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04 April 2025
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/news/categories/brazzel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Timothy Brazzel</a>
Attending the <a href="https://psdronefest.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palm Springs Drone Fest 2025</a> was nothing short of an unforgettable experience. From the moment I arrived, to the breathtaking opening night ceremony, to the challenges I faced, and ultimately the success of it all, this was an event that exceeded my expectations.
If you&rsquo;re into drones, cinematography, FPV racing, cutting-edge tech, or just mind-blowing entertainment, you need to put PS Drone Fest on your radar. Let&rsquo;s dive into everything that made this festival one for the books!
<h5 class="p1">Airstreams and Last-Minute Chaos</h5>
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The adventure kicked off as I checked into Acres Landing in Desert Hot Springs, California, where I had the chance to stay in a beautiful Airstream. It was such a cool and unique experience, but before I could settle in, reality hit. I had forgotten some essential items back home! Yep, that meant a long drive back, cutting into my time to prep for the weekend. Lesson learned: always triple-check your gear and essentials before heading to a big event!
Despite the chaos, I made it back in time for production meetings and to get ready for the excitement ahead.
<h5 class="p1">A Cinematic Experience</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/b5GAfI4kbC1apLf52DoOh2ogsKp03r1zyq00cM7V.png" alt="" width="667" height="368" />
The festival wasted no time making a statement. The Opening Night Ceremony, directed by Emmy-nominated cinematographer Skip Fredricks, was absolutely next level.
Picture this: a 15-minute live-action Jedi Knight sequence, choreographed by professional stunt performer Fiona Dorn, with her elite stunt team bringing lightsaber battles, acrobatics, and cinematic storytelling to life. The energy in the crowd was electric, and just when we thought it couldn&rsquo;t get any better, the sky lit up with a drone light show by Skyworx.
The best part? The drones were perfectly synchronized to an original score composed and performed live by international DJ and electronic violinist Esther Anaya. It was a perfect fusion of technology and artistry, setting the tone for the rest of the weekend.
<h5 class="p1">Drones, Sports, and Next-Gen Innovation</h5>
One of the most exciting parts of the event was the FIDA USA World Cup Qualifier for Drone Soccer. Watching teams from 12 different nations battle it out was insane. Tim Ingram, President of FIDA USA, has been pushing drone soccer into the mainstream, and this competition proved why it&rsquo;s growing so fast. The winning teams earned a chance to compete in the 2025 FIDA World Cup in Seoul, South Korea&mdash;a game-changer for drone sports in the U.S.
But PS Drone Fest wasn&rsquo;t just about competition; it was about education and inspiration. Over 1,000 students got hands-on experience in drone cinematography, AI, robotics, and FAA compliance. Seeing the next generation get excited about drone technology reminded me why events like these are so important.
<h5 class="p1">Behind the Scenes</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/cLdOACrpTIaobNpAGdYUvRvkCxbs35QHuHMpBtfC.png" alt="" width="679" height="372" />
As a videographer, drone pilot, and content creator, one of my biggest highlights was getting to document the entire event. I captured some truly epic moments, from high-energy FPV drone races to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the stunt performances and live music sets.
Speaking of performances, I had the chance to film:&nbsp;
&bull; Esther Anaya electrifying the crowd with her fusion of violin and electronic beats&nbsp;
&bull; Fiona Dorn&rsquo;s action-packed stunt sequences&nbsp;
&bull;&nbsp;The Promo Drone CEO Jamar Williams debuting his futuristic flying billboard&nbsp;
There were also tons of industry leaders speaking on drone law, journalism, airspace safety, and future opportunities. Legends like:
- Sally French (The Drone Girl)
- Vic Moss (CEO of DSPA)
- Tony Reid (Drone Cadets co-founder)
Networking and learning from these experts were huge takeaways for me.
<h5 class="p1">Overcoming Challenges&nbsp;</h5>
Of course, no event goes 100 percent smoothly. There were moments where things got hectic&mdash;from last-minute changes in the schedule to unexpected tech challenges. But that&rsquo;s the beauty of experiences like these&mdash;you adapt, push through, and make it happen.
Despite the hiccups, PS Drone Fest 2025 was a massive success. It wasn&rsquo;t just about the technology&mdash;it was about people coming together, sharing knowledge, and pushing the boundaries of what&rsquo;s possible in the drone industry.
<h5 class="p1">Social Media Explosion&nbsp;</h5>
The digital reach of the event was insane!
&bull; 30,000+ engagements on social media during the opening night alone&nbsp;
&bull; 3.8 million+ online impressions across all platforms&nbsp;
&bull; YouTube videos (including mine!) racking up thousands of views in the first 48 hours
The hashtag #PSDroneFest was trending, and creators like Sally French, Real People Real Life, and myself helped push the event to a global audience. NBC Palm Springs even covered the event, bringing more mainstream attention to the drone community.
<h5 class="p1">Final Thoughts</h5>
At the end of the day, Palm Springs Drone Fest 2025 wasn&rsquo;t just a festival&mdash;it was a cultural shift. It proved that drone technology isn&rsquo;t just for filmmakers or tech enthusiasts; it&rsquo;s an art form, a sport, an educational tool, and a growing industry with endless possibilities**.
If you missed it this year, don&rsquo;t make that mistake again. Mark your calendars for next year&mdash;because PS Drone Fest is only getting bigger!
And if you want a full behind-the-scenes look, check out my YouTube vlog where I document everything from my crazy travel experience to exclusive footage of the best performances, drone races, and industry insights.&nbsp;
<h5 class="p1">Watch!</h5>
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<h5 class="p1">Bonus: Top-Tier Music for Your Videos!&nbsp;</h5>
I also want to shout out my partnership with Audiio, where I get top-quality music for my videos. If you&rsquo;re looking for the perfect soundtrack for your next project, you can save 70 percent off your first year by using <a href="https://audiio.com/partner?oid=1&amp;affid=1495](https://audiio.com/partner?oid=1&amp;affid=1495" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS LINK and USE CODE SAVE70</a>.

