Lake Tahoe, CA FPV Drone Pilot and Operator
Air Views Media is an FPV drone company serving South Lake Tahoe, Truckee and the Lake Tahoe basin for lodge, resort and lake home fly-throughs. Our crew flew an indoor micro-drone fly-through of the Tempo by Hilton hotel in Times Square, through its lobbies and rooms. FAA Part 107 certified pilots, $10M liability standard (optional up to $25M).
Lake Tahoe
FPV drone pilot at Lake Tahoe
We fly FPV and small cinewhoop drones in Lake Tahoe for lodge, resort and lake home fly-throughs, weddings and event content. FPV adds close, fast, continuous moves that a standard camera drone cannot get, flown by pilots who rehearse each line first. For general aerials, homes and events see our Lake Tahoe, CA drone videographer page.
Lodges, resorts and lake homes
Our crew flew an indoor micro-drone fly-through of the Tempo by Hilton hotel in Times Square, through its lobbies and rooms. We fly lakefront real estate, weddings, resorts, lodges and events around South Lake Tahoe, Truckee and the basin. Fully enclosed indoor flights are generally outside FAA airspace rules, so we fly one-take fly-throughs with the owner's approval; see indoor fly-through tours. See FPV drones for live broadcast, Indoor arena FPV drones and Concert and festival FPV drones across the US. For event coverage see Lake Tahoe, CA live event drones.
Forest Service land and resorts
Much of the basin is national forest. Commercial drone filming on Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit land needs a Forest Service special use authorization. Desolation Wilderness and the other wilderness areas around the lake are designated wilderness, where the Forest Service does not allow drones to take off or land. Basin land is a patchwork of federal, state, local and private parcels, so we confirm the land manager for every launch point. Heavenly and Palisades Tahoe do not allow drones over their property without the resort's written permission, so resort shoots are arranged with the resort. Flying directly over an open crowd is only allowed when the drone and the operation meet FAA rules for flying over people, so otherwise we keep flight paths over the stage, closed areas and open lanes.
State parks and airspace
California State Parks allow drones unless a park has posted an order banning them, and commercial filming in a state park needs a State Parks permit through the California Film Commission, with drone paperwork filed ahead of the shoot. On the California side that covers Emerald Bay and D.L. Bliss. Nevada State Parks do not allow drones unless the park supervisor has designated an area or issued a special use permit. On the Nevada side that covers Sand Harbor, which needs the park supervisor's approval. Lake Tahoe Airport in South Lake Tahoe has FAA drone altitude limits around it, and Truckee Tahoe Airport has its own control tower. Wildfire temporary flight restrictions can close large areas in summer and fall, and flying into one is illegal. We check every Lake Tahoe location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.
Credits
an indoor micro-drone fly-through of the Tempo by Hilton hotel in Times Square, Charleston hotel fly-throughs for Vive Media and the Outside Lands aerial livestream in Golden Gate Park.
Related
Lake Tahoe, CA drone videographer | Lake Tahoe, CA live event drones | Reno, NV FPV drone pilot | Sacramento, CA FPV drone pilot | San Francisco, CA FPV drone pilot | FPV drones for live broadcast | Indoor arena FPV drones | Concert and festival FPV drones across the US | Augusta drone videography (headquarters) | Lynchburg, VA drone videography (second location) | Live broadcast drones | Concert and festival drones | All locations
Nearby cities we fly
San Jose, CA FPV drone pilot | Fresno, CA FPV drone pilot | Monterey, CA FPV drone pilot | Santa Barbara, CA FPV drone pilot | Palm Springs, CA FPV drone pilot | San Diego, CA FPV drone pilot
FAQs
Can you fly FPV in Desolation Wilderness?
No. Drones may not take off or land in designated wilderness, so we film from approved launch points outside it.
Can you fly at Heavenly or Palisades Tahoe?
Only with the resort's written permission. Both resorts ban drones over their property without it, so we arrange resort shoots with the resort.
Do you need a permit to film at the lake?
Often. Forest Service land needs a special use authorization for commercial filming, and state parks on both shores have their own permit rules.
Can FPV footage go live to a stream or screens?
Yes. We send live FPV video to the stream, LED screens or a broadcast truck, and agree the format with your production team before the event.
What insurance do you carry?
Our standard policy is $10M liability, with optional coverage up to $25M when a venue, league or network requires it. Certificates naming your venue or production are issued before the shoot.
Request a Quote
Tell us the date, location and what you need filmed. Request a Quote or call 706-284-8364.