Alexandria Drone Filming | Aerial Photography Request Form

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The City of Alexandria is situated within Washington, DC’s Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) based on the proximity to Reagan National Airport. Per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, “flying an unmanned aircraft within the 15-mile radius inner ring is prohibited without specific FAA authorization.”

Obtaining a waiver from the FAA for drone filming in the City of Alexandria is done on a case-by-case basis and is a lengthy process that requires at least one month for review and approvals at the local and federal levels.

Drone and helicopter/plane pilots pursuing a waiver from TSA and FAA require a letter of support from the City of Alexandria’s City Manager. Letters of support are provided on an extremely rare basis. To apply to be considered for a letter of support, details should be submitted using the Aerial Film & Photography Application Form below. Contact the Film Office Manager at [email protected] for more assistance.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure your location is in the City of Alexandria and not the area of Alexandria that is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County. Refer to our Locations & Guidelines for more information.

Resources

FAA Drone Registration
Federal Aviation Administration
DC Flight Restricted Zone
Transportation Security Administration
Visualize it: See FAA UAS Data on a Map (arcgis.com)

City of Alexandria UAS & Aerial Photography/Film Application Form

Instructions:

To be considered for a City of Alexandria government letter of support and to apply for an Alexandria Film Permit, please do the following.

Fill out the City of Alexandria’s Aerial Film & Photography Application Form
Contact the City of Alexandria Film Office at [email protected] and provide supplemental project details including, but not limited to:
- A map of your flight area that identifies your exact flight path, launch and landing locations. Maps submitted should be the same as what is used for your TSA Waiver application.
- Client letter demonstrating that your company has been hired for UAS/aerial photography or filming in the City of Alexandria
Pay the $30 request form fee online here.

General Information

First Name*:

Last Name*:

Company*:

Email*:

Phone*:

Other Phone:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Country:

Please provide a short paragraph sharing your experience as a drone operator or with aerial photography. Include examples of your past experience flying within the DC-FRZ.*:

Day of Filming Contact (Name, email and phone)*:

Project Details

Date(s) of your flight*:

Start Time*:

End Time*:

Location of Shoot (give exact street locations)*:

Name of the client, product, show you are filming for*:

Purpose of your Project*:

Please indicate why drone or aerial photography is needed for this project as opposed to other methods of photography and filming*:

Please indicate your method of filming or aerial photography:

Airplane
Helicopter
UAS (drone)

Have you contacted the TSA or FAA:

Yes No

Briefly outline your safety procedures and adherence to FAA regulations:

Describe your Equipment*:

(drone, vehicles, generator, lighting etc.)

Pilots/Crew*:

(number of people involved in your photo or film shoot)

Supplemental Materials:

Reserved Parking

Visit the City of Alexandria website for current parking reservation prices. NOTE: The submission of this information does not guarantee reserved parking. Once the application is reviewed, a separate parking permit must be submitted by the photographer/ pilot no less than 5 business days before the date of filming.

Number of Metered Spaces:

Number of Non-Metered Spaces:

Location of Each Space:

(street address or meter numbers found inside glass or signage)