Palm Springs Drone Fest 2025

02 April 2025
As drones continue to become essential factors in warfare, the U.S. Marine Corps is rising to the challenge by forming The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team (MCADT)&mdash;a FPV-training squad that will study, develop, and deploy high-tech systems to enhance the service's combat readiness.
In a statement, the Marines shared: &ldquo;The team&rsquo;s mission is to integrate lessons from modern combat; represent the Marine Corps in inter-service, national, and international competitions; and, through iterative training and competition, provide input to the development of cutting-edge FPV drone capabilities to enhance warfighting effectiveness."
The MCADT&mdash;which will be based at the Weapons Training Battalion-Quantico in Virginia&mdash;comes at a mission-critical time.
Real-world, battlefield examples of the effectiveness of FPV drones as attack and reconnaissance "warriors" have been constant during the Russia-Ukraine war
&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s battlefield is changing rapidly, and we must adapt just as quickly,&rdquo; said MCADT officer-in-charge Maj. Alejandro Tavizon.&nbsp;&ldquo;The MCADT will ensure our warfighters remain at the forefront of precision drone employment, providing a critical advantage in future conflicts.&rdquo;
The MCADT isn't taking its sweet time to ramp up operations. A training competition has already been scheduled for June, where the MCADT will launch simulated tactical missions against elite fighting teams, such as the 75th Ranger Regiment.&nbsp;
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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U.S. Marines Go to War Against Combat Drones

