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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

 

What should I look for in a Drone Service provider?
The provider is required to use FAA rated Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilots, have a thorough understanding of their drone systems hardware and software, have many hours of flight time experience, possess a liability insurance policy of at least $1M, understand and abide by all FAA regulations, have internal safety practices and procedures, have a training program for all new remote pilots, effectively communicate and comply with Sports Associations, Officials, Athletic Directors, and Coaches.  More details are provided on each topic below.

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Do we still need a press box film person?
We recommend using a press box film person to capture the sideline angle.  While the drone will likely capture all that you need to see, a side angle can be beneficial. 

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How do I manage the game schedule and Pilot point of contact?
FlyRoute uses ArbiterSports.com for all scheduling and providing teams with Pilot contact information.  Teams are expected to update their schedule changes within ArbiterSports.  Failure to update within 24 hours of the scheduled event will result in a full event fee.

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Can you integrate drone footage into our sideline replay system?
Yes, the live footage captured by the drone can feed directly to the team’s current sideline replay system via HDMI output (ie. Hudl Sideline, SportScope, SkyCoach, GameStrat etc). 

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Can you upload the footage to our teams Hudl.com account?
Yes, FlyRoute’s standard is to initiate film uploads within one hour of the end of a scheduled event. Should the opposing team be the ‘Home’ team for any game, they may receive a copy of the recorded film upon request. 

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Can FlyRoute manage our current sideline replay system?
No. FlyRoute does not currently manage and oversee third-party sideline replay systems.  Although we do train Pilots how to integrate our drone HDMI feed into the system, we do still require teams to have one point of contact that can transport, manage, and set up their own sideline replay system at each game. We recommend using a coach or equipment manager.

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Will my team miss plays during drone battery changes?
FlyRoute Pilots are trained and tested on executing a 1-minute or less battery change.  We do our absolute best to ensure that zero plays are missed. Once our batteries are 40% we look for the next best opportunity to swap drone batteries. The opportunities we look for are (in order) 1) End of quarter or timeout 2) After an extra point attempt 3) If emergent, we may utilize a special teams play to change batteries.  It is our priority to ensure we do not miss any Offense or Defense plays.

 

If both teams use FlyRoute, can we split the cost of the game with them?
No. Sideline replay systems are only compatible with one drone system, meaning, if both teams hire FlyRoute we will require two drones and two pilots.  The benefit is that with two drones we can offer both our WIDE and TIGHT views, so your team will not need to sacrifice their  drone view preference. Also, you will still have your team's dedicated pilot who will be most familiar working with your team.

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Will FlyRoute reach out to away schools to request permission to fly the drone?
Yes. FlyRoute will initiate all approval requests.  Upon flight approval, FlyRoute will provide hosting schools additional insured certificates which covers them for $1M in liability.

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What happens if there is inclement weather, or the host school denies the use of the drone?
FlyRoute has developed a “Rain or Shine guarantee”.  We have developed a weatherproof covering that we mount to your team's endzone tripod tower to ensure high quality endzone film is captured for your team.

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How Does the Drone perspective differ from a traditional camera?

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Are drones permissible, per my state association rules?
We encourage you to check with your school administrator and/or sports association to verify drones are permissible.  

 

What are the FAA regulations for flying a commercial drone?
All regulations can be found on the FAA website (https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/).  To summarize regulations most applicable to flying drones for High School athletics, FlyRoute will be compliant with the following: No flying directly above crowds or non-participants, no flights above 400 feet above ground level, all pilots will be FAA Part 107 rated drone pilots, the drone will fly within line of sight of the pilot-in-command, FAA airspace and night authorizations must be granted in advance.

What are FlyRoute’s standards for safety?
FlyRoute treats safety as a top priority.  As such, we are fully compliant with all FAA standards for safety, which are viewable at www.faa.gov/uas.  In addition, FlyRoute has developed a thorough in-house pre and post-flight checklist to ensure each pilot is adhering to the highest safety standards during all flights.  The checklist includes Day-Prior Equipment Checklists, Location Checklists, Pre-flight Checklist, Take-Off Checklist, Autonomous Flight Checklist, and Landing Checklist.

