Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Morris and Jillen Lippincott.
Paul and Jillen, please share your story with us.
I have been a commercial photographer in South Florida for more than 30 years. One of my specialties is very high quality aerial photography for the marketing of high-end real estate, especially condos. Until the advent of UAVs (drones), this work had to be done from helicopters. Our customers started asking for prospective views from apartments that didn’t yet exist. Shooting from a helicopter could go only so far and so drones became a new tool for capturing images from locations a helicopter simply could not go.
Once drones emerged onto the scene, I looked for an operator who had the equipment I require and who was capable of the precision flying necessary. Hagen Rottke, a young, east German émigré, fit the bill. Hagen grew up building remote controlled aircraft of all types and had obtained a degree in electrical engineering. He’d been building and flying drones since their inception.
We teamed up along with my wife, Jillen, to form Miami Aerial, LLC.
Miami Aerial is a drone aircraft company who has our own clients and we also contracts to outside producers to work on independent projects of all kinds. We’ve utilized our aircraft for projects ranging from feature films to industrial and agriculture inspections, advertising and promotions, still and motion capture.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has not been smooth. Issues include:
– The nature of the rapidly changing technology. Our tools become obsolete quickly and it’s difficult to amortize the cost of new equipment before it becomes out-of-date.
– The lack of, slow pace of, and changing nature of federal and local regulations. The current regulations are a moving target and when one regulation is met, a new one pops up or there’s some local government decree to fulfill, driving costs up.
– Client education. There is the perception amongst our clients that drones can do everything and are inexpensive to operate. Drones are a tool that, like all tools, have limitations. There’s flight time, battery life, payload limitations, and other factors.
Clients are also unaware of flight restrictions, permits and licensing necessary to operate drones commercially and liability and hull insurance issues. Like any tool, drones have a “best use” – they’re appropriate for some uses and not for others. Pricing is situational depending on the aircraft we fly, number of crew required to fly a particular drone, and production costs like permits, insurance, and travel.
– Public perception. Some in the general public see drones as “bad”. There’s a public fear of spying or peeping. We’ve had incidents when, on a job location, a member of the public has call the police. We do not operate without the permission of the property owner and/or the proper permits and insurance in place, however that doesn’t stop the public from interfering.
– Lack of cohesion in the drone community. Novices in the drone operator arena, with the lack of business acumen, are causing downward pricing pressure. Some operators are unlicensed, uninsured and ill-educated the need to account for post-production hours in their fees. Attempts to reach out to inform operators have been rebuffed.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Miami Aerial is best known for excellence in aerial still and motion image capture. With over 30 years’ experience in this field, we can get to the heart of what a client’s needs are even if they are not sure themselves. Miami Aerial is able to deliver the imagery that supports our client’s vision. We are image creators first – drones are a tool in our toolbox.
Additionally, we have branched out to the industrial and agricultural inspection realm. Utilizing specialized image capture and data evaluation apps, we’re assisting farmers in the optimization of crop yield and providing utilities with faster and safer pole and line inspections. We expect this sector of drone use to expand quickly as automation advances and flight times increase.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The amount of opportunities for the use of drones is sizable, however the multiple controlled air spaces within the south Florida area provides a challenge, under the current regulations, of operating legally.
Miami Aerial has taken the time to obtain the special Certificates of Authorization necessary to operate within these zones, but flight altitude and area is limited by FAA regulations.
Additionally, the City of Miami, in which our office is located, did not make establishing the office easy or inexpensive with many return trips and long wait times at Building and Zoning, Water and Sewer, and other municipal offices to receive our Certificate of Occupancy and business license. Ideally, this should be a one stop procedure – a single visit to the NET office with follow up inspections by the different departments.
Pricing:
- Pricing is situational and can range from a low of $800 for a single operator aircraft to many thousands for multi-day, multi-member crew flight ops.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.miamiaerial.com
- Phone: 305-795-6123
- Email: info@miamiaerial.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiamiAerial/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Large dramatic thunder cloud covers the city of Miami at sunset.
Aerail view of 755 Mashta Point waterfront residential home, Key Biscayne, Miami
Image Credit:
Miami Aerial, LLC
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