San Antonio, TX Drone Videographer and Operator

The Alamodome and events

The Alamodome 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. 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.

Joint Base San Antonio

JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Randolph, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, Kelly Field, Camp Stanley and the Medina Annex are federal no-drone areas around the clock, and Kelly Field and Randolph have their own control towers and military airspace. We plan every San Antonio shoot around them.

The Missions, the River Walk and Texas law

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is National Park Service land, where launching or landing a drone is prohibited without the superintendent's written approval. Downtown hotels, the River Walk area and new communities suit brand and real estate films, filmed with the owner's approval; for hotels and venues see indoor fly-through tours. 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. We keep neighbors and people on private property out of frame unless they agree to be filmed.

Airspace

San Antonio International, about 7 miles north of downtown, has a control tower and Class C airspace, and Stinson Municipal, Kelly Field and Randolph have controlled airspace too, so many addresses need LAANC. We check every San Antonio 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, Science Channel's Impossible Engineering aerials of the Jenga building in Austin and FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta.

Related

Houston, TX drone videographer | Corpus Christi, TX drone videographer | College Station, 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

Galveston, TX drone videographer | Fort Worth, TX drone videographer | Arlington, TX drone videographer | Plano, TX drone videographer | Frisco, TX drone videographer

FAQs

Can you fly near the Alamodome 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 Joint Base San Antonio?

No. Lackland, Randolph, Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis and the other JBSA sites are federal no-drone areas, and nearby addresses sit in military controlled airspace.

Can you fly over the San Antonio Missions?

Not from National Park Service land without the superintendent's written approval. We film from private land nearby with the owner's approval.

Do you need FAA approval to fly in San Antonio?

It depends on the address. San Antonio 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.