filming a large event for free

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hey guys i had some questions for you regarding what you think i should do before an event that I will be phantom filming.

there is an event i will be filming with a couple thousand people. its private and im not getting paid but i have permission from the organizer who is looking forward to seeing the footage. my main concern is protecting myself in case of an accident.

should I buy an ama membership? for liability reasons...
this place is deep in the country and far from any airports, does the 400 foot rule still apply? (according to AMA rules: c) Not fly higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator. )

what else can I do in case of an accident?
 
If you understand the possibilities as you do, why would you want to do such an event for free? If it's just a matter of wanting some footage from the event, then I suggest you run everything from your vehicle in the parking area and rely on FPV. That way all your stuff is confined to one spot, and out of the public eye.

If you on the other hand want to impress with your investment, just be prepared for the possibility of negative things to happen. When there is large crowds people tend to get out of line from pure stupidity. Example; it's spring break time all over everywhere and your at a beach flying 30ft up noticing people pointing as if they're impressed by the sudden appearance of your P2V. Then out of nowhere a smartass throws a shoe and knocks your P2V from sky and out in the water at the same time someone on a surf board wipes it out.

Overall I'm only trying to point out to be cautious at all times.

Good Luck.....
 
Migmon said:
hey guys i had some questions for you regarding what you think i should do before an event that I will be phantom filming.

there is an event i will be filming with a couple thousand people. its private and im not getting paid but i have permission from the organizer who is looking forward to seeing the footage. my main concern is protecting myself in case of an accident.

should I buy an ama membership? for liability reasons...
this place is deep in the country and far from any airports, does the 400 foot rule still apply? (according to AMA rules: c) Not fly higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator. )

what else can I do in case of an accident?

First label the drone as OBAMADRONE, then you be covered if you screw up. :)
 
WeaponsHot said:
Migmon said:
hey guys i had some questions for you regarding what you think i should do before an event that I will be phantom filming.

there is an event i will be filming with a couple thousand people. its private and im not getting paid but i have permission from the organizer who is looking forward to seeing the footage. my main concern is protecting myself in case of an accident.

should I buy an ama membership? for liability reasons...
this place is deep in the country and far from any airports, does the 400 foot rule still apply? (according to AMA rules: c) Not fly higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator. )

what else can I do in case of an accident?

First label the drone as OBAMADRONE, then you be covered if you screw up. :)

zing. :lol:
 
You might find that the AMA insurance doesn't cover you for flights over or around large numbers of people in this setting - worth checking.

I don't live in the US but personally I wouldn't fly without insurance, and even with, plan the flight to avoid overflying crowds too much at low heights. The beauty of the vision is the ability to get up high and give the big picture. Ask the organiser of he has event insurance already that would cover you if he makes you part of the"team" for insurance purposes...
 
I think you need to ask yourself why am I doing this? If its for yourself then its the same question we all ask ourselves every time we fly, how much do I want/need the image and am I prepared to accept the risk.

If its for someone else, then I would only risk my investment if they were prepared to pick up the risk. Unfortunately they can never pick up the risk of a flying accident which hurts people or property. You will be pilot in command and therefore always responsible.

If it was me and I wanted the footage then I would film the event from the outside looking in. I would not overfly the event at all. You will still end up with exceptional footage and you will mitigate the risk to a large extent. Find out if anyone is going to be using anything that could effect your Tx.

Also I would control the flight away from any guests.
 
Is that what most of you use your PV2 for? The high altitude shots? I get more of a kick from getting in close...
 
Shrimpfarmer said:
I think you need to ask yourself why am I doing this? If its for yourself then its the same question we all ask ourselves every time we fly, how much do I want/need the image and am I prepared to accept the risk.

If its for someone else, then I would only risk my investment if they were prepared to pick up the risk. Unfortunately they can never pick up the risk of a flying accident which hurts people or property. You will be pilot in command and therefore always responsible.

If it was me and I wanted the footage then I would film the event from the outside looking in. I would not overfly the event at all. You will still end up with exceptional footage and you will mitigate the risk to a large extent. Find out if anyone is going to be using anything that could effect your Tx.

Also I would control the flight away from any guests.

Agreed. Sounds like this is something they want done for fun (and for free), which always has the potential for ending bad. I'd make sure the organizer has insurance before flying over a crowd.

Landing in the water is one thing, but losing a prop or motor over a crowd is, well, no gouda.
 
I do this a bit. The 400 foot rule doesn't apply to the US. There are a few threads on it but it is only a recommendation and not a rule. See the discussion on this forum here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8945&p=84135#p84135

It is kind of a moot point because, for events, 400 feet or lower is commonly needed so you can at least see some of the things going on.

At the events I film, I am on the insurance in one form or another. If I wasn't, I would not get close to the crowds - although people will seek you out and ask to see the airplane up close and I commonly bring it down and dance in front of them a little to show it off.

Here is an example of a project I am working on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHArdbgYQV8

Even with being on the insurance, I'm careful not to place the airplane directly over a group of people. If I'm bringing it in close to something for a detail shot, I always try to spread the word that the airplane is coming in so people aren't a little freaked. I have not had problems so far.
 
Migmon said:
hey guys i had some questions for you regarding what you think i should do before an event that I will be phantom filming.

there is an event i will be filming with a couple thousand people. its private and im not getting paid but i have permission from the organizer who is looking forward to seeing the footage. my main concern is protecting myself in case of an accident.

should I buy an ama membership? for liability reasons...
this place is deep in the country and far from any airports, does the 400 foot rule still apply? (according to AMA rules: c) Not fly higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator. )

what else can I do in case of an accident?

You could call and ask this guy: ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXpIcrJRrQA
 
this is for an off road race, so ill be covering the start of the race and all the racers, as well as the giant bustling campground.... most will be low altitude shots, with some high shots to gather in just how big the event is.
 
If you need close-ups of people, why not use a conventional hand-held video cam? Save the Phantom for those high-up shots and footage you could not get otherwise.
With a well tested flight plan (they should let you test before people get there) and some distance from the crowd, all is at least in your favor.
 

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