El Paso, TX Drone Videographer and Operator
Air Views Media is a drone videography company serving El Paso, the Upper Valley and the Borderland for stadium events, concerts, festivals, real estate and brand films. Our crew flew drone coverage at Austin City Limits in Zilker Park for the festival's Hulu live broadcast. FAA Part 107 certified pilots, $10M liability standard (optional up to $25M).
El Paso
The Sun Bowl and events
Sun Bowl Stadium is on the FAA stadium list, so the 3 nautical mile flight restriction applies from an hour before to an hour after covered events. Texas law also makes it an offense to fly a drone at or below 400 feet over a sports venue with 30,000 or more seats unless an exception applies, such as flying for the venue or with its prior written consent, so we work with the venue on every stadium shoot. For concerts, festivals 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.
Fort Bliss and the border
Fort Bliss is a federal no-drone area around the clock, and Biggs Army Airfield there has military airspace. The ports of entry, including the Bridge of the Americas, Stanton Street, Ysleta and Marcelino Serna, and the federal prison at La Tuna are federal no-drone areas too, and FAA national defense airspace restrictions cover parts of the border into 2027. We plan every El Paso shoot around them.
Mountains, parks and Texas law
Chamizal National Memorial is National Park Service land, where launching or landing a drone is prohibited without the superintendent's written approval. Franklin Mountains State Park falls under state park rules: Texas state parks allow drones only in a designated area at Martin Dies, Jr. State Park or with a filming permit from the park, so we apply well ahead of any state park shoot. Texas Government Code chapter 423 makes it an offense to fly at or below 400 feet over a fenced or posted critical infrastructure facility, such as a refinery, chemical plant, power plant or substation, water plant, LNG terminal, port or rail yard, unless an exception applies, such as the operator's prior written consent. A Penal Code section treats jails and prisons the same way. The same chapter bars using a drone to capture images of people or private property with intent to conduct surveillance, with exceptions that include the owner's consent and public property. The federal appeals court upheld these rules in 2024 and the Supreme Court declined to review them, so they are in force, and we get written consent or keep those sites out of the shot. Texas bars cities and counties from regulating drones except during permitted special events, for their own drone use, or near their own facilities with FAA approval, so we check festival and parade rules with the organizer and the city. We keep neighbors and people on private property out of frame unless they agree to be filmed.
Airspace
El Paso International, about 4 miles northeast of downtown, has a control tower and Class C airspace, and Biggs Army Airfield sits next to it, so many addresses need LAANC or FAA authorization. We check every El Paso location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.
Credits
the Austin City Limits Hulu live broadcast, EDC Las Vegas live on Hulu and Science Channel's Impossible Engineering aerials of the Jenga building in Austin.
Related
San Antonio, TX drone videographer | Houston, TX drone videographer | Fort Worth, TX drone videographer | Austin drone videography | Dallas drone videography | Augusta drone videography (headquarters) | Lynchburg, VA drone videography (second location) | Live broadcast drones | Concert and festival drones | All locations
Nearby cities we fly
Albuquerque, NM drone videographer | Tucson, AZ drone videographer | Tempe, AZ drone videographer | Scottsdale, AZ drone videographer
FAQs
Can you fly near the Sun Bowl 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 near Fort Bliss or the border crossings?
No. Fort Bliss and the ports of entry are federal no-drone areas, and FAA national defense airspace restrictions cover parts of the border.
Can you fly drones in Texas state parks?
Only with a filming permit from the park, apart from one designated flying area at Martin Dies, Jr. State Park. We apply well ahead of any state park shoot.
Do you need FAA approval to fly in El Paso?
It depends on the address. El Paso International has a control tower and Class C airspace. 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.