Special Event Permit to fly my drone???

[jtcfilms]

Hey all, just wanted to get some conversation rolling around what I heard from an event planner in South Florida (South Beach Miami to be specific) this week. So I have a video job filming an engagement proposal on Friday night at a rented out top floor of hotel on the beach. When asking the hotel (that has strict picture policy already) if I could fly the drone for a couple of minutes to get some shots of the couple, they said:

"The city requires a special event film permit and the operator needs to have an FAA license."

-I personally have never heard of a "special event film permit," however I am licensed under Part 107.
So, does this mean I need to do something else for an event permit? Has anyone ever heard of this???
I assumed I would just have to contact air traffic control to get permission as it is - and no the hotel is NOT within 5 miles of a major airport, however the B4UFly app is showing tons of little helipads around.

If anyone has a process they use to assure they are not breaking any rules before flying, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks all and happy flying!

 

[lisadoc]

"The city requires a special event film permit and the operator needs to have an FAA license."

-I personally have never heard of a "special event film permit," however I am licensed under Part 107.
So, does this mean I need to do something else for an event permit? Has anyone ever heard of this???

This is quite common for cities that deal with a lot of film production (like Miami Beach for instance) and so "get a film permit" is the standard response for most people when they think about filming anything in town for commercial purposes. However, these types of permits are only generally required when you meet certain circumstances like: it's a public event open to all, it takes place on city-owned property (a park, etc), it requires the use of city services, or it is going to block/impact traffic in some manner.

A quick Google search found similar requirements for Miami Beach : Film & Print @ City of Miami Beach

Since your event is on private property and won't affect traffic or use city services (unless city cops are required), I don't suspect that such a permit would be required. (Consult your attorney if in doubt). I suspect that it's a standard response of the hotel and that as long as you have your 107, permission of the hotel, and the people involved, you should be fine. Not sure what you would do if the hotel predicated their permission on getting a permit from the city. I doubt that the city would even give you a permit, since you don't need one or fulfill the requirements to need one.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I live in Colorado and recently did some stills in the town of Golden. This is from their website;

DO I NEED A FILM PERMIT?

You will NOT need a film permit if ALLof the following is true:

• Production Budget is less than $10,000
• Cast and Crew total is less than 5 people
• No electrical generation, and no cables or wires are being run
• No lights are being set up
• Traffic control is not being used
• Pedestrian traffic on sidewalks is not obstructed
• Public parking will not be impacted
• Public right of way will not be impacted

If your production does not meet ALL of the above criteria, you will be required to obtain a film permit within 5 days of shooting.

Then it goes on to say...

"Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems or “drones” is permitted during filming, however, they must be operated in accordance with FAA rules and regulations."

I had a cop walk past me as I was completing my shoot, he didn't bat an eye as we exchanged "hellos."