It pains me to say it but the drone industry has become flooded with under qualified “fly by night” operators and businesses trying to make a quick buck. Couple that with the fact that permitting offices are still struggling with being competent or consistent when it comes to drones and you can have a hell of a time getting a drone permit through the hoop. I want to give you the steps so that you can be PROACTIVE rather than reactive. I recently heard from a client about a horror story that no producer wants to go through. The drone company told the client that they had a 333 exemption and could legally render services for their project. Of course production was low on time and under the gun to get a drone operator through the permitting process. As they were going through permitting, FilmLA discovered that although the company had a 333 exemption they could not produce credentials for an FAA qualified pilot or a Motion Picture and Television Operations Manual (MPTOM). Unfortunately what production companies have come to realize is if the drone can’t get approved then the rest of the permit is held up, jeopardizing production. At that point there was not enough time to secure another drone operator and get approval so they had to drop the drone from the permit just to stay on schedule. Filming legal aerial shots with drones in Los Angeles is not easy and only qualified companies make it through the hoop. It would be insulting if someone were to waste my time like this so I wanted to share with you these quick steps you can take to when hiring for your next production.
You should request of any drone company these basic requirements:
- A copy of the companies 333 FAA Exemption
- A copy of the company’s Certificate of Authorization (COA)
- A copy of the Pilot Credentials – This will be a real FAA pilots license (Commercial, Private or Sport Rating Required)
- A copy of their aviation insurance for the drones.
- A copy of their Motion Picture and Television Operations Manual (MPTOM) if you are operating in this realm.
(If you want to know what any of these things are in detail see the Drone Appendix Post)
There should be no excuse why a company cannot produce this basic documentation for you immediately and if they can’t…NEXT! Additionally operators at this level should be able to provide backup aircraft and backup pilots, don’t get stuck in an awkward situation.
Now that you have weeded out the posers, you will need to work with your drone company to do the following for a filming permit:
- Have the drone company submit a Plan of Activities (POA) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- This can be completed and submitted in a day and takes about 2-3 days for FAA approval so plan on 5 days for worst case.
- You will need a copy of the APPROVED POA for your permitting authority.
- Insurance:
- Speak with your permitting authority to determine what insurance amounts are needed for operation of the drone. Relay that information to your drone company and ensure they can comply.
- Have permitting authority give you the list of “additionally insured” requirements and pass that to the drone company for insurance certificates. If filming in a National park, National forest, State park ect.. ask if there are “additionally insured” requirements related to those areas.
- If filming in a National park, National forest, State park ect… ask if there is additional “Aircraft/Drone Notification Forms” that need to be filled out by the drone company.
- Have drone company submit a copy of their FAA 333 Exemption, Certificate of Authorization (COA) and Pilot Credentials.
See pictures for examples of these documents
If you follow these steps and work with a competent legal drone company like Drone Tech Aerial Cinematography, then you should have a streamlined process that takes no more than 5 days and in as little as 2 days. Filming legally in LA was once challenging when we started and I am sharing these points so that you are not intimidated by the process. It is straightforward as long as you know what to look out for. I hate to say this but the folks at many permitting offices barely know how to deal with drones and are inconsistent between inspectors and authorities. This is why you need to be knowledgeable about the process and be PROACTIVE and not reactive. It has been my experience in the past that permitting offices will ask for a document here and there a week before and all will be quiet and then the day before let you know that you are missing a slew of documents.
As always it will come down to the people you work with that will ultimately make the process smooth and bearable. Drone Tech Aerial Cinematography looks forward to the opportunity to be able to provide our services and help you through the process in the Los Angeles area and beyond. Feel free to reach out to us and ask us questions, we are a resource for the community.
