How to choose an aerial filming company in Bengaluru

We're an aerial filming company in Bengaluru ourselves, so read this knowing that. But these are the same checks we'd want any client to make before hiring anyone, including us.

1. Are their pilots certified, and their drones registered?

Commercial drone work in India needs drones registered on the government's Digital Sky platform and pilots holding a remote pilot certificate from a DGCA-authorised training organisation. Ask for both. A crew that can't show them is putting your shoot, and you, at risk.

2. Are they insured?

Ask whether their operations carry third-party insurance, and what it covers. On a film set, at an event or inside a venue, it's the first thing a production manager or property owner will ask about.

3. Will they check permissions for you?

Bengaluru has an unusually crowded airspace: Kempegowda International Airport, the HAL Airport, Yelahanka Air Force Station and the Jakkur aerodrome. A good crew checks your location on the official airspace map before quoting and tells you upfront if it needs extra approval. Be wary of anyone who says "no permission needed" without looking at the location.

4. Do they have the right drone for your shot?

"We have a drone" isn't enough. A one-take fly-through needs an FPV cinewhoop. A film's establishing shot needs a cinema drone like the Inspire 3. A high-speed action sequence in cinema quality needs a cinelifter. Ask what they'd use for each shot, and why. Our guide to FPV vs cinema drones explains the differences.

5. Is their showreel their own work, and recent?

Ask which projects on the reel they shot themselves, and what they flew. Look for work similar to yours: indoor FPV if you need a fly-through, chase shots if you're filming cars, film work if you're making a film.

6. Do they bring backups?

Drones crash, batteries fail and props break. A professional crew brings spare aircraft, batteries and parts, so a breakdown costs minutes, not the shoot day.

7. Can they work with your crew?

On ads and films, the drone team has to take direction from a director and DOP, fit into a call sheet and hand footage to a DIT. Ask whether they've worked on productions like yours, and whether they bring a separate camera operator for cinema drones.

8. What will they deliver, and when?

Agree the format (RAW or ProRes, resolution, frame rate), the delivery method and timing before the shoot. Ask whether they provide edited footage or only raw files.

9. Is the quote clear?

A good quote spells out the drones, crew, hours, permissions, travel and deliverables. Very low prices often leave out permissions, backups or insurance, which are the things that matter most when something goes wrong.

Red flags

• "No permission needed anywhere in Bangalore" without asking where you're filming
• No mention of insurance, or vagueness when you ask
• One drone and no backup for a full-day shoot
• A showreel made of footage they can't say they shot
• A quote that's just a day rate, with nothing about permissions, crew or delivery

Where Axiom Aerials fits

We're a Bengaluru crew flying since 2019, with cinematic FPV, Inspire 3 and Inspire 2, Mavic 4 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro and cinelifter in one team. We check every location's airspace before quoting, bring backups and work as part of your production. If you're comparing crews, ask us the same nine questions. You can get in touch here.