A good shot is all about the preparation. And a great shot is is a good shot where all safety precautions are taken and any problems are anticipated and worked out in advance. At SkyFlyVideo, we strive for the great shots while being committed to safety and respectful of regulations.
Our approach to safety:
- Pre-scouting the location and assessing the shots and the risks from different angles
- 20-point equipment checklist
- Shooting with at least a two-person crew so that we always have a spotter
- Flying only line-of-site, lower than 400 feet and a radius of no more than 500 feet from the pilot operator
- Absolutely avoiding:
- restricted areas
- high-traffic areas
- fragile areas
- flying over bystanders or non-participants
- national parks
- a five-mile zone around airports without first notifying air-traffic controllers
- Respecting Mother Nature’s weather outbursts (no rain, snow, winds above 14mph, lightening, thunder, etc.)
- Avoid sites with heavy dust, sand or contaminants
- Mindful of emergency precautions
We subscribe to the Remote Control Aerial Photographers Association general guidelines on safety:
- Be aware of and abide by FAA regulations, NOTAM’s, and TFR’s
- Manned aircraft have right-of-way at all times
- Avoid flight over persons or property
- Do not fly while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Aircraft shall remain in line of sight at all times
- Optical systems use by pilot is allowed if a designated spotter is used
- Aircraft stability devices and GPS failsafe returns are allowed
- Full autonomous fights are NOT allowed during any RCAPA operations
- Have a clear understanding of the FAA regulations applicable to the airspace used
- Flight operation will not be undertaken unless the aircraft is airworthy
And we also abide by the Academy of Model Aeronautics National Model Aircraft Safety Code