How We Work

We are very experienced cinematographers. Proper preparation is the key to a successful aerial operation, and we are great at preparation. We listen and communicate with producers, directors and DPs to help them prepare, and capture 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 and time 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
Roger has been interested in aviation and photography all his life. With many years of experience flying miniature aircraft, drone cinematography joins these 2 interests to provide customers with reliable drone services and excellent aerial storytelling.

JC Schlageter

gimbal operator
JC and Roger have worked together on conventional film shoots for decades. JC also has a long interest in model and full scale aviation, and is a top notch technician and creative gimbal operator. He'll soon have his part 107 remote pilot certificate.

David Sperling

gimbal operator
Roger worked for several years as Dave's assistant camera, and they have continued to work together on multi-camera film shoots for many years. Dave is a great supportive team member and has pilot experience as well. He is a very creative camera operator on the drone team.

Jonathan Bell

gimbal operator, visual observer
Jonathan has worked on multi-camera film shoots with both Roger and JC for many years. He has also flown model planes for decades and his own cinema drone for several years. He is a fantastic visual observer and solid operator, and will soon have his remote pilot certification.

DJI Inspire 2

the main aircraft

Chris Varga

visual observer, licensed private pilot
Chris is a licensed private pilot in the New York City region and therefore has great aeronautical knowledge. He also has worked for decades as a dolly grip, electric and gaffer, and provides our team with engineering and aviation knowlege. He is safety oriented and a great communicator

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.