FAQ

+ Do you have to have a licence to fly?

Yes. All of our drone pilots (RPAS/UAV controllers) by law have to hold a current RePL (Remote Pilot License) to operate our aerial cinema drone fleet. Cinematic Motion also maintains a business ReOC (Remote Operators Certificate).

+ Can anyone fly?

No. We have many years of specialist UAV experience, and follow strict guidelines as outlined by CASA for the safety of people on the ground and in other aircraft. We hold a business UAV Operator Certificate (“UOC/ReOC/Remote Operators Certificate”) and other authorisations (i.e. Controller Certificate, exemptions and approvals for various restricted airspace zones, exemptions from the 30mtr proximity limit, etc) that allow us to conduct our work in a safe and controlled manner. For this reason we hire out our Drones together with a dedicated pilot and trained remote camera cinematographer as a package, ensuring you receive the best footage, in the safest and most cost effective manner possible.

+ How far away can you fly?

CASA has limited operations to how far away the pilot can see the drone in the air (VLOS or Visual Line Of Sight), required to determine orientation for safe and accurate control. In our experience, the limit is about 500 meters from the operator. If you wish us to fly further, we have very skilled and experienced pilots that can control the drone from a moving vehicle (chase car) in critical movement situations or from a single location for less intricate manoeuvres (jib, crane, dolly shots).

+ What is the maximum height you can fly?

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) permits drones to operate up to 122m / 400-feet above ground level. This ensures adequate separation to manned aircraft which typically must operate above 306m / 1000-feet above land and populated areas. Any operations above this boundary need to be specifically granted through an application to CASA and AirServices, these application take time and have fees associated.

+ Can you operate close to airports?

We are permitted by CASA, to operate within 3nm / 5.5km of Non-towered aerodromes which includes helipads with specific conditions and procedures. For Towered aerodromes including Sydney, Bankstown, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and other major airports we are permitted to operate outside the 3nm / 5.5km boundary without clearance from CASA. Any operations within this boundary needs to be specifically granted through an application to CASA and AirServices, these applications may take time and have fees associated depending on the specific circumstance.

If unsure of your specific requirements, give us a call and we can confirm any requirements and costs easily.

+ What is your experience?

All of our drone pilots have a minimum of 6 years experience and in excess of 10 years experience for our film and TV clients.

+ Do you offer competitive rates?

We offer competitive rates for all our work. If you find another licensed and certified operator with a lower price, let us know so we can match (if not, beat) their price.

+ Do you offer a quality guarantee?

All our work is quality guaranteed. If you do not like the work we’ve done, we’ll either re-do the work or you can have your money back. GUARANTEED.

+ Where are you located?

Our head office is based in Sydney, with offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

+ Do you have LiPo flight battery limitations like other operators?

No. Since we have physical operations in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. We do not need to transport LiPo batteries interstate for operations within these states.

+ What payloads and cameras can you carry?

We have a fleet of aircraft designed and configured for various camera payloads from the DJI X5 camera system through to high-end cinema grade packages including Arri Alexa Mini, RED Epic Dragon or Weapon and Sony FS7. All cameras produce beautifully stabilised footage by expertly tuned, trusted and film industry proven FreeFly MOVI M5 and MOVI PRO.

+ How long can you fly for?

Our smaller aircraft operate for approximately 25 minutes per flight before landing for a quick battery change through to 15 minutes for our heavy lift cinema aircraft with Arri Alexa Mini 4K or RED Epic Dragon 6K/8K.

+ Do you supply the pilot & camera operator?

Yes, we only use our own dedicated pilots and trained remote camera cinematographers. For all aircraft we use a FullHD 1080p no latency link for director and clients to view footage live from the aircraft whilst in operation. We also have a full comms system, the camera operator can be in full contact with the director during flight.

+ Do you supply the camera?

Yes. Our fleet includes the Inspire 1 and Inspire 2 with interchangeable lens. Our High-End Cinema aircraft include the Freefly ALTA 6 with A7Rii or similar and the Freefly ALTA 8 with the Arri Mini, Red Epic or similar using Zeiss Ultraprimes, Cooke Optics, Etc.

Please see the Drones and Gear page for more info.

+ Are you insured?

Yes. All our operations are covered by $20m Public Liability Insurance and workers compensation in each state we have a physical office. We also provide and follow our own Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) which is often required for risk assessments by the WH&S officer, location manager or on-site building / site manager.

+ How much does it cost to hire you?

As each job has it's own unique set of requirments, approvals and safety procedures, Please contact us directly via email, phone or the message field on the "contact us" page to discuss your needs and budget. Our standard rates are per job, half day, full day or weekly, anywhere in Australia and internationally.

+ Can I fly for you?

Yes. We receive regular requests by email and in person from persons keen to get into this exciting industry. The first step would include sending us an email to get in touch with our director who will assess your flying skills, experience, knowledge and other attributes to determine if you are a fit for our business.

+ Do you love what you do?

Absolutely! We are passionate to help Create, Engage and Inspire through stunning content and expertise. Our staff are proud to be involved with some of the most respected in their field and we are constantly learning and evolving with our partners and clients.