SSP 049: What You Need To Know But Probably Don't About Drones w/ Scott Strimple
It’s no secret that drones are currently one of the most hyped tools we have in our arsenal as filmmakers, and it’s no wonder why. In the past decade, affordable drones have unlocked cinematic shots that we were only accustomed to seeing in huge Hollywood or commercial productions. The thing is, there’s a lot more to the world of drone cinematography than just those cool shots. If you’re anything like me, you might not be nearly as well educated as you think you might be, and that can end up costing you in a whole bunch of ways you might never have even thought of.
Scott Stimple is a filmmaker, the owner of The Drone Flight School and CinemAerial Visuals, has been a commercial pilot with United Airlines for over 40 years and has been hacking together DIY drones since before they were cool. Needless to say, he is an expert in the arena of flight, and one of the top experts in the world of drone cinematography. He takes us to school today on how to use these amazing tools safely, responsibly, and effectively, to make our films the best they can be.
Scott takes us on a journey through the do’s and don'ts of unmanned aircraft flight, the legalities of flying a drone and the crazy level of importance on flying smart and safe and not being stupid while in the air. I learned so much from this episode that my notebook was full of critical information, including knowing how to operate your drone when the weather doesn’t work out and how just because you’ve passed the drone licensing test, doesn't mean you know how to handle a drone properly.
In this episode:
- The biggest mistake people make when flying drones
- Tips on how to get started properly once you pick up your first drone
- The importance of systems knowledge when it comes to high stress situations, and how this can save you thousands of dollars
- What your are risking by not taking the FAA test
- How to find liability insurance for drones, and why you need it
Quotes:
“You have to leverage that tool in order to make your work stand out and stand above other people’s work, because everybody is using it.” (23:44)
“Sure, something went wrong, well let’s go to the checklist. We’ve got systems knowledge, we’ve got procedures, so let’s start running down the list of options that we have.” (28:50)
“To just go grab a book, study, and say I passed [the FAA test] and am now a licensed drone pilot is not doing you or our craft a service.” (40:51)
Links:
The Drone Flight School
Follow The Drone Flight School on Facebook & Instagram
CinemAerial Visuals
Follow them on Vimeo