How We Work Archive

We are very experienced cinematographers. We communicate with producers, directors and DPs to help them prepare and get the footage they need. We can work as an additional camera, supervised by the director and DP, or we can work as an independent aerial unit. Whatever you need. Drone aerials save money compared to hiring a helicopter.

The Film Flight Aerials team is a premier drone operating group for cinema and television with significant accomplishments in the drone space since first offering drone aerial services in 2019.
In spring of 2019 we captured aerials for a concert event in Aspen, CO, and for several documentary films in the New York region. In fall 2019, we conducted drone operations for a Netflix feature film in the Hudson Valley, NY, an extremely challenging assignment, flying over the Hudson River and Long Island Sound; on day 2 we coordinated with the special effects department and flew over special effects wind and rain.

grangecam@gmail.com

The FilmFlight Team

Drone operations require a top notch team. Our team has a long history in aviation, miniature aircraft, and aeronautical knowledge. We follow all FAA Part 107 rules, we train extensively together as a team and conduct rehearsal flights before every mission.

Roger Grange

chief pilot, director of operations

JC Schlageter

gimbal operator

David Sperling

pilot, gimbal operator

Jonathan Bell

gimbal operator, visual observer

DJI Inspire 2

the main aircraft

Chris Varga

visual observer, licensed private pilot

How We Work

We generally work with a 3 person crew to execute complex shots, work safely and efficiently, and comply with FAA regulations. This system keeps us safe, and makes your shoot go smoothly. For very simple shots, especially in rural areas and away from airports, we can sometimes work with a 1 or 2 person crew if the budget requires it.

Roger Grange is our licensed remote pilot and the training and safety director.
We research National Airspace restrictions for each flight and obtain airspace authorization when required.
Airspace authorizations can take time. We'll need to know precise locations where your drone operation will take place in order to get clearance for flights. Our team includes several aviation experts and we fly every mission with safety as our top priority, as well as getting your scenes.

Our services and equipment in the drone space:

Conventional filming on the same day as an aerial shoot, depending on workload.
Part 107 remote pilot certificate with small UAS rating. (UAS = Unmanned Aircraft System).
A full drone squadron: 2 Inspire 2 aircraft, 2 Zenmuse X5s 5K cameras with a full set of lenses, many batteries, controllers, recording media.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro small drone with 4K camera.
Various monitoring options, support equipment
Aviation Liability and Hull Insurance
Airspace and regulatory research with regard to drone operations.
FAA Airspace Authorizations: some of which are instant, but others may take several weeks. We have never failed to get an authorization for a flight.
Safety protocols and pre-flight safety meetings.
Post shoot digital data wrangling and data verification.
Coming soon: Night operations permit.
Aerial still photography, industrial and construction aerial inspections.