FAQ
Answers before the first phone call
Licensing, airspace, turnaround, travel, and who owns the files. If the answer you need is not here, ask and it will be.
General
Are you licensed to fly commercially?
Yes. Every flight is conducted by an FAA Part 107 certified remote pilot in command, under the airspace authorization the site requires, and logged with aircraft, pilot, and conditions. Documentation your project or property owner needs is provided on request.
Can you fly in controlled airspace around LAX or Burbank?
Yes. Most controlled airspace in the LA basin is covered by LAANC and authorization comes back in minutes to hours. Locations inside the tightest airport surfaces need a Part 107 airspace waiver, which takes about 90 days, so tell us early if that is your site.
How fast do I get my files?
Photo and video shoots deliver in 48 hours. FPV rushes go out in 72 hours. Mapping, 3D models, and thermal reports run 3 to 7 business days depending on site size. Rush delivery is available on most jobs.
How far do you travel?
We work a 120-mile radius from the LA metro, which covers Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and southern Kern counties. Travel inside 60 miles is included in the quoted price.
What happens if the weather cancels my shoot?
We reschedule at no charge. We will not fly a job in conditions that put the aircraft, the site, or the deliverable at risk, and you are never billed for a flight we chose not to make.
Do I own the footage?
You receive a perpetual, unlimited license to use the deliverables for your business. We retain the right to show the work in our own portfolio unless the project is under NDA, which we are glad to sign.
Can you work on an active construction site or film set?
Routinely. We attend the safety briefing, coordinate with the site superintendent or first AD, and work inside your existing safety plan rather than around it.
How do I get a quote?
Send the address, the deliverable you need, and your target date through the quote form. Most quotes go back the same business day, and complex mapping or inspection scopes get a short call first.
Aerial Photography & Video
How many photos do I get?
A standard listing shoot delivers 20 to 25 edited stills. Commercial and facility shoots are scoped to the shot list.
Can you shoot interiors too?
Yes. Interior walkthroughs are flown on a smaller airframe with prop guards, or captured on a gimbal when the space is too tight to fly.
Orthomosaic Mapping & Site Surveys
Can you fly the same site every month?
That is most of this work. Recurring sites are flown from the same waypoints at the same altitude every visit, so the maps stack cleanly and progress is easy to read across dates.
Can you match my existing coordinate system?
Deliverables come out in UTM by default. Tell us the coordinate reference system and vertical datum your team works in and we reproject the files before handoff.
3D Modeling & Photogrammetry
Is this LiDAR?
No. These deliverables are photogrammetric, built from overlapping images. That works well for open ground, hardscape, and structures visible from the air. It cannot see through tree canopy, so if you need bare-earth ground beneath vegetation, that job needs a LiDAR provider and we will say so rather than take the work.
Will these files open in the tools we use?
The point cloud is delivered as LAS, which imports into Autodesk ReCap for use in Revit and Civil 3D, and opens directly in QGIS and CloudCompare. Meshes are delivered as OBJ or PLY.
Are there surfaces that do not model well?
Yes. Glass, standing water, reflective metal, and large featureless surfaces reconstruct poorly in photogrammetry. We flag those areas in the delivery rather than quietly smoothing over them.
Thermal Imaging & Inspection
Do you provide a certified thermography report?
We provide the radiometric data, anomaly mapping, and a findings summary. Where a stamped Level II thermographer report is required, we work alongside your thermographer or refer one.
Why does a roof scan have to be at night?
Wet insulation holds heat longer than dry insulation. After sunset the dry roof cools and the wet areas glow. Fly it at noon and you see nothing but sun load.
FPV Cinematography
Can you fly indoors?
Yes. Indoor flight is outside Part 107 airspace rules but inside our safety protocol, so we still run a brief, use ducted airframes, and clear the path.
How close can you fly to people?
Non-participating people are not overflown. Participants who have been briefed and consented can be worked around under Part 107 with the appropriate airframe.
Tell us what you need documented
Send the address, the deliverable, and your target date. Most quotes go back the same business day.