<h5>01 April 2025</h5>
As movie-production costs continue to rise amid tragically diminishing revenue expectations, the film industry is looking to AI-enabled drones to deliver stunning cinemagraphic experiences without human intervention.
"Drones can work tirelessly and repeatedly until they get the shot, they don't require hours of setup and lighting adjustments to do their job, they don't have safety concerns, and they don't argue with the director," said an industry source who wished to remain anonymous. "Plus, we can save skyrocketing production costs by replacing a large human cinematography team with two or three drones. Think of a film like Netflix's The Electric State. If we had used drones to shoot that movie, it wouldn't have been a $320 million bomb. It could have only been a $300 million bomb."
Rapid technological advances in drone design, AI, and UAV-mounted cameras appear to have made conventional filming methods things of the past&mdash;no more relevant to today's moviemaking than the hand-cranked cameras of the Silent Era.
"Look, we need to produce content fast and furious," said an unnamed film director. "Customers subscribing to streaming services seem to want new movies every week. We can't keep up with that. It takes a week just to organize the catering service for a film set. But now, I can enter five movie scripts into an autonomous drone system, ship a few camera drones to five different locations, and I'll have five different movies shot and ready to edit in less than two or three days!"
On the whole, actors appear to be celebrating the new methodology.
"I love have quick location shoots have become," said XXX, an action-flick actor who refused to be identified due to a union affiliation. "No more waiting, waiting, and waiting. You hit your mark, say your lines, take out the bad guys, and the drone is right there. No hassles or resets due to human error or operator fatigue. Even on a tortuous shoot, I can be home or in my hotel by 6:00 pm, and I don't have to feel bad about not inviting the cinematographer to dinner or out for drinks."
The next step on the horizon looks to be adding AI direction to the drone systems&mdash;a move that will make all but the most famous directors unnecessary.
"Looking forward to that, as well," said XXX. "Drones don't yell, don't get drunk on set, don't ask for constant takes, and don't mess with an actor's interpretation of his or her part. Seems like bliss."
There has been no comment from the various Hollywood film unions about this new development.

Hollywood Studios Set to Fire All Cinematographers

[Above photo courtesy of Airbus.]
28 March 2025
From a 20-year-old "training dummy" design <a href="https://www.airbus.com/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Airbus</a> has produced an affordable, European-made strategy for intercepting kamikaze drone threats.
Called LOAD&mdash;for Low-Cost Air Defense&mdash;Airbus executives unveiled the anti-drone design at an unmanned systems trade show in Bonn, Germany, March 26, 2025.
LOAD was birthed from the Airbus Do-DT25&mdash;a cheap and disposable drone platform from the advent of the 2000s that was designed for target practice.
The "modded" LOAD version of this former training drone is anticipated to be armed with three guided missiles, have an operational range of 160 miles, travel at a top speed of 345 miles per hour, and a flight time of approximately one hour. Launched by a catapult, the LOAD drone is also expected to be reusable. Preliminary data states it can zoom back to base and touch down via a parachute.
A two-missile prototype is expected to be operational this year, and the final product looks to be in the air by 2027.
Airbus press materials state: "LOAD will be supervised from a ground control station. It will coordinate the drones on the basis of radar data or air-situation images and can therefore autonomously search for, detect and&mdash;following the approval of their engagement&mdash;combat enemy kamikaze drones. Airbus plans to integrate LOAD with other unmanned airborne platforms&mdash;such as our Eurodrone project&mdash;allowing LOAD to operate in regions not yet fully covered by ground-based air-defense radars.&rdquo;
Interestingly, as Europe continues to diminish dependence on America, the new LOAD drone will contain no technology from the United States. The system is also expected to be free from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations imposed by Washington, leaving future export decisions solely to European user nations.

Airbus Unleashes Low-Cost Air Defense Drone

19 March 2025
Drone "sherpas" may starting doing the heavy lifting on Mount Everest, making it safer for actual sherpas and climbers by scouting dangerous areas, carrying ropes and ladders for prepping routes, flying supplies to Camp 1, and perhaps even taking out the trash.&nbsp;
"Sherpas bear enormous risks," says Tshering Sherpa of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. "The drone makes their task safer, faster, and more efficient."
For example, getting supplies up to Camp 1 typically requires a seven-hour climb by a team of professionals. A drone can make the trip in 15 minutes.&nbsp;
But it's not just about saving time. As climate change melts the snow on Everest faster and faster, avalanches and other dangers are increasing. In fact, it was a series of fatal accidents on the mountain that prompted Mingma G. Sherpa to initiate the Everest drone program&mdash;which began last spring with tests of two DJI FlyCart 30 models. The FlyCarts proved to be quite successful at not only getting oxygen tanks to climbers, but also removing approximately 500 pounds of abandoned trash per hour from "the world's highest garbage dump."
Currently, these drones can cost upwards of $70,000 (including customs duties)&mdash;a small investment, considering the benefits in safety, speed, and productivity.
<h5>Learn More About Drones on Everest</h5>
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&nbsp;

