Suggestions for Phoenix b-roll and surrounding desert flying needed.

akdrone · Oct 22, 2022

In a week or so I'm heading down to Phoenix to do a week of drone video/photog. I kept driving around locally (Alaska) and I'm darned if I can find any of the local cactus. I am bringing my Mavic 3 and Avata. I have some ND filters coming for the Avata for low level flying. I have a few questions for anyone with experience in the area. I would like any specific recommendations for downtown Phoenix b-roll of the city - where to fly from or interesting city views. I understand Chase tower is in the center of the city? It is near come DJI restricted area but I'm good with getting permission. I've not checked B4UFLY yet. I don't need to fly much for the b-roll I have in mind...just a bit of panning or simple shots from 200ft or whatever of the downtown area. Any other downtown images or B-roll suggestions welcome. Secondly, I am about to do some searches for popular areas to fly around the Phoenix area for desert plants with the Avata (and some top down with Mavic3) and would appreciate any tips in that regard as well as geological formations. I'll be there a week and don't mind driving. A typical day of flying locally can involve 200mi one way so anything within a few hours distance is fair game. That probably is most of the state

. Any other tips appreciated. In the mean time I'll keep looking for local cactus but we now have 3inches of snow so...not expecting much luck on the cactus hunt hereabouts.

Lister · Oct 22, 2022

Superstition Mountains. East on AZ 88.

Starz · Oct 22, 2022

Lister said:
Superstition Mountains. East on AZ 88.

And then go farther north to Canyon Lake and maybe catch some of the bighorn sheep?

edfrombama · Oct 23, 2022

Good morning to all-

lower Salt River with its wild horses is a great place for droning, and very good desert/oasis type scenery. Superstition Mountain is very cool- good access to it, also. Canyon Lake is a very nice place also. If the road has been re-opened, driving up the Apache Trail from Tortilla Flat can be spectacular for droning.
AZ is a big, exciting location for drone videos and photo work. Good luck to you.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Dale D · Oct 23, 2022

akdrone said:
In a week or so I'm heading down to Phoenix to do a week of drone video/photog. I kept driving around locally (Alaska) and I'm darned if I can find any of the local cactus. I am bringing my Mavic 3 and Avata. I have some ND filters coming for the Avata for low level flying. I have a few questions for anyone with experience in the area. I would like any specific recommendations for downtown Phoenix b-roll of the city - where to fly from or interesting city views. I understand Chase tower is in the center of the city? It is near come DJI restricted area but I'm good with getting permission. I've not checked B4UFLY yet. I don't need to fly much for the b-roll I have in mind...just a bit of panning or simple shots from 200ft or whatever of the downtown area. Any other downtown images or B-roll suggestions welcome. Secondly, I am about to do some searches for popular areas to fly around the Phoenix area for desert plants with the Avata (and some top down with Mavic3) and would appreciate any tips in that regard as well as geological formations. I'll be there a week and don't mind driving. A typical day of flying locally can involve 200mi one way so anything within a few hours distance is fair game. That probably is most of the state . Any other tips appreciated. In the mean time I'll keep looking for local cactus but we now have 3inches of snow so...not expecting much luck on the cactus hunt hereabouts.

Maybe Anchorage has a local indoor arboretum and a special cactus room?

baristabob · Oct 23, 2022

akdrone said:
In a week or so I'm heading down to Phoenix to do a week of drone video/photog. I kept driving around locally (Alaska) and I'm darned if I can find any of the local cactus. I am bringing my Mavic 3 and Avata. I have some ND filters coming for the Avata for low level flying. I have a few questions for anyone with experience in the area. I would like any specific recommendations for downtown Phoenix b-roll of the city - where to fly from or interesting city views. I understand Chase tower is in the center of the city? It is near come DJI restricted area but I'm good with getting permission. I've not checked B4UFLY yet. I don't need to fly much for the b-roll I have in mind...just a bit of panning or simple shots from 200ft or whatever of the downtown area. Any other downtown images or B-roll suggestions welcome. Secondly, I am about to do some searches for popular areas to fly around the Phoenix area for desert plants with the Avata (and some top down with Mavic3) and would appreciate any tips in that regard as well as geological formations. I'll be there a week and don't mind driving. A typical day of flying locally can involve 200mi one way so anything within a few hours distance is fair game. That probably is most of the state . Any other tips appreciated. In the mean time I'll keep looking for local cactus but we now have 3inches of snow so...not expecting much luck on the cactus hunt hereabouts.

