Sedona, AZ FPV Drone Pilot and Operator

FPV drone pilot in Sedona

We fly FPV and small cinewhoop drones in Sedona for resort and spa fly-throughs, weddings, real estate and brand films. 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 Sedona, AZ drone videographer page.

Resorts, spas and homes

Our crew filmed aerials of The Independent, the Austin tower known as the Jenga building, for Science Channel's Impossible Engineering. Sedona's resorts, spas and homes suit hospitality and real estate films, filmed with the owner's approval. 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 Sedona, AZ live event drones.

Red rock country, wilderness and parks

Most of the red rock country around Sedona is Coconino National Forest. The Red Rock-Secret Mountain and Munds Mountain wildernesses are designated wilderness, where the Forest Service does not allow drones to take off or land. Commercial filming on other forest land may need a Forest Service permit. Red Rock and Slide Rock are state parks: Arizona State Parks prohibits recreational drone use, and commercial flights need a filming permit approved by park management, so we apply well ahead of any state park shoot. 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.

Federal sites and airspace

Grand Canyon National Park is National Park Service land, where launching or landing a drone is prohibited without the superintendent's written approval. The Naval Observatory sites near Flagstaff and Glen Canyon Dam are federal no-drone areas around the clock. Arizona law makes it a felony to photograph or loiter over a critical facility, such as a power plant, substation, water plant, dam, rail yard, prison or military site, in furtherance of a crime, and a misdemeanor to fly in violation of FAA rules or in the way of police, firefighters or emergency crews. We keep those sites out of the shot unless the owner asks us to film them. Sedona Airport, about 2 miles southwest of town, has no control tower, but tour helicopters and planes work the area, so we keep a visual observer on every flight. Wildfire and other hazard TFRs close the airspace to drones with little notice, so we check NOTAMs again on the day of every flight. We check every Sedona location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.

Credits

Science Channel's Impossible Engineering aerials of the Jenga building in Austin, the Las Vegas Grand Prix launch party and an indoor micro-drone fly-through of the Tempo by Hilton hotel in Times Square.

Related

Sedona, AZ drone videographer | Sedona, AZ live event drones | Scottsdale, AZ FPV drone pilot | Tempe, AZ FPV drone pilot | Phoenix, AZ 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

Tucson, AZ FPV drone pilot | Las Vegas, NV FPV drone pilot | Palm Springs, CA FPV drone pilot | Albuquerque, NM FPV drone pilot

FAQs

Can you fly FPV in the Sedona red rocks?

Not from designated wilderness. Much of the red rock country is Coconino National Forest wilderness, where drones may not take off or land, so we launch from legal sites outside it.

Can you fly drones in Arizona state parks?

Only with a filming permit approved by park management. Arizona State Parks prohibits recreational drone use, so we apply well ahead of any state park shoot.

Do you need FAA approval to fly in Sedona?

It depends on the address. Sedona Airport has no tower, but tour aircraft fly the area. We check every location on the FAA sectional and B4UFLY before quoting and file LAANC where it is needed.

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.