To Drone or Not To Drone
“I’m a pilot, you know…” —Anakin Skywalker
Who doesn’t like seeing aerial footage of beautiful scenery and majestic landscapes? Seriously, I could watch those types of videos all day. Aerial photography and videography have been catapulted by the drone industry in recent years and as such, we’ve been able to see first hand what kind of incredible footage can be captured by capable drone pilots. For example, check out the video below by one of the most well-known drone pilots in the world.
It seems only natural then that brides-to-be want to have this same vibe in their wedding video. Maybe not going so far as to have a drone zipping past their skulls at 100mph but definitely the cinematic approach that a drone can lend to a professional highlight video.
Is hiring a drone pilot or more commonly, having your photographer or videographer provide drone footage as easy as it sounds? Well, yes and no.
When thinking about drone footage for your wedding, there are a few items to first consider.
1) Is your potential drone pilot certified? Drone pilots who are certified have what’s called an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Part 107 certification. This basically allows them to fly their drone commercially (i.e. make money) after they’ve passed a written flight test and demonstrated competency with FAA regulations. If you’re considering having drone footage or aerial photography done at your wedding, having a Part 107 drone pilot is an absolute MUST.
Not only is it illegal for someone to fly a drone commercially without a Part 107, that person also runs the risk of a massive lawsuit from the FAA (and possibly from others) should something happen. To make matters worse, if an incident such as a drone crash were to occur which involved damage to property or injury to person, the FAA could not only go after the drone pilot but also YOU.
As you are the one who hired said pilot and who is also paying them, you’re ultimately responsible and believe me, the FAA won’t even bat an eyelash when you try to claim ignorance by saying you didn’t know. This is a sure way to earn yourself a healthy fine well upwards into the five-figure mark and possibly beyond. If you have a potential drone pilot who isn’t Part 107 certified and they say not to worry about it, fire them on the spot.
Interested in reading a story about someone who was fined $182,000 for violating FAA regulations? Check it out below.
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/faa-fines-drone-pilot-182000
2) Is your venue in a location that’s safe to fly in? The FAA regulates ALL airspace in the United States. From the airspace above Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to the space directly above your home, every cubic inch of airspace has a classification. In saying that, if your venue is fairly close to an airport, your drone pilot will have to request authorization to fly. More often than not, they won’t run into any issues since most drones don’t go higher than a few hundred feet. However, depending on how close you are to said airport, they may not be allowed to fly at all.
If your venue is out in the country somewhere, it’s still up to your drone pilot to check the sectional charts and request clearance when needed. Smaller airports are all over the place and pose an even greater risk as smaller aircraft often fly lower.
3) The most requested shot I get regarding drone footage is an aerial shot from directly over the bride as she’s walking down the aisle. Unfortunately, it still remains mostly illegal to fly a drone over people. Recent regulations do allow for smaller drones (0.55 pounds or less) to fly over people but like everything with the FAA, there are additional stipulations. Additionally, you have to think of your guests. Staging a shot like that is definitely possible (i.e. without guests) but doing so during the ceremony would not only be a huge risk to your guests, it’d also be quite the distraction as well as illegal.
In closing, the key takeaway from this is to remember to only hire drone pilots who are Part 107 certified. Doing so is a guarantee to you that you’re hiring a pilot who not only knows what they’re doing, but also one who is aware of the do’s and don’ts of drone piloting. It’s just one less thing you’ll need to worry about on a day where you often have quite a bit on your plate to begin with.