with clients.

As you can see, safety is NOT something we take lightly and neither should you. On a low grade incident, there may be property damage or damage to the aircraft. Costly as it is, but nobody is hurt. On a high grade incident there is damage to property and person. And that is simply unacceptable.