A Shot from Above
COEUR d'ALENE - As Dana Mailloux commands his carbon core Octocopter steadily upward into the sky, the machine buzzing like a bunch of menacing bees, something's wrong.
No, the contraption seems to be working perfectly. What's wrong is the big grin on Dana's face. Work was never supposed to be this much fun.
Mailloux is owner and operator/pilot, his business card proclaims him - of A Shot Above Productions. A Shot Above does just that: Using two radio-controlled model aircraft equipped with cameras, Mailloux specializes in taking aerial still photographs and video for clients wanting images of their real estate, construction projects, social events - even something as exotic as the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in southern California.
A Vietnam-era Marine and retired Long Beach, Calif. firefighter, Mailloux found business inspiration with some California friends a couple years ago. They had their own aerial photography business using radio-controlled models, and Mailloux was fascinated with one he inspected.
"I was quite impressed," he said. "I told my friend, 'I can build that. Six months later, I had this."
"This" is his carbon core Octocopter, which he flew for Press staffers on a gorgeous morning at CAMS Field, just off U.S. 41 and north of Hayden Avenue. Built from scratch, the 6.5-pound Octocopter performed flawlessly, powered by two lithium batteries and more high-tech gadgetry than you'd find in a Silicon Valley garage.
Admitting somewhat sheepishly that he's "always been handy," Mailloux said his self-made operation emphasizes ingenuity. Using the big battery on his GMC truck, he recharges the aircraft's lithium batteries as needed. He's got backups for almost everything. He's got a transmitter "that speaks to me all the time." He's got special goggles that allow him to see exactly what the camera on the aircraft sees. He's got smartphone apps to track everything he's doing and alert him when any sort of maintenance is due. And there's a key to why Mailloux built his own copter, rather than buy one made by somebody else.
"The only way to know how to fix it is to know how it's put together," he said.
Mailloux knows the rules, and he follows them. What isn't found in some rule book is covered by his personal ethics. Mailloux's aircraft never soar above the FAA-regulated 400-foot level, he said, nor do they ever leave his sight.
"I don't do surveillance," he emphasized. "For safety reasons we don't fly over crowds and for protection of our equipment we don't fly over water. These are always subject to change due to shooting sites, technology and weather."
What he does do is provide discs or flash drives of raw still photos and/or video from above for his clients. Mailloux charges $250 an hour with a minimum order of two hours. He said he requires lead time for a job of seven to 10 days, and three to five days later will deliver the raw material to his client.
During his test flight with The Press, the carbon core copter descended beautifully, landing almost exactly on a concrete square from the point it had taken off.
"She didn't crash. That's a good thing," Mailloux deadpanned.
Mailloux is known for landings that aren't just good, but great.
"They say a good landing is one you walk away from," he said. "A great landing is when you can re-use the aircraft."
An avid photographer for 40 years, Mailloux knows quality work when he sees it. He also knows his limitations.
"I'm a big kid with a flying toy and I have a professional camera," he said with a smile, "but I use professional photographers to shoot the videos and still photos. I'm the pilot."
To contact A Shot Above Productions, call Mailloux at 208-215-8058 or email him at: multirotorpilot@gmail.com
Want to see more? Visit: ashotaboveproductions.com