A Colossal Challenge

PILOT REPORT

This seemed like a straight-forward mission when it was assigned to me, because it doesn’t get much more simple than aerial photography. No autonomous operations, no specialized payload, no carefully choreographed maneuvers—just four spinning propellers and a visible light camera. Having worked as a professional photographer on the ground for many years before drones were ever a thing, I enjoy the process of setting up a shot, experimenting with composition, lighting and all the rest. This mission, I thought, would be simple and fun.

Not so much, as it turns out. The actual work was enjoyable, but it was a long and circuitous path that finally brought me to it. My client for this operation was the Cascade Chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). One of 35 local AUVSI chapters worldwide, it’s a non-profit organization focused on promoting unmanned systems in Oregon and Washington, and I am a member of its board of directors.

For a promotional video about the chapter, our executive director wanted to get some aerial footage of the capitol buildings in the states we represent. Her goal was to illustrate our efforts advising the legislatures in both states, helping them make