Drones Can Keep Everest Sherpas Safer

17 March 2025
The mystery of drones zipping across the New Jersey skies in 2024 was eventually explained as research UAVs approved by the FAA and/or hobbyist flights.
But there are some drone swarms that appear to be much more insidious and they remain mostly unexplained. They are also targeting U.S. military sites.
As revealed on 60 Minutes by correspondent Bill Whitaker, the past six years have seen "significant" drone incursions above bases and infrastructure facilities, and even high-ranking generals don't know where the uninvited guests are coming from, nor do they know who is piloting them.
"We should be concerned that we don't know what these are," said Gen. Glen VanHerck, the former chief of NORAD and NORTHCOM, the agencies that protect U.S. airspace. "And the question that needs to be asked is 'Why don't we know what these are?' And I think you'll see that there are gaps in capability, there are gaps in policy, and there are gaps in law that need to be addressed."
<h5>Some of the Incidents</h5>
&bull; In December 2023, a flight of drones hovered over Virginia's Langley Air Force Base for 17 nights, causing the Air Force to move some F-22 fighters to another base.&nbsp;
&bull; Back in 2019, drones were reported as tailing naval warships during training missions off the California coast.
&bull; The defense media site, The War Zone, claims dozens of drones have invaded the airspace over sites such as Arizona's Palo Verde nuclear plant and the Air Force's "secretive" stealth-bomber development facilty, Plant 42, in Southern California
&bull; The U.S. Army reported 11 confirmed drone sightings over the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.
<h5>How Are These Drones Operating in the Shadows?</h5>
Well, the simple answer is that drones are everywhere. Hobbyists, researchers, first responders, and enemies can purchase and deploy drones for just a few thousand dollars each&mdash;or less. In addition, savvy tech operators can modify drones to fly at high&mdash;or even low&mdash;altitudes that can't be easily tracked by NORAD or the FAA.
"If you can't detect them, and track them, and identify if they're potentially a civilian airplane, then it's really challenging," VanHerck explained to 60 Minutes.
<div hidden=""><img src="&quot;https://beacon-iad3.rubiconproject.com/beacon/d/a193f9fe-ea4a-4e7b-9324-a4712f595e65?oo=0&amp;accountId=10970&amp;siteId=570098&amp;zoneId=3603514&amp;sizeId=2&amp;e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quot;" alt="&quot;&quot;" width="&quot;1&quot;" height="&quot;1&quot;" border="&quot;0&quot;" /></div>
<h5>Can We Fight Them?</h5>
That's not an easy question to answer.
Although shooting down unauthorized drones seems to be a quick and easy defense, according to VanHerck, that is hardly the safest way to dispose of the threats.
"People calling for 'shooting them down' over very populated areas need to understand that a fighter, or a land-based missile, or a missile off of a ship, is going to accelerate to two to four times the speed of sound and have large exploding titanium rods that come out of the warhead at thousands of feet per second," he told 60 Minutes. "So that's not safe, either."
In addition to the concern of dangerous debris possibly weighing hundreds of pounds from both a defensive missile and a unknown drone, there's the question of which organization would give the A.O.K. to shoot down the drones. The location of the incident could point to an entity, but even then, is the shoot-down order authorized by the FAA, FBI, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, or another office?
Even an attempt to jam the control frequency used by a suspicious has a downside, as knocking out the 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz frequencies used by most commercial drones could also take down Wi-Fi, various wireless networks, and other systems in the area of the incursion.
"If you jam those frequencies, and they reside in a spectrum that may be for TV, or transportation such as airplanes, then you're going to have interference with those," said VanHerck. "And that's the concern about using the electromagnetic spectrum."
<h5>Future Tech</h5>
Obviously, the military sees potentially damaging drone swarms as a threat&mdash;especially if they continue to be secret flyers&mdash;and it is working with the tech and drone industries to devise better defenses.
"We are working to have several pre-positioned tech at various parts of the country, where we could rapidly respond not only with the equipment, but with the authority to operate that equipment to defeat that incursion," said Gen. Gregory Guillot, the current commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM. "That's my goal, and we are well on our way."
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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60 Minutes Reports on Dangers of Drone Swarms