I am in the east valley, so partial to this side of Phx. Superstition. Mtn area up to the lake. And go out US 60 for the Salt River canyon.

akdrone · Oct 23, 2022

Dale D said:
Maybe Anchorage has a local indoor arboretum and a special cactus room?

Hah! as if

akdrone · Oct 23, 2022

baristabob said:
I am in the east valley, so partial to this side of Phx. Superstition. Mtn area up to the lake. And go out US 60 for the Salt River canyon.

Thanks. Noted!

KI5RLL · Oct 23, 2022

As you said driving a bit is okay. Tucson! Less crazy traffic. So much to fly on the way there a short drive anyway. Even before Casa Grande 1/2 way to Tucson.
1) For the Saguaro cactus clusters. It is awesome flying across the desert right at Saguaro level and weaving between them to see so much life and diversity. Doing a 360 circle film on a big one is really pretty. Many of them were here during The Revolutionary War. A native stood and looked at that same cactus before Europeans ever even arrived there. Picture it. Still there. They are ancient. If you can fly near twilight around them you are in for some wonderful sunrise or sunset shots through the cactus “forrests.” Look down and see all kinds of life. You can crawl/fly right up a hillside of them for amazing perspective.
2) For the creosote trees. Still green now. Full green bark and green wild bushy appearance. They look really nice filming from the air. Watch inside near the trunk for critters.
3) An old Titan II Missile silo and museum east of Pinal Air Park, north of I-10, which runs NW-SE here but you can look it up. Interesting view from the air. Think of The Cold War.
4) The giant old copper strip mine (see pics here.) Huge aerial photography. Stunning.
5) The center pivot irrigation circles. (Pic). Lush green circles in a harsh dry desert. In high summer, you can feel the down difference in lift over them vs. the desert floor.
6) Picacho Peak and Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. Fly them both at same time! Ostriches from air!
Climb/fly right up Picacho at 30ft AGL as high as you dare (Mavic stops your altitude at 1640ft) but you will be 30ft AGL. Then look back across the full desert floor. If really clear, you will see BOTH Phoenix and Tucson from there.
I know the area very well. Best Mexican food? Just ask. Anything else? Just ask.

akdrone · Oct 23, 2022

KI5RLL said:
As you said driving a bit is okay. Tucson! Less crazy traffic. So much to fly on the way there a short drive anyway. Even before Casa Grande 1/2 way to Tucson.
1) For the Saguaro cactus clusters. It is awesome flying across the desert right at Saguaro level and weaving between them to see so much life and diversity. Doing a 360 circle film on a big one is really pretty. Many of them were here during The Revolutionary War. A native stood and looked at that same cactus before Europeans ever even arrived there. Picture it. Still there. They are ancient. If you can fly near twilight around them you are in for some wonderful sunrise or sunset shots through the cactus “forrests.” Look down and see all kinds of life. You can crawl/fly right up a hillside of them for amazing perspective.
2) For the creosote trees. Still green now. Full green bark and green wild bushy appearance. They look really nice filming from the air. Watch inside near the trunk for critters.
3) An old Titan II Missile silo and museum east of Pinal Air Park, north of I-10, which runs NW-SE here but you can look it up. Interesting view from the air. Think of The Cold War.
4) The giant old copper strip mine (see pics here.) Huge aerial photography. Stunning.
5) The center pivot irrigation circles. (Pic). Lush green circles in a harsh dry desert. In high summer, you can feel the down difference in lift over them vs. the desert floor.
6) Picacho Peak and Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. Fly them both at same time! Ostriches from air!
Climb/fly right up Picacho at 30ft AGL as high as you dare (Mavic stops your altitude at 1640ft) but you will be 30ft AGL. Then look back across the full desert floor. If really clear, you will see BOTH Phoenix and Tucson from there.
I know the area very well. Best Mexican food? Just ask. Anything else? Just ask.

thanks for so much information! Is it that "Saguaro cactus clusters" are easily found around Tucson. Or between Phoenix and Tucson? I know their are two national parks so I have to figure the Saguaro don't know there is a park border...and is it that there are just more around Tucson than Phoenix or none of the type of cactus near Tucson are seen around Phoenix?

