Fort Worth, TX Drone Videographer and Operator

The Speedway, stadiums and the Stockyards

Texas Motor Speedway and Amon G. Carter Stadium are 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. The Stockyards, Sundance Square and downtown suit event and brand films with the organizer's or owner's approval. For concerts, rodeos and festivals 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.

NAS Fort Worth JRB and federal sites

Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Federal Medical Center Carswell, the federal prison sites in Fort Worth and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Western Currency Facility in north Fort Worth are federal no-drone areas around the clock. We plan every west-side shoot well clear of them.

Texas law

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

DFW International's Class B airspace covers much of the east side, and Fort Worth Meacham, Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance, Fort Worth Spinks and the NAS JRB field have their own controlled airspace, so many addresses need LAANC. We check every Fort Worth location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.

Credits

EDC Las Vegas live on Hulu, the Austin City Limits Hulu live broadcast and Science Channel's Impossible Engineering aerials of the Jenga building in Austin.

Related

Arlington, TX drone videographer | Frisco, TX drone videographer | Plano, 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

College Station, TX drone videographer | Houston, TX drone videographer | San Antonio, TX drone videographer | Galveston, TX drone videographer | Corpus Christi, TX drone videographer

FAQs

Can you fly near Texas Motor Speedway 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 NAS Fort Worth JRB?

No. The naval air station and the federal medical center next to it are federal no-drone areas, and nearby addresses sit in military controlled airspace.

Can you film refineries, plants or ports in Texas?

Only from a legal position. Texas law makes flying at or below 400 feet over fenced or posted critical infrastructure an offense unless an exception applies, such as the operator's prior written consent, so we get that consent first.

Do you need FAA approval to fly in Fort Worth?

It depends on the address. DFW International's Class B airspace and several towered airports cover parts of the city. 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.