There are not many drone videos in existence that feature coverage of the area of Klamath Falls, which leads us to ask the question... are there any drone pilots in Klamath Falls? We're looking to connect with you about scenic locations where we can gather drone footage. Please contact us if you're out there!

Perhaps one of the most exciting and useful missions for drones in the near future will be their application in agriculture and on farms in Southern Oregon. Using ultra-high resolution cameras that see in various wavelengths (ie infrared, optical, etc.), drone operators and farmers will be able to survey large areas of land for a very low cost, and from this survey they will be able to collect and infer vast amounts of information. 

Check out this article to learn more about how drones will change the way farmers do business and potentially increase output on a very large scale.

Southern Oregon Drone serves the entire state of Oregon, but our home lies within the beautiful Rogue Valley. The Valley is host to a wide variety of natural features including lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. Additionally, the Rogue Valley is loaded with man-made scenery such as orchards, vineyards, and golf courses - perfect for all of your aerial production needs!

Do you have a production in need of aerial footage? Contact us today, or give us a call/text at 541.326.1745 and we'd love to chat with you about it!

"In the wake of the Federal Aviation Administration's decision last year to begin granting waivers for commercial use of drones, hundreds of companies nationwide have flocked to what local entrepreneurs describe as a business opportunity existing in a legal gray area."

Excerpts from the article titled "The drone age?" By Thomas Moriarty - Mail Tribune

Posted Jul. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM 

In the Rogue Valley, as elsewhere, miniature computer-controlled aircraft quickly have filled a niche in the commercial photography market, providing aerial images at costs and from angles that would be impractical using conventional aircraft.

Prices for popular quadcopter models range from around $680 for the DJI Phantom to more than $3,000 for larger, more complicated models such as the Walker Voyager 3. Cameras can range from cheaper internal models to the popular GoPro Hero action camera series, typically mounted on a stabilized gimbal for shake-free video.

Michael Carlini, who has been doing business since May under the name Southern Oregon Drone, says he relies on a Phantom for most of his work, preferring its internal camera system.

Like many drone photographers, Carlini says he got his start filming real estate for brokers. "My boss was very particular about the angles I was filming and the quality of the footage," he says. Since then, he’s filmed everything from regattas to paddleboarding tutorials on the Columbia Gorge. “I’ve filmed stock footage for people all over the country,” he says.

Carlini is a licensed pilot, a current requirement for commercial use of UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles.

To be legitimate, you need to get a Section 333 exemption from the FAA. The application process for an exemption can cost several thousand dollars and take months, and to legally use it, you still need to hold a pilot's license.

Under current FAA guidelines, recreational drone operators who fly aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds, below 400 feet and within line of sight for non-commercial purposes aren’t required to obtain a pilot’s license or exemption from the agency.

The current proposal for long-term regulations, announced by the FAA in February, would require commercial drone operators to complete a knowledge test in lieu of obtaining a pilot’s license, a scenario that doesn’t sit well with everyone in the field.

“If you’re manipulating the controls of the aircraft, you’re responsible for it,” Carlini says. “If just one of those rotors goes out, the whole thing will spiral out of control and crash.”

Bern Case, director of the Medford airport, says the FAA considers the five miles around the airport as Class D airspace under direct supervision of air traffic control.

So far, he says, pilots of manned aircraft operating out of the airport haven’t reported any major conflicts with drones in their airspace. “We’ve been fortunate in that regard,” he says. “I think drones are here to stay."

Conflicts with other aircraft aren't the only potential issues posed by drone use. In June, a 25-year-old woman was knocked unconscious when a drone plummeted from the sky during the Seattle Pride Parade. Earlier that month, the British Daily Mail newspaper reported that a famous cathedral in Milan, Italy, was damaged when a group of tourists accidentally crashed a drone into its roof. Locally, the Mail Tribune has received dozens of letters from readers concerned about neighbors flying drones over their homes and yards.

Where drones conflict with existing property and privacy laws is a legal area whose boundaries are still being defined. Local law enforcement officers have said that unless the drones are being operated in a way that directly endangers another person, such as being recklessly flown into automobile traffic, there aren’t any criminal charges that can be filed. While the FAA can impose civil penalties on drone pilots violating its regulations, any federal criminal actions have to be investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

State law does provide civil protections for homeowners who feel their privacy is being invaded by the tiny aircraft. House Bill 2710, passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2010, allows property owners to pursue legal action against drone pilots who fly their aircraft less than 400 feet over private land without permission.

The law requires that the property owner notify the drone pilot of his wishes prior to pursuing a lawsuit, which could recover any damages resulting from future trespass and create an injunction against further flights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at tmoriarty@mailtribune.com. Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty.

If you have been paying attention to the news outside of Oregon, you may have heard stories of drones being flown over or within close proximity to wildland fires. While this may seem harmless, the reality is that firefighting aircraft have been forced to abort their current missions and dump their fire retardant so that they could return and land within legal landing weight conditions. This wasted thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money and allowed the fires to spread further, putting ground crews at greater risk.

Here is one of the recent stories


Oregon Drone pilots should take special care to avoid flying anywhere that may conflict with air traffic. Please fly no closer than 5 miles to the nearest airport.

Looking for aerial drone photography in Brookings, Oregon? Southern Oregon Drone has you covered!

Give us a call at 541.326.1745 or shoot us an email to learn more.

Sunset near that harbor in Brookings, Oregon 

The Auburn Fire Department utilized a drone on Tuesday to help assist in a swift water rescue involving two boy stranded on a rock near Mechanic Falls.

The boys became trapped on a rock in the middle the river while trying to tube in the fast-moving water, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

One of the boys had a life jacket, the other did not.

So, Chief Frank Roma rigged the drone to carry a line out to the young man who wasn’t wearing a vest, according to local TV station WMTW.

“I was able to take the drone out to him, lower it down to his level,” Roma told the station. “He was able to disconnect it and get the life vest on and then I was able to get the drone back up as an aerial observation.”

Both boys were safely rescued.

The chief has already received calls from fire departments across the county asking about the drone, he told the station.


Source: KTLA 5