Heavy Lift Drone Operator Los Angeles
The production’s own cinema camera, in the air, matched to the A camera. Freefly Alta 8 with Movi Pro, flown by a two-pilot crew since 2012. Request a Quote
Watch Reel
- Operating since 2012
- FAA Part 107 certified
- Active night waiver
- Netflix approved vendor
When the Aerial Has to Match the A Camera
Most aerial work in Los Angeles flies on the DJI Inspire 3, and for most shots that is the right tool. A heavy lift day is for the day the director of photography wants the aerial to grade with the rest of the show: same body, same glass, same color science. That means the production’s ARRI Alexa Mini or RED goes on the aircraft, and the aircraft has to be built to carry it.
We fly the Freefly Alta 8 with the Movi Pro gimbal and full lens control. The package carries the camera, the lens, lens motors, batteries, and an HD video downlink, with a separate remote so the 1st AC runs focus, iris, and zoom from the ground. We supply the generators, batteries, and chargers for continuous operation, a landing mat so the aircraft never launches from sand or dirt, and the crew that has flown that package before.
Credentials
- FAA Part 107 Certified Pilots
- Night Flight Waiver Holder (active)
- $5M aviation liability coverage for your production, certificate of insurance before the first call
- Netflix Approved Drone Vendor
- Operating since 2012
- IMDB: nm8013961
Selected Heavy Lift Work
Alta 8 with ARRI Alexa Mini
Yves Saint Laurent Libre with Dua Lipa: Alexa Mini and vintage Panavision glass at the Grand Canyon
On location: Alta 8 with RED
Alta 8 at sunset
What a Heavy Lift Day Looks Like
The camera arrives before the shoot. We do not own an Alexa Mini. Production rents the camera and hands it to us days ahead, and we tech the full build in the shop: balance, lens motors, power, downlink, every connector. The first flight on set is never the first time the package has flown.
Everything on the aircraft earns its weight. A cinema package puts the Alta 8 near its limit, and the build is planned to the pound. No accessory the shot does not need, and a lens choice that respects the number. Payload also falls with altitude and heat, so a package that flies comfortably at the coast on a cool morning is a different proposition at a high desert location in August. The flight time budget is built on that day’s conditions. The arithmetic is in heavy lift drones for Los Angeles film production.
The day is staffed like a camera unit. Two pilots, one flying the aircraft and one operating the camera, plus the production’s 1st AC on lens control. We report to the 1st AD on set comms and operate as an aerial department rather than a vendor: permits, airspace, insurance, and the written flight plan closed out before the call sheet goes out.
The camera package chooses the platform, and the platform changes the day. A heavy lift day is a different day from an Inspire day in crew, in gear, and in cost. In January 2023 a commercial at Willow Springs Raceway was locked as an Inspire 2 day until the DP asked, two days out, about flying a RED Komodo with Kowa primes. The Alta 8 was available, the camera would have to be in our hands the day before, and production would need to decide which day it was buying. That conversation belongs two weeks out, and it is the first one we have.
Platforms We Fly
- Freefly Alta 8 with Movi Pro. Eight rotors for redundancy, configured for the ARRI Alexa Mini and comparable RED packages with standard primes. Our heavy lift default.
- DJI Inspire 3 with Zenmuse X9-8K Air. A full-frame cinema camera on the Netflix approved camera list. For establishing shots, transitions, and coverage that does not cut directly against the A camera, it is often the right call even when the show is on Alexa. The line between the two is drawn in Inspire 3 versus Alta 8.
- What the Alta 8 does not carry. A full Alexa 35 or Alexa Mini LF build with anamorphic glass is more than the Alta 8 should lift, and we do not own a larger platform. We say so on the first call rather than after the truck arrives.
The full list of aircraft and cameras is on our gear page. The camera-match side of the decision is in choosing a drone for an ARRI Alexa Mini package.
Where Heavy Lift Earns Its Day
- Scripted and episodic work where the aerial establishing or master shot has to intercut with Alexa or RED coverage without a separate grade.
- Automotive and luxury commercials where the agency has approved a specific camera and lens package and the aerial is held to it. The YSL Libre campaign flew an Alexa Mini with vintage Panavision glass for exactly that reason.
- Crane and jib replacement on locations where a crane cannot be placed, with the aircraft held to a repeatable move.
- Helicopter replacement at altitudes and distances where a drone is safer, quieter, and faster to reset. When each one wins is in drone versus helicopter.
Questions producers ask
Do you supply the ARRI Alexa Mini or RED?
No. Production rents the camera and hands it to us days before the shoot. We tech the whole build in the shop and bring everything around the camera: the Alta 8, the Movi Pro with full lens control, the HD downlink, generators, batteries, and the crew.
How much lead time does a heavy lift day need?
More than an Inspire day. The camera has to be in our hands the day before at minimum, the plan of activities and insurance certificates need three business days from a confirmed location, and the lens list should reach us as early as possible so the build can be planned to the pound. Two weeks is comfortable.
Can the Alta 8 carry an Alexa Mini LF or an Alexa 35 with anamorphic lenses?
Not on our aircraft. The Alta 8 is configured for the Alexa Mini and comparable RED packages with standard primes. Heavier builds need a larger platform than we own, and we will tell you that on the first call so the production can plan around it.
What does the production need to budget beyond the aerial crew?
The camera rental, a 1st AC for lens control if the production is not already carrying one, and any fire safety officer the jurisdiction requires for drone work. Inside the City of Los Angeles the fire department can assign one for the length of the drone operation. Our Los Angeles drone filming permit guide covers that stack.
Do you fly heavy lift at night?
Yes. We hold an active FAA night flight waiver and carry anti-collision lighting on every night operation. Night work with a cinema package is planned in prep so the lighting plan, the airspace authorization, and the crew positions are set before the call.
Ready to Book a Consultation?
Send the camera body, the lens list, the location, and the dates, and we will tell you what flies and on what platform. Request a Quote
Written by Jaron Denson, owner and aerial director of photography, FAA Part 107 remote pilot. Last updated October 5, 2026.