Remote Pilot Association

  Oh, how I love to sit on the couch and look for the ever increase amount of drone shots you see on television, movies and the internet, yelling “drone shot, drone shot!” to anyone in the room (and sometimes to an empty room). The increasing amount of drone shots means shouldn’t mean to you that everyone is doing it, so why bother. What it means to me is that drones are becoming a critical part of the film industry, a staple if you will.     I’ve had the opportunity to use a drone in independent films, commercials, and “spec” projects. The good news is that you can use cinematic moves using the drone you already own (even if it’s for practice). If you read some of my work, you will know that I’m a firm believer in starting with what you own. Have a 1080P drone, well your well suited for most video online. Don’t fall into the trap of chasing the latest and greatest drone, unless it comes with a significant increase in efficiency, quality, and benefit for you and the custo...

  Talk about a soapbox issue, choosing the best drone for your needs is one of those topics. I’m frequently asked about drone recommendations from students in our commercial certification prep and flight training classes. Some have said to me, “When I save up enough money to buy X drone, then I’ll start my business.” IMHO, this is Bull-Hockey! Some people have the need to be the “trailblazers” when a new product comes out on the market, to each their own. I was guilty of this mentality in high school when we would debate the 0 to 60 (mph) times of the latest sportscars on the market. Someone would have the latest news from one of the magazines stating something like, “Did you hear that the new engine in the Mustang beat last year’s model by .2 seconds?” While there is a place for the “latest and greatest,” purchases should be made objectively by asking, “Will the feature(s) enhance what it is I’m trying to do with it (FPV drone racing, high wind tolerance)? Will this drone make my ...

  Written in-light of  Drone Safety Awareness Week, November 16-22, 2020 In my Remote drone Pilot certification classes, teaching the basics of Class E airspace isn’t so bad; I simply refer to it as the primary airspace that’s the filler between the other airspace types, starting at either 700’ or 1,200’ Above Ground Level (AGL) and generally extending to the base of Class A at Flight Level 180, or 18,000’ Mean Sea Level (MSL). However, when it comes to Surface Based Class E, the magenta dashed lines around an airport, it reminds me of English class in primary school. The teacher would say something to the effect of, “The rule is X,” and I would get what she was saying. Then she would say, “Unless it’s this case, or this case, or that case,” and then I would be totally confused. Well, unfortunately this is the case with Surface Based Class E where basically the rule book gets thrown out. Never-the-less, I think we can give you an explanation that will help you learn this uniqu...

Debriefing is an important thing to do after every flight mission no matter how easy the job. I’m always learning new things from not only myself but my team after a mission. Our debriefings are categorized under two topics; what we did right and what we can do better. While we don’t always have this luxury, one of the big take-aways on a recent flight was the importance of spending time at the proposed LZ well before the mission to evaluate the environment. Source: FAA Safety Team and NASA I was shooting video at the beach, not on the beach but at a large inlet waterway with a scenic bridge, a very nice setting to say the least. The Visual Observer and I had scoped out the area earlier in the day and found a good LZ, a turn-off area just before the bridge. This was perfect for parking with a good amount of space for the drone to take-off and land. The idea was to get a video of the inlet at sunset (a good time to remember the :30 minutes after civil twilight regulation).  Since it...