Flying drones has become an innovative tool in various industries, from real estate to Event Media. As a business owner considering hiring a licensed professional drone
pilot to fly through their venue, here's what you need to know. In this blog post, we will explore the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations regarding indoor drone operations, focusing on the weight requirement and the strategy of ensuring safety while maintaining optimal drone performance.
FAA Regulations: Unmanned Aircraft Under 250g
The FAA has set strict regulations governing drone operations, particularly when flying over people & crowds. A key rule is that a drone must weigh less than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) when flown over people. This weight limit aims to reduce the risk of injury in case of a drone malfunction or crash.
Although this rule restricts the majority of commercially available drones, this regulation does allows pilots to still capture incredible shots of large crowds & indoor events with the proper equipment.
Challenges of Shedding Weight: Battery Life Impact
To comply with the FAA's 250g requirement, many drone operators face a tough challenge: reducing the drone's overall weight often compromises its flight capabilities & quality of the footage. Lightweight drones typically need smaller batteries to stay under the weight limit. Unfortunately, smaller batteries usually lead to significantly reduced flight times. Many drones that weigh 250g or less often can fly for only 2 to 4 minutes compared to larger models that can achieve flight times of 30 minutes or more.
This trade-off becomes particularly challenging when capturing a specific planned shot that has multiple actors, subjects & distance to cover.
Planning an Indoor Drone Shot
When flying a drone indoors over individuals, safety should always be the top priority. To ensure a safe flight & a successful shot a practice flight during preproduction is key.
Scout Location: The director of production & pilot in command should conduct a a walk through of the planned flight path, check for any interference with the drone equipment & create contingency plans for a safe landing if at any point an issue arises.
Pre-Flight Check & Practice Flight: After confirming the area is safe to fly & all potentaial hazards have been identified, the pilot in command needs to check his drone equipment to ensure everything is in working order. Once the preflight check is complete the drone pilot will need to fly the route several times to determine a safe flight path & ensure the batteries in use will suffice.
Actors & Participants: At this point in the process the pilot in command & director of production will brief the actors on their role in the shoot. This requires having designated areas, movement & check points for each actor involved to ensure a smooth production.
Production: The day of the event all production crew members will get into postion & the pilot in command will assume control of the drone flight. If all planning was done correctly, a shot like this should be achieved in 1-3 takes.
By implementing these check points, drone pilots & production companies can help reduce risks when flying indoors, particularly when operations occur above individuals.
Should you work with a drone pilot for you next event?
As a business owner understanding the safety steps & processes associated with an indoor flight is key to making your decision. When you do decide to work with a pilot, it is essential you are working with a seasoned drone pilot and professional production team who proactively minimizes those risks.
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