13 March 2025
The Miami Beach Police Department is cracking down on rowdy revelers and other troublemakers during the March Spring Break season. But the move to keep the public and partiers safe is not enacted solely by putting more officers in place. The police efforts are being enhanced by an eye in the sky.&nbsp;
Part of a $2 million dollar investment funded partially by a general obligation bond approved by voters, the department is launching a Skydio X10 drone as a "first responder." as well as a&nbsp;Real Time Intelligence Center for monitoring data. This is the first such system in Florida, and one of only five initiatives across America to implement the Skydio X10 as a comprehensive "drone as first responder" program.
&ldquo;Miami Beach is at the forefront of pioneering technology to revolutionize public safety,&rdquo; said Mayor Steven Meiner. &ldquo;The Real Time Intelligence Center and Drone as a First Responder Program equip our police department with exceptional tools, ensuring swift and decisive action to protect our community.&rdquo;
The Real Time Intelligence Center will serve as the nerve center for all of the surveillance and intelligence operations of the Miami Beach Police Department&mdash;which include the Skydio X10 drone that delivers aerial video to officers, data from approxiomately 850 cameras, 30 license plate readers, social media threat monitoring, and a marine radar system that tracks activity along the coast.
&ldquo;A call goes out and the drone is remotely deployed," said Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones. "That drone actually gets to the scene of the crime prior to police officers getting there. This initiative places Miami Beach at the forefront of public safety and innovation, and enforces our commitment to leverage technology to protect our city and its residents.&rdquo;
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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Miami Beach Police Deploy Drones During Spring Break

12 March 2025
The new seasons of The Last of Us and various The Walking Dead spinoffs are set to hit screens soon, but there was a time not so long ago when dystopian landscapes brought sci-fi influenced angst into the real world.&nbsp;
While the entire planet would rather forget the COVID debacle, it happened to everyone, and drones where on the scene to capure the eerie stillness of a population avoiding physical contact&mdash;mostly emptying outdoor spaces, office buildings, stores, clubs, arenas, and more.
This scene has filmed at Boston University&rsquo;s Charles River Campus on April 23, 2020 from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm by Above Summit Aerial + Video Production with a DJI Inspire 2 drone and X7 camera. The footage shows a desolate cityscape devoid of packed sidewalks and bike lanes, buses, trolleys, cars, and other evidence of "normal life."
<h5>Experience the Quiet</h5>
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Remembering the Zombie Apocalypse