KI5RLL · Oct 24, 2022

akdrone said:
thanks for so much information! Is it that "Saguaro cactus clusters" are easily found around Tucson. Or between Phoenix and Tucson? I know their are two national parks so I have to figure the Saguaro don't know there is a park border...and is it that there are just more around Tucson than Phoenix or none of the type of cactus near Tucson are seen around Phoenix?

They seem to be particular to particular altitude actually, strangely. Better closer to Tucson but not all the way there necessarily. Metro Phoenix really has grown out and removed near all of them, then replanted some in artificial rows for scenery at Interstate intersections which is sacrilige to natives there.

Best seen in natural Saguaro forrest clusters where they have balanced with nature for centuries standing there. Between Phoenix and Casa Grande head east on 10 and you start seeing them. Park where you can and fly over to some. |Picacho Peak has them growing all up the slope. (Pic below.). So you can film them up aspect and down aspect. Plus Picacho and the Cogburn ostrich ranch with all its other animals too. All 3 in one.
Saguaro National Park is in Tucson (NW). They get more dense on approach.
See attached aerial pic of Picacho upslope. Sun is southeast here (morning satellite pic) and you see the finger shadows of the Saguaro pointing up and left. Other pic is a dusk or dawn shot I mentioned.
Hover closer to one and notice all the small animals living in them. From bats to lizards to birds to spiders and giant ants and other colorful bugs. One Saguaro is a centuries old ecosystem in itself. Look at the base for snake and mouse den holes. Locals can direct you to good clusters. Natural clusters not urban of course.

KI5RLL · Oct 24, 2022

Oh and if there are Saguaro, there are cholla cactii near too. Usually close by. Teddy bear cactus. Are also very photogenic and down between the Saguaro. Knee to waist high. Micro barbed tip thorns on them. The slightest touch to one and it holds onto your skin.
I say you could take 1000 awesome pics all in a 100 X 100ft area there and treasure all of them. Just flying in a 10,000 sq ft area could fill a full SD card there.
Macro and Micro photography both in the same place.

Starz · Oct 24, 2022

Any time spent wandering in the desert should include a comb. Best tool for cholla cactus removal. Here’s a saguaro being moved out of the way of a new house pad.

Starz · Oct 24, 2022

KI5RLL said:
some wonderful sunrise or sunset shots through the cactus

KI5RLL · Oct 24, 2022

@Starz that is total AZ! Great shot. Pure Pro. Would be an awesome wall poster.

akdrone · Oct 24, 2022

Starz said:
Any time spent wandering in the desert should include a comb. Best tool for cholla cactus removal. Here’s a saguaro being moved out of the way of a new house pad.View attachment 156243

Thanks for the tip

Starz · Oct 24, 2022

KI5RLL said:
@Starz that is total AZ! Great shot. Pure Pro. Would be an awesome wall poster.

Lucky click and timing. No pro stuff that I can claim.

akdrone · Oct 24, 2022

KI5RLL said:
Oh and if there are Saguaro, there are cholla cactii near too. Usually close by. Teddy bear cactus. Are also very photogenic and down between the Saguaro. Knee to waist high. Micro barbed tip thorns on them. The slightest touch to one and it holds onto your skin.
I say you could take 1000 awesome pics all in a 100 X 100ft area there and treasure all of them. Just flying in a 10,000 sq ft area could fill a full SD card there.
Macro and Micro photography both in the same place.

I went off the hiking path for a really good photo and learned the hard way about Cholla. I got a whole bunch of them on my socks and ankles and then on my bike gloves trying to get them out. We had no comb and it was really quite the chore to get them all out.

KI5RLL · Oct 24, 2022

akdrone said:
I went off the hiking path for a really good photo and learned the hard way about Cholla. I got a whole bunch of them on my socks and ankles and then on my bike gloves trying to get them out. We had no comb and it was really quite the chore to get them all out.

Yep that’s cholla! Always waiting for us.