Arlington, VA Drone Videographer and Operator

Flying in the DC Flight Restricted Zone

All of Arlington County lies inside the inner 15-mile ring of the Washington, DC Special Flight Rules Area around Reagan National Airport, also called the Flight Restricted Zone. Outdoor drone flights there are prohibited without specific FAA authorization, which includes TSA security vetting, takes time and is not guaranteed. LAANC cannot approve these flights, and recreational flying inside the ring is not allowed at all. Reagan National itself is in Arlington, and the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and Naval Support Facility Arlington are federal sites. We do not take on an outdoor Arlington flight unless that authorization is in hand.

Indoor fly-throughs

Rosslyn, Ballston, Clarendon, Crystal City and National Landing are full of offices, hotels, apartment buildings and venues that suit interior films. Fully enclosed indoor flights are generally outside FAA airspace rules, so for offices, hotels, venues and new buildings we fly indoor one-take fly-throughs with the owner's approval; see indoor fly-through tours. Our Virginia home base is in Lynchburg, so Arlington shoots are planned by our Virginia crew rather than as a long-distance trip; see Lynchburg drone videography.

Parks and Virginia law

The George Washington Memorial Parkway is National Park Service land, where launching or landing a drone is prohibited without the superintendent's written approval. Since July 2025, Virginia law makes an unauthorized drone flight over a military base, critical infrastructure, a utility or a federally regulated port facility a felony, so we stay off them unless the operator authorizes the flight. We keep neighbors and people on private property out of frame unless they agree to be filmed.

Outdoor work outside the ring

When a project needs open-air aerials, we can often film comparable scenes outside the 15-mile ring, in the outer part of the Special Flight Rules Area or beyond it, where Part 107 flights are allowed under FAA rules. We check every Northern Virginia location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.

Credits

Charleston hotel fly-throughs for Vive Media, FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta and Braves at Truist Park.

Related

Alexandria drone videographer | Richmond drone videographer | Charlottesville drone videographer | Augusta drone videography (headquarters) | Lynchburg, VA drone videography (Virginia home base) | Live broadcast drones | Concert and festival drones | All locations

Nearby cities we fly

Williamsburg, VA drone videographer | Norfolk, VA drone videographer | Virginia Beach, VA drone videographer | Smith Mountain Lake, VA drone videographer | Roanoke, VA drone videographer | Blacksburg, VA drone videographer

FAQs

Can you fly a drone outdoors in Arlington?

Only with specific FAA authorization. All of Arlington County is inside the inner 15-mile ring of the DC Special Flight Rules Area, where LAANC does not apply and approval, which includes TSA vetting, is not guaranteed.

Can you film indoors in Arlington?

Yes. Fully enclosed indoor flights are generally outside FAA airspace rules, so we fly offices, hotels and venues with the owner's approval.

Can you fly near the Pentagon?

No. The Pentagon area is some of the most restricted airspace in the country, and Virginia law makes unauthorized flights over military sites a felony.

How far out do outdoor flights get easier?

Past the 15-mile ring around Reagan National, Part 107 flights are allowed under FAA rules, with LAANC where airspace requires it. Past 30 miles you are outside the Special Flight Rules Area entirely.

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.