Tampa Bay Cameraman was recently hired by a local Geico insurance agent to capture aerial video of their office in Sarasota, Florida. The client has a preexisting relationship with another video editor but needed a licensed pilot to gather the aerials.
The challenge with this job is that the facility is approximately 1,000 feet directly in front of an active runway at Sarasota / Bradenton International Airport. With authorization from the FAA, we were able to coordinate a safe flight in such a busy Class D airspace. Naturally, we were assigned a very short window and altitude to work with and had to work fast.
Some of the safety procedures and tools we used on this job include…
- Written authorization from the FAA
- Contacted local law enforcement prior to flight
- Added a $5,000,000 insurance policy
- Monitored other aircraft positioning via an ADS-B receiver
- Monitored SRQ Tower via an aviation band radio
- Assigned a 75 foot maximum altitude
- Assigned a 500 foot flight radius
- Drone was landed when aircraft on final was 1 mile out
- Drone upgraded with white strobe visible for up to 3 miles
We’d like to sincerely thank Sarasota / Bradenton International Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration to make this job possible. While there are a lot of irresponsible UAS operators out there, we’re appreciative that federal agencies are willing to work with businesses that operate drones with safety in mind.
For your next aerial video or photo needs, contact Tampa Bay Cameraman today!
