What to confirm before you book a drone team.

A good reel proves someone can fly. It does not prove they can fly your shoot legally. Commercial drone operation in the United States requires an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate. Eligibility requires the applicant to be at least 16, to read, write, speak and understand English, and to be in a physical and mental condition to operate safely. The applicant must pass the Unmanned Aircraft General–Small knowledge test and complete FAA Form 8710-13 through the IACRA system.

Ask for the certificate and put a copy in the production file. It costs the operator nothing to provide, and an operator who hesitates has told you something useful.

Airspace is where aerial days are actually lost. Authorization to operate in controlled airspace is requested through the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, delivered by companies the FAA approves as UAS Service Suppliers. In a city like Los Angeles, where controlled airspace from several airports overlaps across the basin, a meaningful share of attractive locations will need authorization before anything leaves the ground.

The failure mode is predictable: a location is approved for its look, the aerial operator is booked, and nobody checks the airspace until the shoot week. Make the airspace check a condition of locking the location, and ask the operator to state in writing which locations are clear and which need authorization.

Some operations are not available under the standard rules and require an approved waiver. The FAA identifies a set of Part 107 provisions that are subject to waiver, including operation from a moving vehicle or aircraft, operation at night, visual line of sight operation, and the visual observer requirement.

This matters at the treatment stage, not the shoot stage. If the director wants a night aerial or a shot that follows a moving vehicle, that is a lead-time conversation. An operator who says yes to every shot without mentioning waivers is either not planning or not telling you.

California's filming insurance requirements set general liability at not less than $1,000,000 for each occurrence for still photography, film, digital or new media work without automobiles. Where automobiles are used, automobile liability of $1,000,000 for each accident is required in addition.

The clause that catches producers is the aircraft one. When a drone is used, unmanned aircraft coverage of at least $2,000,000 is required in addition to the other coverage, and the specific aircraft must be listed on the certificate. For fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, aviation insurance of not less than $5,000,000 for each accident applies. Certificates must be in U.S. dollars, and permit paperwork specifies the certificate holder and the exact additional insured wording to use.

A certificate naming the wrong holder, or listing a different aircraft than the one on set, is a certificate that does not work. Request the COI early, read the aircraft line, and confirm the additional insured wording matches what the permit requires rather than assuming a standard certificate covers it.

FAA, Commercial Operators — Part 107 certification and waivable rules.

FAA, UAS Data Exchange (LAANC) and approved UAS Service Suppliers.

California Film Commission, Insurance Requirements.

This guide is general production information, not legal or insurance advice. Confirm current requirements with the FAA, your insurer and the permitting authority for your location.