We have moved
2024 has been a busy year for us at SlickBird Drone Solutions. Our operations have expanded north to the Dallas Fort Worth area, leading to significant changes in both our business and personal lives. We welcomed a new baby girl into our family, and our son has been growing up quickly, bringing both joy and challenges.
Amidst these changes, we took a step back from drone photography in 2024, focusing primarily on projects for our close business partners. This intentional pause allowed us to realign our priorities and manage our evolving responsibilities.
Looking ahead to 2025, our goal is to grow and re-establish our presence in the drone photography market. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and ready to embrace new projects and collaborations.
Here is a quick video of some of the roofing videography that was done for Roofs by Peterson LLC, one of our close business partners.
SVT Aviation, LLC
Nestled in the Huber Airpark, I had the pleasure of meeting with SVT Aviation, LLC. As a professional Aircraft maintenance provider, SVT offers only excellence to its clients. At the time of filming they were working on several Robinson helicopters performing the following; Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, oil changes, Annual Inspections, etc… I was impressed by their dedication to new and returning customers. If you own a private aircraft and want to check them out their information is below.
SVT Aviation Maintenance LLC
359 Beechcraft Ln, Seguin, TX 78155, https://www.svtaviation.com/
Why you should hire a professional drone company.
Make sure you are informed of the FAA procedures for flight
Dwight Moody, sUAS Remote Pilot, lic# 4741628
FAA Compliance
Current technology allows anyone to purchase and operate advanced camera drones with relative ease. Real estate agents, insurance adjusters, roofers and others are now operating said drones for the purpose of capturing images for their business. What they don't realize is that they are required by federal law to obtain an FAA part 107 certification in order to do so.
Even if your newfound drone is being flown recreationally the FAA still requires “The Recreational UAS Safety Test” (Federal Aviation Administration). Additionally, all drones must be registered with the FAA before flight, unless they are less than .55 lbs and are used exclusively for recreation. “Failure to register a Drone may result in civil penalties of up to $27,500 and criminal fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three (3) years.” (National Association of Realtors)
Liability
Regardless of how your business is structured, the pros of utilizing a drone outweigh the cons. However, when flying over buildings, vehicles and people, one assumes a great risk. As a professional entity, does it make sense to assume the risk yourself? Or should the liability be assumed by a company that holds the necessary training, certifications and insurance. When hiring a drone operator have they been vetted to make sure they have these qualifications? Under Part 107, “an accident must be reported to the FAA if it causes damage to property other than the drone itself, if the cost is greater than $500 to repair or replace the property” (Federal Aviation Administration). $500 is a low threshold for damage to any structure or vehicle.
Professionalism
Utilizing a company with a focus in aerial photography, surveying or cinematography will be sure to net positive results. At Slickbird, we strive for precision and quality. Hiring us, with whatever business you operate, will provide the peace of mind knowing your clients, critical infrastructure and imagery are in good, reliable hands.
Consider Slickbird Drone Solutions for your next project to see first hand what it means to hire a professional and licensed remote pilot in command.
Works Cited
-Federal Aviation Administration. “The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST).” FAA.GOV, Federal Aviation Administration, 22 July 2022, https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers/knowledge_test_updates.
-National Association of Realtors. “Drones.” National Association of REALTORS®, https://www.nar.realtor/drones. Accessed 16 February 2023.
North West Vista - Disc Golf
Drones over Northwest Vista College
This is the second video regarding Disc Golf courses in San Antonio. Specifically, this location is a college campus. North West Vista is apart of the Alamo Colleges educations system. In order to capture footage here I had to request permission from Alamo Colleges directly and demonstrate my intentions as well as provide my sUAS pilot credentials.
I really enjoyed filming this, particularly since the campus itself is wonderful. If your ever visiting San Antonio and you play Disc Golf I suggest a visit.
The content that I will be working on next will focus more on the commercial sUAS industry and one drone in particular. The Skydio X2E. Be sure to stop by since there are NO reviews of this drone anywhere.
The Zip - Aerial Exploit
First YouTube video for Slickbird Drone Solutions and the exploration of drone videography.
For the first YouTube video I wanted it to be something comfortable to me. I have extensive videography editing experience but I wanted it to be a fun experiment.
As a commercial drone service provider everyone told me, “why are you filming disc golf?” The answer is simply, because I enjoy it. In reality it’s also challenging. Trying to capture the trailing shots of a disc in flight is a mixture of piloting and luck. The property that ‘The Zip” is located on is also a really good demonstration of the Texas hill country. I find it therapeutic to just be out there.
Eventually I will be featuring critical infrastructure inspections and even drone reviews. I personally don’t think that the US made drone community receives enough attention with the domination of DJI (even though they do make excellent products, albeit possibly involved in espionage).
As the first entry into my content creation I hope everyone that views my videos enjoys them and also learns something in the process. Thank you for watching!