11 March 2025
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/BL1Xkcjj0VrcPfebJT9xYlGbzAVq8gztw7KZuyli.jpg" alt="" width="120" height="164" />
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/jason-sherblom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Jason G. Sherblom</a>
My name is Jason Sherblom. I am 47 years old and the father of three children. After moving to Florida from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2024, I began driving from place to place and was amazed at how flat the area is. As I continued to go to various parts of the state, admittedly, only a small part of it so far, I started to realize the breadth of the views looking in all directions. The thought occurred to me how interesting it would be to see this from above.
I do a lot of traveling for business. While I am not as impressed as I used to be looking out the window and seeing the ground from above solely for the thrill of it, I do like to look out as I fly over familiar parts to get that birds-eye view of something I know. It is that perspective change that piques my interest, which certainly sparked my interest in drones.
Something else that contributed to my newly acquired fascination with aerial photography is all the infrastructure like communication towers and electrical transmission towers I can see from many vantage points in Florida, again as it is so flat around here. Being able to see so much of the tower, even the base in a lot of locations as it is not blocked by hills and thick trees and foliage, allowed me to discover parts of those types of infrastructure I had never seen before.
Towers have always fascinated me. The taller they are the more I was drawn to them. I believe a lot of it was fear of them. It may sound odd, yet there really was a fear of these things, a lot of it due to their sheer size and mass.
Wind turbines, what I always called windmills growing up, were really my favorites when I was younger, and in many ways still are. That is because the town I lived in constructed eight 100-foot turbines on the side of Mount Wachusett in the 1980s. The school bus route I would take each day passed right by them, within 500 or so yards. As I could not see the bottom half of the towers due to the heavy tree growth, like I mentioned earlier, I think it was that unseen part that gave birth to both my amazement at the biggest things I had seen up to that point, and the new fear that developed over what exactly was behind those trees.
The noise the turbines made at that time was also a little unnerving. It was a deep and heavy whistling noise that came in and out of ear range as the relatively short (by today&rsquo;s standards) 30-foot blades whooshed by, held together by the large center hub, as they spun around. I can still hear it even now. Over time, I managed to get up the nerve to go up to the site where these towers were anchored to their thick concrete bases. Sometimes, only a few of them would be operating but that sound was always present up there.
A few years later, one of the turbines collapsed during a bad storm. I only saw pictures of the wreckage in the newspaper and never saw any of the pieces in person. Seeing the mangled pile on the ground, even if only in the paper, increased my curiosity related to what these towers really were, now seeing for the first time that they were vulnerable and not the terrifying, invincible goliaths I once thought they were.
Being that they could collapse, which is something I had never thought was possible in those early days of my life, meant that they were susceptible to destruction. It hit home that they were things, built by man, which meant that man needed to be there to fabricate the pieces, assemble them on site, and climb higher and higher to work on them. That really did it for me as they were more &ldquo;real&rdquo; now than they had been before the collapse.
Now, fast forward a few years and I started messing around with photography. I bought a pretty nice DSLR camera in the 1990s which still used traditional rolls of film. I knew nothing else at that time, so this was fine with me. Also, it was always a thrill to drop off the rolls to be developed and experience that anticipation of how they would turn out, something that is rarely seen in today&rsquo;s fast-paced technological world. I always made sure I was back right at the time the developer said the pictures would be ready!
Some decades later, I got into digital photography. That was when I really started learning about how photography worked, a little bit anyway. I was always good with computers and managed to learn software relatively quickly. It was with editing software that I learned how to clean up the shots I had taken, making them even better.
As I progressed with learning how to edit, my novice work began to get noticed. Over time, people started asking me to bring my camera to events. My sister got married a couple of years ago and she asked me to be one of the photographers there to document the occasion. I was thrilled!
The wedding took place at the Mount Washington Hotel in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. My favorite place in the world! While I was proud to be asked to help photograph that beautiful weekend, I was especially excited to take my &ldquo;good&rdquo; camera up there as I had never done so before. The wedding was an enormous success and the several hundred pictures I ended up taking turned out mostly well, too.
In order to tie all of this together and answer the question of how I got involved with drones, that one is quite easy. I am a financial analyst by trade for a fantastic energy storage company. Over my years there, I fell in love with the company. Not only because of what we do as a company, but what I do for the company, data analysis. It is because of that love for what I do that I am always trying to learn as much as I can about other areas of the company, to really understand what my data is telling me about certain things. What is the story it is trying to relate?
One afternoon, I was walking through a mall when I was up north on business. I will say that again, yes, I was walking through a mall, a real mall, with stores on either side and a huge food court. With so much online shopping that is done nowadays, which I am not balking at as I take great advantage of that opportunity myself, I still treasure the times I can walk through a real mall or department store. Partly, maybe, out of nostalgia for those good old days of my youth.
Back to my point, as I was walking through the mall, I received a message through Microsoft Teams. Our Director of Project Management had asked one of our construction managers if he could go to a job site at some point and use his &ldquo;FAA license&rdquo; to get some drone footage of the progress. I stopped dead in my tracks and moved to the side of the aisle to get out of the flow of foot traffic to read it again.
While I had seen images of many of our job sites on the company&rsquo;s intranet page, I never stopped to think about how those pictures were taken. In today&rsquo;s online world, we see overhead images of locations all the time. However, when I read those few words, I realized there was a real need for a qualified and knowledgeable person to go out with a drone and collect those top-down images from above. I started researching that night about the FAA requirements and drone piloting.
It was not long after I began outfitting myself with a fairly good drone set up. That then led to purchasing one of my favorite pieces of technology ever, my Matterport Pro2 digital camera, which takes 360-degree photo images to create digital twins of a location. I learned about other 360-degree photo and video options and ended up starting my company, JS Media Group located here in Wildwood, Florida. I began offering virtual tour creation for real estate with my Matterport, along with aerial photography and videography with my drone. I even moved along with working on certification to conduct tower inspections with my equipment.
A new world has certainly opened up to me because of that little flying camera, and the rest is history that has not yet been written. The sky is literally the limit!
Fly safe out there!
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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Pilot Story: Jason G. Sherblom

