Month: November 2015

Since unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly called drones, burst onto the market in the early 2000s, it’s become easier than ever for amateurs and professionals to capture powerful video and photo images from a bird’s-eye-view. CEO Mike Pruett has been interested in RC technology for many years, and he purchased MLT Group’s first quadcopter in 2013.

Quadcopters and other UAVs offer three major benefits for aerial videography:

• Safety: No need to carry crew or passengers nor do it require flammable fuels
• Cost: Provide the same breath-taking aerial views as traditional planes or helicopters at a fraction of the cost
• Use at Lower Altitudes: Can hover quite close to the ground while larger aircraft require special permissions to fly below 1,000ft and 500ft in populated and unpopulated areas, respectively

For these reasons, more and more people have been experimenting with quadcopters and other UAVs, and the technology has becomes quite the media buzzword in recent years. Now that buzz has reached the Department of Transportation, which has decided to begin implementing mandatory registration of drones starting in December. This means that many commercial drone operators may come into conflict with the FAA restrictions registration unless they have an exemption. MLT Group is the only video production company in Rochester, MN that possesses such an exemption.

Just recently, our videography team used quadcopters to capture footage for promotional video for McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing and to film a commercial for the local business Virgil’s Auto Clinic. They’ve also been recording the construction process of the new Rochester Civic Center. These are just a few examples of how aerial drone vehicles can be used commercially, and MLT Group’s Section 333 exemption gives our videography team permission to also use quad-copters for:

• Training videos
• Structure inspections
• Real estate and land surveys
• Search and rescue missions

Given that aerial drone vehicles are so versatile and are becoming increasingly affordable, they are likely to become more and more widely used commercially by a wide range of industry professionals. However, don’t expect to see UAVs flying all over Rochester anytime soon.

The exemption process is a time-consuming and complicated process. It took 8 months and an attorney’s help for MLT Group to receive our Section 333 exemption status. While the FAA’s new registration requirements for drone may help normalize the use of drones, they probably won’t make the process operating commercial drones legally any easier for those who are new to UAV videography.

MLT Group is excited about the future of aerial videography and is proud to offer our clients high-quality video from unique perspectives at affordable prices. If you want to take your next promotional video or TV commercial to the skies, contact MLT Group and ask about our aerial video services!