Drone Company San Diego, operated by Redideo Studio, has received an Operations Over People waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The waiver allows Drone Co SD to perform certain commercial drone flights over people who aren’t directly involved in the operation.
This provides more flexibility when capturing aerial photography and video at events, outdoor venues, and active commercial locations where people may be present.
Why Is an FAA Waiver Needed?
Standard FAA drone regulations don’t allow every drone or pilot to fly over people.
Operators must meet specific requirements or receive an FAA waiver after showing that these flights can be performed safely.
Without the proper approval, a drone pilot may need to keep the flight path completely away from guests, pedestrians, employees, and other people. This can limit aerial event coverage and commercial video production in busy locations.
Drone Services That Can Benefit From the Waiver
The waiver may help with:
- Outdoor event drone photography
- Aerial event videography
- Corporate events and company gatherings
- Weddings and private celebrations
- Grand openings and brand activations
- Hotel, resort, and outdoor venue marketing
- Commercial video production with people on location
- Festivals and community events with advance venue coordination
What the Waiver Does Not Include
This isn’t unlimited permission to fly anywhere or over any crowd.
- Fly over people inside moving vehicles
- Fly over large public gatherings without the required venue or event coordination
- Fly in controlled airspace without separate FAA authorization
- Ignore temporary flight restrictions, local laws, venue rules, or property restrictions
- Conduct a flight when the location or conditions don’t meet the waiver’s safety requirements
How We Practice Safe Drone Flights
Receiving a waiver doesn’t mean safety rules no longer apply.
It means Drone Co SD has established additional procedures for reducing risk during flights over people.
Before each operation, we evaluate the airspace, property, pedestrian traffic, nearby vehicles, obstacles, weather, and planned flight path.
Flights conducted under the waiver also require specialized safety equipment, a visual observer, a preflight hazard checklist, and a route that minimizes the amount of time spent directly over people.
Every project is reviewed individually. If the conditions don’t support a safe flight, we won’t proceed until the risks can be properly addressed.
Planning an Event Where People Will Be Present?
Drone Co SD is located in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego and provides aerial photography and video for corporate events, weddings, brand activations, festivals, outdoor venues, and other gatherings throughout San Diego County.
We’ll review your venue, airspace, crowd size, and filming goals to determine how we can capture the footage safely and legally.
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About The Author
Daniel Travers leads Drone Company San Diego, providing expert aerial photography and videography.
As an FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot with over 20 years of digital media experience, he crafts stunning visuals that help businesses connect with their audiences.
His work includes experience with brands like iHeartMedia, Lexus, KIA, and more. Daniel holds a BFA in Photo New Media from the Kansas City Art Institute and an AAS in Graphic Communications from St. Louis Community College.