#Cameras at Work

We love working with our cameras! Film…Nikon….Canon…..whatever it takes to get the shot. This week we are sharing photos of our cameras. Yeah….not as exciting as an aerial but we love to see behind the scenes. From the old days with film (and scanning, and loading and trips to the lab) to the age old battle: Nikon vs. Canon, we’ll share it all. For the record, we use both Nikon and Canon, it’s the photographer that matters.

We will also share some cool equipment we use to help get the shot; iPads for flight routes, gyros for stabilizing in the air, tri-pods on the ground and small little go pros for cool time-lapses. There is nothing we can’t capture with what we have in our equipment closet.

So, dust of that film camera, get your card formatted and get shooting! #Cameras

Flights, Cameras, Action!

Are you ready? We are! For what you ask? Oh….just some big news coming October 1. But first, we are sharing our favorite behind the scenes images from our flights, of our cameras and finally, us in action with the big news!

#Flights: Cessnas, Robinsons & Inspires; these are a few of our favorite things. Why do we use multiple aerial platforms? Because it gives us more flexibility to capture our clients’ projects. We can fly around busy airports and growing cities more easily and safer in helicopters.  The fixed wing aircraft gives us the economy to provide services over a wide geographic range…including up to 12,000′ in altitude! And the drone is a game changer and we are ready & happy to play. No other “aerial” photography company has the full range of services like we do! We love working with our great pilots throughout the Southeast. Oh, and we get to see some cool “big planes” at work, too!

Follow us to see more great images throughout the week and find out the big news!  

In Tennessee & Kentucky: Facebook, Instagram and Linked In 

In Georgia: Facebook, Instagram 

 

All Together Now

Ready to meet your entire fly team? We are!

Well, it’s been almost 8 months since the Aerial Innovations Georgia & Tennessee offices came under single ownership and we finally got everyone together. It was probably the hardest schedule we have had to put together..harder than working around weather and weekends and Class B even! The Atlanta team drove up to Chattanooga to meet the Nashville office. We spent the day doing team building, eating, learning about DISC, eating and lots of laughing.

Thanks to Wellcoached Consulting and Chris Weinberg for sharing his vast knowledge on teams and what it takes to scale a business. And thanks to all the members of the flight crew, we couldn’t provide our clients with the best aerial imagery in the Southeast without all of you!

Flights, Camera, Action!!!

#SummerFun

Whew! What a summer! It’s been busy with work and fun, the temperatures have been tolerable and the photo flights have given us a trove of images to share. Below are a few ways you can follow us and stay up with all of the great images on Instagram, LinkedIn & Facebook. You won’t believe what we’ve been up to!

On Instagram (above), Rick Smith, our Lead Photographer, continues to post his most intriguing images from almost every flight (and a few ground shoots). We’ve been everywhere, man, from Knoxville to Nashville to the West Tennessee Rivers to the heart of Kentucky. By road or by aircraft, we can’t get enough of these landscapes, river ways and cityscapes.

We like to share what it’s like to be us over on LinkedIn. Here is a shot from our office! You’ll also find links to videos and items that we share about clients and other photo – flying – fun things. And LinkIn with our employees while your over there!

Golf, anyone? Just another day when we are working hard on those relationships! We love out clients and work family. We share most of the behind the scenes and fun stuff over on Facebook. You’ll see events we go to, visits we make and maybe a few pilot pics!

Like us, Follow us, Share us, Tweet us…. We love to share!

Why Drones Can Cost More

When I first started with Aerial Innovations, I was surprised how inexpensive the photography services were. I soon found out it was because we could share the cost expensive of the aircraft (helicopter or fixed wing airplane) among many clients. It was a well known trick of the trade (and still is!)

A misconception I hear often is that drones are cheaper than using a typical aircraft. In fact, the drones can cost more per project than we can do on our gang flights. We do have a great pricing structure for our drone photography and video. When it comes to reliable quality images at the lowest cost, the choice is clear.

Wendy Whittemore  – Aerial Innovations of TN & KY

**This is the last in a 6 part series, see below for previous videos

Plane Talk About Drones – May 14, 2018 

True Drone Costs – May 22, 2018

5 Drone Skills to Master – May 29, 2018

Be Covered at Every Altitude – June 4, 2018

Flight Hours Matter – June 11, 2018

Flight Hours Matter

Think the FAA has a perfect system for monitoring, licensing and enforcing drone regulations? Think again. The agency has been reactionary to a lot of drone advances in the marketplace. They have a long established program for RC Pilots whom are usually hobbyists. But when companies like DJI made the technology easier and cheaper to fly (and put a camera on it!), it was a game changer. They now had untrained remote pilots in congested downtown areas to get cool shots and that created risk.

They have been playing catch up ever since. There are several large issues with the FAA’s UAV regulations. One is the cumbersome and slow waiver process which they are updating. And the other, in my opinion, is the licensing process. Hear how they have left out a key element in obtaining your remote airman’s license.

#planetalkaboutdrones

 

 

Be Covered at Every Altitude

What’s in a number? When it comes to flight altitude, a lot! We have times when we need to get low for the great building or skyline shot. And other times, we are soaring up to 3000′ & 4000′ to capture large areas and projects. In order to do this, we use multiple aerial platforms to get the job done. Learn which ones are best from Owner & Flight Commander, Wendy Whittemore. The is no bad altitude (only bad attitude!)

#PlaneTalkAboutDrones

 

5 Drone Related Skills to Master

You’ve heard of multi-tasking; doing several things poorly at once. How about drone-tasking? No? Well, I just made it up. But it may be a fitting way to describe how many tasks it takes  to master in order successful & safe drone missions every time with a decent deliverable. I’ve come up with 5 key areas to learn and practice (or team up with someone!); learning the technology, understanding airspace, flight skills, camera operation and post-production. Got 2 out of 3 Mastered? Your on your way!

#PlaneTalkAboutDrones

 

True Drone Costs

Is buying a drone for your project or company a true cost saving measure. Yes….and no, well, it depends. You want to account for it correctly and weigh the options, then you will make an informed decision. We’ve heard you can end up throwing a lot of money in the sky if you are not careful!

Owner and Flight Commander Wendy Whittemore explains how costs can add up quickly with drone operations.

 

Plane Talk About Drones

Everyone has a drone story by now. Either you or your company may have purchased one, you have a “fly-away” story or know someone who has, or maybe you are just curious about drones and keep wondering what all the fuss is about. Well, after 18 years as an aerial photographer and now a certified FAA UAV pilot, Owner and Flight Commander Wendy Whittemore has certainly heard a few of these stories.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the most misunderstood topics surrounding drones. This industry is still very new and is evolving everyday. Her advice to most who have questions, get on the FAA website and get educated. Without having the proper knowledge about UAV operations leaves this great tool open for abuse and wide interpretation of the law. It’s our goal to keep drones flying safely…..for everyone.