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What are FlyRoute’s standards for pilot training?
FlyRoute requires that all PIC’s (Pilot-in-Command) have obtained their FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot’s License.  Before each Drone Pilot is considered on ‘Active Pilot Status’, we require that each pilot has logged at least 10 hours of flight time on our DJI drone systems, and each pilot is tested each 24 calendar months through FlyRoute’s Drone Pilot Flight Practical.  In addition to this, FlyRoute conducts a 4-hour training course to train pilots on the DJI manufactured drone systems and standards for providing quality film.  

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Who will have access to the footage, can anyone see it?
No, this footage is strictly used by the coaching staff and kept for internal purposes. Opposing home schools may request access to the footage, as they have rights to whether the drone can fly or not.

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When will you be flying?
The drone takeoff will commence at game start.  The drone will land on the sideline or endzone periodically for battery replacement.  The landing zone will be predetermined by the Pilot in Command and will be kept secure so that non-participants will not interfere with the drone operations.

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Where will the drone be flown during the game? Will it fly over people?
Per current FAA regulations, a drone cannot be flown over non-participants of the event.  Meaning, the drone will not be flown over the audience. The FlyRoute flight path and predetermined safety area is implemented so that no audience member, player, or official will be overflown.  During the game, the drone will be flown roughly 15 yards behind the offensive line, or 60 yards behind the defensive line, and 80 feet AGL (Above Ground Level).  

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Where will the Drone Pilot be?
The drone pilot will be located on the sidelines and endzone during games, wearing a light blue safety vest (FlyRoute decal printed on the back). FlyRoute pilots will be easily identifiable so that coaches, officials, and any participants can communicate effectively to the drone pilot.

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Can you fly at night?
Yes. FlyRoute possesses the FAA authorization to fly at night and is fully compliant with their legal requirements.

 

Is the Drone Pilot an employee or contractor?
The Drone Pilot is an FlyRoute contractor. This means the schools or districts are not required to provide any workers comp, unemployment, or liability insurances etc.

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Has the Drone Pilot gone through a background check?
Yes. FlyRoute does background checks on all pilots before hiring.  These background checks are made available to districts and schools upon request.

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What is the purpose for utilizing a drone?
Coaches are keeping up with the latest technology for the benefit of their players. Teams are utilizing drones to film practices and games for critiquing purposes. The doors have been opened for a heightened level of coaching and unmatched footage to provide to college scouts and recruiters.  As a result, the level of play will increase and athletes in Colorado will be provided more opportunities to compete at higher levels.  Ultimately, utilizing drone technology in High School sports practices and games provide athletes with more opportunities that were previously unheard of.

 

Who will be flying the drone?
FlyRoute is a Professional Drone Service provider owned and operated by licensed (FAA Part 107) pilots.  Only FlyRoute owners, employees, or contractors will be flying the drone. They will be designated on the field with a blue FlyRoute safety vest.

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What drone equipment will be used? Is it reliable?
DJI Air2S is the drone currently used by FlyRoute.  DJI is the world’s largest manufacturer of consumer drone hardware and software.  It is estimated that they own 80% market share of the consumer drone market.  The reason for their dominance in the drone market is due to their unmatched reliability.  There are several components to make DJI drones safe such as: smart batteries that allow you to monitor their levels in flight, obstacle avoidance sensors on every axis to halt the drone before a collision, auto fly-home should the drone reach a critically low battery level or lose connection to the remote pilot, GPS location of the drone and remote pilot should a fly-away occur, maximum flight altitude to not interfere with air traffic, geo-fencing airspace to not allow interference with airport airspace, and many other safety features that can be found on www.dji.com.

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Are you insured?
Yes, FlyRoute is fully insured throughout the entire season for any damages that we are liable for, up to $1M.  All pilots, drones, and locations that we fly will be covered under our insurance policy.

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What if someone is injured? 
In the unlikely event that someone is injured directly due to drone operations, the occurrence will be handled through the FlyRoute insurance policy as listed above.