San Diego, CA Drone Videographer and Operator
Air Views Media is a drone videography company serving San Diego and the county from Oceanside to Chula Vista for concerts, stadium events, hotels and real estate. Our crew flew drones for the Vans Warped Tour Long Beach live broadcast on Prime Video. FAA Part 107 certified pilots, $10M liability standard (optional up to $25M).
San Diego
San Diego drone videography
We fly concerts, festivals, stadium events, hotels, waterfront real estate and brand shoots across San Diego County. Our aircraft include the Inspire 3 with the X9 camera, the Mavic 4 Pro and custom FPV builds. For concerts 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.
Navy, Marine Corps and Class B airspace
San Diego International Airport sits under Class B airspace a few miles from downtown, and Montgomery-Gibbs Executive, Gillespie Field and Palomar add their own airport airspace. MCAS Miramar, Naval Base Coronado including North Island, Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Point Loma, MCRD San Diego and the Coast Guard air station are federal no-drone areas, closed from the ground to 400 feet around the clock. Camp Pendleton and Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook to the north are also closed, with restricted airspace over Pendleton, and the San Ysidro border crossing is a no-drone area. We check every San Diego location on the FAA sectional, B4UFLY and NOTAMs before quoting, and file LAANC or FAA authorization for any address that needs it.
Stadiums, parks and permits
Petco Park and Snapdragon 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. California State Parks allow drones unless a park has posted an order banning them, and commercial filming in a state park needs a State Parks permit through the California Film Commission, with drone paperwork filed ahead of the shoot. Filming on city streets, beaches and parks usually needs a city film permit, and we confirm it for each location.
Privacy on the coast
California privacy law makes it an invasion of privacy to enter the airspace above someone's land without permission to capture private or family activity, so we keep homes, yards and people who have not agreed to be filmed out of frame. On beach and neighborhood shoots we plan angles that keep the subject in frame and the neighbors out.
Credits
the Vans Warped Tour Long Beach live broadcast, the Outside Lands aerial livestream in Golden Gate Park and EDC Las Vegas live on Hulu.
Related
Los Angeles drone videography | Los Angeles live event FPV drones | California drone videography | Palm Springs, CA drone videographer | Sacramento, CA 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
Santa Barbara, CA drone videographer | Fresno, CA drone videographer | Monterey, CA drone videographer | San Jose, CA drone videographer | Lake Tahoe, CA drone videographer
FAQs
Do you need FAA approval to fly in San Diego?
It depends on the address. Downtown and the bay sit under Class B airspace and next to several Navy and Marine Corps bases where drones are banned. We check every location on the FAA sectional and B4UFLY before quoting and file LAANC where it is needed.
Can you fly near MCAS Miramar or North Island?
No. Miramar, North Island and the other military bases are federal no-drone areas from the ground to 400 feet at all times. We plan shoots with them well outside the frame.
Can you fly near Petco Park 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.
Do you need a permit for a California state beach?
Usually. Commercial filming in a state park needs a State Parks permit through the California Film Commission, and some parks post orders that ban drones.
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.