Justin Moore of Airborne Aerial Photography addressed the club about the new frontier of drone flight and photography.
Since 1999, Justin Moore has been photographing landscapes, nature and human beings as a professional photographer for Moore Photography & Design. In 2001, his passion for flying became a reality when he earned his Private Pilot certificate. He later earned an Instrument Rating and combined his passions as a freelance photographer for General Aviation News.
In late 2014, Justin was introduced to UAS (Un-manned Aerial Systems) - known commonly to the public as "drones", when he purchased a DJI Phantom FC40 - a small, multi-rotor "drone" with an attached camera. Needless to say, he was hooked. Drones combined Justin's two passions - flying and photography. He used his drones to capture low-altitude imagery to promote conservation, parks and communities by donating his time and equipment to promote public awareness of drones and to demonstrate their many positive benefits.
In 2016, Justin officially launched Airborne Aerial Photography - a FAA approved aerial photography division of Moore Photography & Design. Justin is a certificated Remote Pilot operating under the FAA's new "Part 107" regulations.
In 2017, Justin became the nation's first Certified Drone Photographer after helping to pilot a new aerial photography certification program with the Professional Photographer's Association of America (PPA). The Certified Drone Photographer program is an intensive program that measures technical competence and aerial photography proficiency.
Justin emphasized the safety benefits of unmanned flight to conduct tasks that are otherwise very risky. Some of his examples included wildlife management flights, airborne photography (such as filming great white sharks at a close distance), and search and rescue.
He predicted that drones will be used in search and rescue efforts related to Hurricane Harvey due to their ability to safely travel where other manned aircraft cannot. Drones can be equipped with thermal cameras to help locate trapped survivors, like those trapped in attics in flooded areas devastated by Harvey. Drone usage is coordinated by an "Incident Commander" (appointed by the FAA) in such disaster situations.
Like manned aircraft flight, drone flight is also subject to it's own set of regulations. Some regulations of note include the need for proper licensure (Remote Pilot Certificate or special Section 333 Exemption), the necessity to maintain a line of sight with your aircraft (unless a waiver is granted in special circumstances), flight up to a maximum altitude of 400ft., the need for a permit to uses drones for any reason in our state parks, and the complete prohibition of flight in our National Parks (do in part to the irresponsible use of a drone that ended up on the lawn of the White House!). It is also unlawful to use a drone for surveillance purposes.
Drones come in multiple shapes and sizes, but many can be purchased on Amazon, just like anything else you can buy online these days! An example, like the model Justin brought to the presentation, is a Spark Quadcopter that usually starts at around $500. See below:
For those that are interested, please check out Justin's website at http://www.texasbyair.com/about/ to learn more about Justin, his business, and the emerging industry of drone photography. He has incredible photographs in the "portfolio" section of his website for your viewing pleasure like the sample from the San Antonio Botanical Gardens below:
Enjoy!