Drone Operator for Local 600 Productions Los Angeles
A non-union aerial unit that works union shows under work waivers from Local 600. How drone crews are classified under the guild agreement, and how the waiver route works on a signatory production. Request a Quote
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- Operating since 2012
- FAA Part 107 certified
- Active night waiver
- Netflix approved vendor
Where Drone Crews Sit Under the Guild Agreement
IATSE Local 600, the International Cinematographers Guild, covers camera crew on union film and television productions. Since the 2024 agreement, drone camera crews on signatory productions are covered under the applicable Local 600 contracts: the drone pilot is classified as a camera operator and the drone technician as an assistant cameraperson, with union benefits paid on the crew. Commercial production falls under a different agreement, so a union question on a spot is usually a question about the commercial contract rather than the Local 600 film and television terms.
What that means for a producer is that the aerial unit on a union show is part of the camera department on paper as well as on set. The deal memo, the classification, and the benefits are handled the way they are for any other camera position.
How We Staff a Union Production
Drone Tech Aerial is a two-pilot aerial department. Jaron Denson and Randall Berkeley have flown every credit together as pilot and camera operator since 2012, on Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, Fox Searchlight, NBC, and ABC productions. Our in-house crew is non-union.
On a Local 600 signatory show, we work under a work waiver from the local. The production tells us the show is signatory, the waiver is requested for our two-pilot crew for that job, and once it is in hand we are cleared to work in the camera department for the dates it covers.
Two things follow from that, and a producer should hear them from us before the booking rather than after:
- We do not present ourselves as Local 600 members. If the production needs guild members in the pilot and operator positions with no waiver involved, we will say so on the first call.
- The waiver needs lead time. It belongs in the first conversation, alongside the dates and the camera package, so it is moving while the permit and airspace paperwork is being written.
Either way, the airspace authorization, the plan of activities, the certificate of insurance, and the FilmLA or other permit come from us and are closed out before the call sheet goes out. The classification question and the compliance question are separate, and both get answered in prep.
Credentials
- FAA Part 107 Certified Pilots
- Night Flight Waiver Holder (active)
- $5M aircraft liability per flight
- Netflix Approved Drone Vendor
- Operating since 2012
- IMDB: nm8013961
What to Send Us Before the Booking
A union aerial booking goes faster when three things arrive with the dates:
- Whether the show is a Local 600 signatory, and under which agreement.
- Whether the production is open to a work waiver for a non-union aerial crew, and who on the production side handles the request with the local.
- The camera package. An Inspire 3 day and an Alta 8 day with the production’s own Alexa Mini are different days in crew and in cost. Our heavy lift drone operator page covers that side.
With those three answered we can start the waiver request, send the compliance package as one PDF, and get the deal memos moving.
Selected Work on Studio and Streaming Productions
Netflix: Inside Bill’s Brain
2020 Golden Globe Awards, NBC
On location with the Alta 8
Credits include Percy Jackson and the Olympians for Disney+, Unstable, Inside Bill’s Brain, Living Undocumented, and White Rabbit Project for Netflix, Based on a True Story for Peacock, and Lucy in the Sky for Fox Searchlight. How we worked as a second unit on a studio series is in how we shot background plates for Percy Jackson.
Questions producers ask
Are your drone pilots members of Local 600?
No. Drone Tech Aerial is a non-union operator. On Local 600 signatory productions we work under a work waiver obtained from the local for that job.
How does the work waiver route work?
The production confirms the show is signatory and the waiver is requested for our crew for the dates of the job. Once it is granted we work in the camera department for those dates. Raise it on the first call so the request is moving during prep.
How is a drone pilot classified under the Local 600 agreement?
As a camera operator. The drone technician is classified as an assistant cameraperson. Union film and television productions cover drone crews under the applicable Local 600 contracts and pay benefits on the positions.
Does Local 600 cover drone work on commercials?
Commercial production falls under a different agreement from the Local 600 film and television contracts. On a spot, the union question is a commercial contract question, and we staff the aerial unit the same way we would any non-signatory job unless the production asks otherwise.
Does a work waiver change who handles permits and airspace?
No. The airspace authorization, the plan of activities, the certificate of insurance, and the film permit come from Drone Tech Aerial on every job we fly, union show or not. The full stack is in our Los Angeles drone filming permit guide.
Ready to Book a Consultation?
Tell us whether the show is signatory, whether a work waiver is on the table, and what camera package the aerial is matching, and we will come back with crew and the compliance package. Request a Quote
Written by Jaron Denson, owner and aerial director of photography, FAA Part 107 remote pilot. Last updated October 8, 2026.