Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Product sources Aerial Photography ?'s

TJ, let me offer some insight from a pilot's perspective.

First, the others are right on that most pilots would likely be willing to take some shots for you if they were going to be flying in the area, especially those flying out of smaller airports who are just flying for fun.

Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) strictly limit the commercial use of an aircraft in for-profit operations such as aerial photography, so you may run into an issue if payment is involved if the pilot does have a commercial pilot certificate. My point is that some may say they won't/can't accept payment and, therefore, may not be willing. Others may be willing, so it's just hit and miss. While still a violation of the FARs, something as small as accepting a courtesy payment for taking a pic while already flying for one's own purposes is something that many pilots would likely not give a second thought to doing.

If you go with a professional outfit, expect to pay a fair amount. Most of them factor in the hourly operating cost of their plane which, depending on what they fly, can range as high as a few hundred dollars per hour. Unless they are distributing that cost amongst several clients, you may take the full brunt of their expenses in your single photo mission, so you would definitely want to be clear about that.

Another interesting possibility is to find out if any aerial mapping is being done in your area. Most of the planes that do that work are using higher end equipment that takes good high-res photos and since they are already producing that work for other clients, may be willing to give you shots of your place - assuming your place was covered on one of their runs - at a reduced rate. Examples of this type of operation are timber cruises, 911 mapping, riverbed erosion mapping, large scale land development projects, and the like. Don't know if any of that sort of stuff would be going on around your land, but it's a starting point.

Just a few thoughts to chew on. Good luck. If I lived closer, I'd be glad to do that for ya, but I don't make it to Nebraska all that often!