HYBRID & FPV DRONES

Opening up a new world of dynamic camera movement possibilities.

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The last few years has seen a surge in FPV (First Person View)  racing drone content. These incredible devices are much smaller than the traditional drone systems we use and are flown from the point of view of the pilot, just like you’re sat in the aircraft it’s self.

This allows the drone pilot to position the aircraft much more precisely and achieve some sensational high speed shots.

Camera packages are usually smaller with these drones, ranging from stripped-down GoPro camera systems up to the RED Komodo cinema camera.

Our FPV pilots are highly skilled and have years of training allowing them to operate to the limits on every shoot.

Standard FPV drones offer a great new perspective but shots are limited, usually to a forward facing fixed mount shot. Recently, we've invested heavily in what we call Hybrid FPV Drones, these drones systems are flown just like standard FPV drones, with the pilot flying the drone through goggles, however as with a more traditional drone, have a camera and gimbal controllable by a separate camera operator giving the unique ability to get the drone into tight spots accurately and also having the ability to frame the shot perfectly. A great combination and one that's becoming ever more popular.

Equipment

We have a variety of different FPV drones in house and usually turn up to set with multiple aircraft to give the best options and flexibility on set.

Hybrid FPV Drones

The hybrid FPV systems are a truly game changing innovation to hit the aerial filming market. Allowing for super dynamic but also accurate shots in almost any environment. Payloads vary on these systems but we try to keep them as lightweight as possible with the maximum payload being something like a RED Komodo, ZCam or Freefly Ember.

We use the Ronin SC2 pro gimbal system providing reliable stable and controllable shots at very high speeds. We've tried and tested this gimbal in some of the harshest environments with exceptional results.

Flight times on these systems varies drastically depending on flying style and payload. Typically we expect to see flight times of around 5-10 minutes but this can be reduced if flying a heavy payload extremely dynamically.

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'Heavylift' FPV drones

Not your typical heavylify aircraft, but for these smaller drones we like to differentiate them in this way. These heavylift FPV drones will fly larger cinema cameras such as the RED Raptor or Arri Mini/Mini LF, they are fixed mount and incredibly fast and capable. With them being fixed mount, they are reliant on the pilot framing the shot and flying smoothly as there's no physical stabilisation of the camera system.

We use our DTC Cobham nano broadcast downlinks for these systems to give exceptional HD footage back to the ground to allow your confidence we're getting the required shots.

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Standard FPV drones

Our standard FPV drones are what you might be most familiar with when you think of FPV drones. They are smaller, typically just 5 inches across and carry a much smaller payload, something like a GoPro or DJI Action Cam or potentially a small ZCam E1. They are extremely fast and agile and like the heavylift FPV drones, have a fixed mount camera. These drones are great for flying in small spaces, through woodlands, chasing bikes or flying under boats!

We have different types of standard FPV drones, some are designed for outright speeds and agility, some are designed with safety in mind with enclosed props and even rubber bumpers. The best way to evaluate what you might require is to have a chat with one of our in house pilots, talk through what you're looking to achieve and we can offer the best advice. It might be you need a variety of different systems to achieve your end result.

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Micro FPV drones

Our micro FPV drones are still vitally important to our work. To comply with new EU regulation regarding open category drone operations, we operate micro FPV drones weighing less thsn 250g. This means there's very few restrictions on where they can be flown across the UK and Europe. We're able to fly these systems over people, buildings and vehicles not under our direct control. This is due to their micro size and weight. They are also designed to be super safe, with small enclosed propellors and stripped out GoPro camera to get the weight down to the bare minimum.

If you're looking at achieving breathtaking building drop shots, flying over things that normally wouldn't be possible or simply trying to replicate 'that bowling alley shot' then these micro drones are the perfect tools for the job.