Detroit, MI Drone Videographer and Operator

Stadiums, racing and launches

Ford Field, Comerica Park and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix downtown are on the FAA stadium list, so the 3 nautical mile flight restriction applies from an hour before to an hour after covered events. Our crew flew drones down the Las Vegas Strip and around the F1 cars at the 2022 Las Vegas Grand Prix launch party, the kind of vehicle reveal the auto industry stages in Detroit, and flew live drone feeds for TV and the video board for the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. For concerts, launches and games we film recaps, and for larger shows we send live drone feeds to the stream or screens; see live broadcast drones and concert and festival drones.

Federal sites and the border

Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, the Detroit Arsenal in Warren and Coast Guard Sector Detroit are federal no-drone areas around the clock. The Detroit River is the international border with Canada, and we keep flights on the U.S. side.

Michigan law and parks

Michigan law bars cities, counties and other local governments from regulating drone operation unless a state law allows it, though they can regulate their own drone use, and property owners still decide who launches from their land. Michigan DNR allows drones in most state parks and recreation areas under FAA rules, but bans flights over occupied beaches, campgrounds and similar areas, and commercial flights need the DNR's prior written permission. Belle Isle Park is a state park, so those DNR rules apply there. We keep neighbors and people on private property out of frame unless they agree to be filmed.

Airspace

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, about 15 miles southwest of downtown, has Class B airspace, and Coleman A. Young International on the east side has its own control tower, so many Detroit addresses need LAANC. We check every Detroit location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.

Credits

the Las Vegas Grand Prix launch party, Braves at Truist Park and the T-Mobile 5G Range Show at the 2024 PGA Championship.

Related

Grand Rapids, MI drone videographer | Chicago drone videography | Cleveland, OH drone videographer | Milwaukee, WI drone videographer | Minneapolis, MN drone videographer | Augusta drone videography (headquarters) | Lynchburg, VA drone videography (second location) | Live broadcast drones | Concert and festival drones | All locations

Nearby cities we fly

Ann Arbor, MI drone videographer | Lansing, MI drone videographer | Fort Wayne, IN drone videographer | Columbus, OH drone videographer

FAQs

Can you fly near Ford Field on game days?

Not inside the FAA stadium flight restriction, which covers 3 nautical miles from an hour before to an hour after covered events. We schedule nearby shoots outside that window.

Can you fly on Belle Isle?

Belle Isle Park is a Michigan state park, so commercial flights need the DNR's prior written permission, and flights over occupied beaches and similar areas are banned.

Can you fly near Selfridge?

No. Selfridge Air National Guard Base is a federal no-drone area from the surface to 400 feet, so we plan Macomb County shoots well clear of it.

Do you need FAA approval to fly in Detroit?

It depends on the address. Detroit Metro has Class B airspace, and Coleman A. Young International has a control tower. We check every location on the FAA sectional and B4UFLY before quoting and file LAANC where it is needed.

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.