10 March 2025
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/news/categories/brazzel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Timothy Brazzel</a>
Recently, I received an opportunity to conduct a drone operation through my union, which is associated with my employer. However, due to this being a bargaining year for contract negotiations, I will not mention the names of either organization. The operation took place during a delegates conference in Universal City, CA, from February 21-23, 2025, where I stayed at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. I was brought on to drone a union rally event scheduled for Saturday, February 22, by an administrative director who assured me that all necessary communications and approvals had been handled.
Despite the reassurance, I felt the need to verify that everything was truly in place. I approached the hotel&rsquo;s front staff to confirm their awareness of the operation. To my surprise, not only were they uninformed, but the hotel's event coordinator was also not fully briefed. After speaking with her, I discovered that the Sheraton Universal Hotel was actually owned by Universal Studios. The coordinator initially stated that Universal Studios controlled the airspace, which I respectfully corrected by explaining that, according to the FAA, they are the governing body over all airspace and that any airspace approval must go through them. However, I acknowledged that Universal Studios had jurisdiction over their property, meaning they controlled who could take off or land there.
The coordinator agreed to follow up with Universal Studios and promised to get back to me. About 30 minutes later, she called to confirm that I was cleared to fly. Notably, although I provided my certification details, I was not required to sign any documents or provide proof of insurance, even though I had access to it.
Ultimately, effective communication played a crucial role in ensuring the successful execution of my drone operation. By taking the initiative to clarify all necessary details, I was able to secure authorization and prevent any potential disruptions, such as interference from law enforcement, security, or signal jamming. Interestingly, upon takeoff, my RC controller screen briefly went black. However, I remained calm, quickly regained connection, and completed the flight without further issues.
This experience reinforced the importance of thorough communication when planning a drone operation, especially when dealing with multiple entities that may have overlapping authority. When in doubt, always take the extra step to confirm approvals and ensure that all involved parties are on the same page.
Final thoughts: Now that both the hotel and Universal Studios are aware of who I am and what I do, this interaction may open doors for future opportunities. By maintaining professionalism and engaging in effective dialogue, I have potentially laid the groundwork for new collaborations down the road.
<h5 class="p1">Helpful Tips for Drone Operations in Complex Environments</h5>
&bull; Verify All Approvals &ndash; Even if someone assures you that everything is handled, always double-check with all relevant parties.
&bull; Communicate Clearly &ndash; Ensure all stakeholders, including event coordinators and property managers, are fully informed about your drone operation.
&bull; Understand Airspace Regulations &ndash; Be prepared to educate others about FAA airspace authority versus property jurisdiction.
&bull; Provide Credentials &ndash; Having your certification details ready can help establish credibility and trust.
&bull;&nbsp; Stay Calm Under Pressure &ndash; Technical issues can arise; remain composed and troubleshoot efficiently.
&bull; Be Proactive &ndash; If something feels uncertain, take the initiative to confirm details rather than assuming everything is set.
&bull; Build Relationships &ndash; Engaging in professional dialogue can create future opportunities and partnerships.
&bull; Have Backup Plans &ndash; Always be prepared for unexpected situations that may require adjustments to your operation.
By following these tips, drone pilots can navigate complex environments more effectively and ensure smooth operations.
<h5 class="p1">Learn More</h5>
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