Legally, you’re only allowed to fly 400′ agl (Above Ground Level) so technically if you were at the top of Mt Whitney you could fly up to 14,905. DJI lists the “max service altitude as 19685 feet (6000 m) but as the air gets thinner you’re going to have less lift, and less control. So if you’re planning on bringing your Mavic to shoot your next expedition to Everest, plan on short flight times. If your lungs are having trouble, so will lipo battery driven propellers.a drone
For the two drones we use mostly and that are what 90% of all pro pilots cinema are now using. Mavic 3 Pro “real world” is around 30 minutes), and Inspire 3, the flight times are 18-25 minutes depending on wind or how much maneuvering. Sitting still in no wind = 30 minutes. Hard maneuvering in high wind = 20 minutes. Heavy Lift drones, the ones that lift RED and Alexa’s can vary depending on a myriad of factors. A fully loaded Alta 8, with camera and fizz control can have 8-10 minutes.
Flying indoors is relatively safe. Of course it depends on the experience of the pilot. Years ago I did a project for Hyundai Translead where I flew inside 3 of their manufacturing plants. Since GPS doesn’t usually work indoors, the modern drones have sonar on the bottom which keeps them stable. However DJI in all their infinite wisdom has limited the altitude when no GPS signal is present to 27′ which required some adaptation. When planning on shooting indoors you need to consider there’s a fair amount of noise and a column of wind beneath the drone so you can’t fly over a desk stacked with papers or over top of someone without messing their hair up. It does however come in handy on a hot day. 🙂
Yes … to a degree. When winds get over 25-30mph it’s not advisable. If the wind is moving faster then your drone can fly you’re in a loosing position. I have flown in very high winds winds and it was dicey. In a couple of instances, I was full throttle into the wind and the drone was flying away from me. Experience tells you, keep calm and keep flying. Once that gust slows down bring ‘er in! But if the drone is getting bounced around, so will your footage. Be aware, flying when there’s a Sharknado in the area the drone could get chomped on.
It depends on what you’re goals are. You could certainly get some up high establishing shots, and straight down shots and on smaller projects which would be good enough. But drone manufacturers make them seem like a toy and that anyone can do it, and you can, but it’s going to take some time and dedication. The bottom line is Drone mans goal is to sell containers of drones. I sold one of my used drones to a guy who thought he was going to go out the next day and get some great shots. Do you think that happened? Nope! He crashed into a tree when I was training him how to use it.
If you are serious about doing it, and are willing to dedicate the time, go for it! But think of it this way; A drone requires a lot of skills that are happening all at once, and the technology changes every 6 months, so you’ve got to have deep pockets for the first year or so, or have enough work to make it worth your while to stay on the cutting edge. Not to mention liability insurance, a part 107 license and having a back-up drone. When there’s a crew watching with actors and people who’s time is valuable, the last thing you want is a newby fumbling with the controls or crashing. There’s a lot of pressure involved making all those things happen at once. Put pressure on someone who can’t handle it, or they freeze at the wrong moment, and you have a potentially dangerous situation on your hands. Crash a $25k drone and you’ll be sorry you “cheaped out.” Not only are you calling your insurance company, but you’ve missed the shot. Someone who flies all the time it will be second nature to them and they wont choke…in theory. :).
Yup. We have a Toyota Sequoia, a large SUV that has a 3rd row of seats and can be configured with our ChaseJib / BlackArm combo. This gives a typical production 1 more person, and everyone rides in comfort. Our featured remote head is the MoVI XL which is large enough and powerful enough to keep a camera steady at high speed, with a mattbox. Our remote head tech, Eric Bergez is also an expert remote camera operator and local 600 member. Some directors want to control the camera, some don’t, we give you the choice.
