Flying over minors as "participants". What is needed beyond insurance?

crlmjohnson · Mar 24, 2021

vindibona1 said:
I've been hired to film a short dance segment put on by a local (private) school. It will be performed outdoors in an open area much like a small soccer field. I already have ATC/FAA authorization to fly (as it is near an airport) and DJI has unlocked the geofence for that area. I applied for the clearance and unlocking in advance of accepting the job, knowing that clearance was essential to my taking on the project. My plan is to do some flying directly overhead much like you've seen in the old movies with the water ballet scenes, but will also be filming from the ground, which may include hand holding a drone on the ground as it has a gimbal where my DSLR does not.

Does the school, formally sponsoring, ok-ing and paying for the video automatically make their students "participants", the participant part being required as per FAA rules to fly over them? Yes, I plan on getting liability insurance for the day, the expense being covered in my contract. Are there any other things to consider (i.e. parents' consent forms?) before flying/filming?

I did a dance group at a church, with over 100 ladies. it was a 4 hours job. after editing I got the video down to 20 minutes.

Droniac · Mar 24, 2021

Rich QR said:
I would consider carrying a shrill whistle, and telling the kids that, if they hear that, they should stop the performance, look to see where the drone is, and get out of the way.

It's very unlikely to be needed, but if a hawk attacks your drone, or a prop breaks, or some other unforseen thing happens, it's good to have a plan to warn them.

Also, have your takeoff zone cordoned off and well away from the kids, so that in case of loss of communicaions, RTH will safely take the drone to a landing spot away from trouble.

I see Where You’re going with that and it’s commendable. But that’s enough red lights for the school to dissect the liability involved. What does their insurance cover? I’d be just as cautious and concerned as we all seem to be. I personally think I’d get less descript. While the school is closed is of course ideal. I make my guys wear whistles when we go backpacking. ?? It be great to see the results. Godspeed

Droniac · Mar 24, 2021

Phantomrain.org said:
Oh this is where the zoom can pay off nicely.
Cannot wait to see what you come up with.

One other thing you can do to add some spice is todo a fly through when the School is closed that will gain you some points with the kids.

have fun.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on Water.

A fly through would look EXTREMELY cool. Creative and doable. Godspeed

vindibona1 · Mar 24, 2021

crlmjohnson said:
I did a dance group at a church, with over 100 ladies. it was a 4 hours job. after editing I got the video down to 20 minutes.

Can you please share a clip or two of your project? I could use some ideas. Most of the showcase videos are landscape and points of interest.

As I understand it, the dance will last 3:13.

Ron Staats · Mar 27, 2021

Me and another guy flew our drones to film our local HS marching band. We never flew over the kids or the parents in the stands. We had one person ask about our flying. I showed him the the flight logs of the part he was concerned about a and it showed I flew between the stands and the kids over the running track. Other than that everyone was happy with the footage.

Here is just a little bit of the footage :

DieselE · Mar 29, 2021

In UK this would be permissible - you can fly over people you control. My concern would be the child release forms being explicit that a drone would be flying over their kids and thus making that parental consent an informed one based on the risk.

vindibona1 · Mar 29, 2021

DieselE said:
In UK this would be permissible - you can fly over people you control. My concern would be the child release forms being explicit that a drone would be flying over their kids and thus making that parental consent an informed one based on the risk.

I've made it known to the main sponsor that there will need to be a safety and security discussion and protocols put in place to make this happen. I'm trying to stay ahead of the curve so that all expectations are met with no disappointments- and no incidents.

DieselE · Mar 29, 2021

And that's all we can do mate. I sometimes fly close to people I control, but always warn them that if I shout a warning due to interference or loss of control they are to immediately turn their back on the drone and duck - no face cuts or bruises should ensue then. Little things can make a big difference - I have prop guards on order too.