Before anyone flies a drone over your club
By AJ Alibrio
A drone flyover can be the best footage your club ever owns. It can also put your property, your members and your name at risk if the wrong person is flying. Four questions will sort that out quickly.
1. Are you certified?
Commercial drone work in the United States requires an FAA remote pilot certificate under Part 107. Ask to see it. A strong camera is not the same as a licensed pilot.
2. Is the airspace cleared?
Much of South Florida sits close to airports. Flying in controlled airspace needs authorization, and a good pilot checks this days ahead, not in your parking lot.
3. Who will be under the aircraft?
The rules limit flying over people, and your members did not agree to be in a commercial. Plan flights around the tee sheet, and keep people out of frame or get their consent.
4. Do you have written permission?
Florida's Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act, section 934.50, restricts using a drone to record private property or the people on it for surveillance without written consent. A marketing flight for the property owner is a different thing, but the paperwork should still exist. Get written permission from the club, and keep the neighbors out of the shot. This is general information, not legal advice.
When to fly
The best light on a golf course lasts a short time around sunrise and sunset. Early morning also means fewer members on the course, so plan around first tee time. Ask your superintendent when the course will look its best, since mowing patterns change everything from above.
We fly under FAA Part 107 across South Florida and Connecticut. If you are planning a flyover this season, send us your course and your timing, or download the Drone Day Checklist.
What are you launching next?
Book a call. On the first one we find the gap. On the second we show you the plan and the price.