Houston, TX Drone Videographer and Operator
Air Views Media is a drone videography company serving Houston, Harris County and the Greater Houston area for stadium events, concerts, energy companies, real estate and brand films. Our crew filmed aerials of The Independent, the Austin tower known as the Jenga building, for Science Channel's Impossible Engineering. FAA Part 107 certified pilots, $10M liability standard (optional up to $25M).
Houston
Stadiums and events
NRG Stadium, Daikin Park, Rice Stadium and Space City Financial 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. 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.
Energy, the Ship Channel and Texas law
Downtown, the Energy Corridor, the Texas Medical Center and the refineries and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel suit brand, recruiting and industrial films. 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.
Ellington, NASA and federal sites
Ellington Joint Reserve Base at Ellington Airport and the Federal Detention Center downtown are federal no-drone areas around the clock. NASA's Johnson Space Center sits in Clear Lake next to Ellington, and we fly there only with NASA's approval. For lobbies, venues and offices an indoor one-take fly-through shows the space in a single shot; see indoor fly-through tours.
Airspace
George Bush Intercontinental, about 15 miles north of downtown, and William P. Hobby, about 8 miles southeast, sit under Houston Class B airspace, and Ellington, Sugar Land Regional and David Wayne Hooks have their own controlled airspace, so most Houston addresses need LAANC or FAA authorization. We check every Houston 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 Austin City Limits Hulu live broadcast and Braves at Truist Park.
Related
Galveston, TX drone videographer | College Station, TX drone videographer | San Antonio, 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
Corpus Christi, TX drone videographer | Arlington, TX drone videographer | Fort Worth, TX drone videographer | Plano, TX drone videographer | Frisco, TX drone videographer
FAQs
Can you fly near NRG Stadium 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 film refineries and plants on the Ship Channel?
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.
Can you fly near Ellington or the Johnson Space Center?
Not over Ellington Joint Reserve Base, which is a federal no-drone area. For Johnson Space Center we need NASA's approval first.
Do you need FAA approval to fly in Houston?
It depends on the address. Bush Intercontinental and Hobby sit under Class B 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.