Shooting aerial spraying

SkyTime 3 · Jul 29, 2022

I'm doing a video on fire management, and part of that management is aerial spraying of weeds. We'd like to get my Air2s up above and off to the side to see the plane spraying big swaths of cheatgrass and Medusa Head. The location is literally in the middle of nowhere in eastern oregon, so other traffic is not an issue. Is this legal, and what are this groups thoughts?

Lister · Jul 29, 2022

Make sure you discuss your intentions with the sprayer pilot first.

dronerdave · Jul 29, 2022

You are simply responsible for your actions. It is up to you to see and avoid manned aircraft. You must factor in that the drone might lose control for a number of reasons and if you cause an incident, you are responsible. We fly fixed wing off a couple active runways and deal with aircraft nearby quite often and simply see and avoid. Many of our groups aircraft can fly at 200+MPH. It would be up to you to have enough common sense in determining what is a safe distance. At one site where crop dusters are coming and going all day long, we made contact with the company so they know we fly there and they cooperate with us. But we don't chase or get too close the aircraft.

mobilehomer · Jul 29, 2022

I imagine that you have the permission of the pilot to do this. I would add strobe to the top, just in case.

MAvic_South_Oz · Jul 29, 2022

Totally plan it with the pilot, assuming their ops are in relation to the purpose / making of the video.
Discuss the way he sprays the field.
Approach regular ?
Altitude consistent ?
Break off direction the same each pass ?

Agree on a safe direction, distance / place for you to hover, or fly parallel minimally, agreed altitude, etc.

Can you have radio contact ?
Talk it through for you to take off after watching a couple of passes, and do your thing for say two or three passes, then notify you have landed ?
I would have a spotter help you with the radio, and to get the flight timing right.