Las Vegas Drone Operator & Pilot

Bring your references, locations and delivery requirements. Jim helps shape a practical aerial plan for resort reveals, entertainment venues, film sequences, brand work and the wider Mojave landscape.

The Inspire 3 package provides a full-frame cinema platform. Single-operator and dual-crew options let you match flight and camera control to the complexity of the shot. Discuss the recording format, lens choice and post-production workflow at the briefing stage.

For a compact alternative, ask about the Mavic 3 Pro Cine. FPV coverage can add immersive fly-throughs and dynamic tracking, with crew and aircraft selected for the project.

Establishing shots, reveals, tracking and landscape plates. Send your locations, shoot dates, visual references and delivery format so we can plan the crew and camera package around the sequence.

Film, television and documentary

Aerial coverage coordinated with your director and director of photography, with RAW recording for post-production. Plan the camera movement, framing and recording workflow alongside the ground unit so the aerials fit the production.

Resorts, properties and destinations

Show a property's scale, setting and relationship to the Las Vegas Strip or surrounding desert. Resort reveals and entertainment-venue exteriors start with access, location permissions and a workable flight route.

Brands, automotive and complex tracking

Choose dual control when the shot calls for separate attention to aircraft movement and camera framing: one drone pilot and one dedicated camera operator. FPV can add a closer perspective, with the aircraft and crew selected for the location.

Jim has worked at major Strip properties and completed more than 100 Sphere operations. He served as the primary drone operator documenting Sphere's construction over multiple years. That firsthand experience informs production planning for resort exteriors, convention campaigns and Sphere sequences.

Each shoot starts with the exact property, launch site, proposed flight route and schedule. We review FAA airspace, local filming jurisdiction and ground access for that plan. Prior flights do not guarantee approval of a new operation.

Serving the Las Vegas Valley, the Strip and the surrounding Mojave landscape. Out-of-town producers can plan remotely with a shot list, references and delivery requirements; travel outside the area is quoted separately.

The DJI Inspire 3 cinema kit centers on the Zenmuse X9-8K Air full-frame camera, with Apple ProRes RAW and CinemaDNG licenses, 18mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm primes, batteries, charging and video-village monitoring. Confirm your lens, recording format, frame rate and delivery needs during pre-production.

Single operator + cinema kit: $2,195/day

The $1,400 single-operator crew plus the $795 cinema kit provides a compact setup for establishing shots, landscapes and suitable straightforward camera moves.

Dual-control crew + cinema kit: $2,995/day

The $2,200 dual crew plus the $795 cinema kit separates flight and camera control for coordinated, complex sequences. FPV coverage is quoted by project.

These are standard rates for a 10-hour production day. Additional airspace, scouting and travel fees may apply. First holds are tentative and require Jim's acceptance; confirm the final scope, quote and booking with Jim.

Area 51 Drones is led by Jim Kegley. Production experience includes direct clients Disney, CBS Sports and Nike, alongside aerial cinematography for Netflix's Don't F**k with Cats and CNN Films' The Lost Sons, hired by production company RAW London. Review the selected work for project details and hiring-company credits.

FAA Part 107 operators and $5M commercial aviation liability coverage. A certificate of insurance is available on request; discuss your production's insurance and documentation requirements with Jim.

The plan behind the shot

Read firsthand examples of how the crew works: waypoint routes and RTK at Sphere, repeatable shots for a London production company, live aerial streaming, and the on-location production motorcoach.