FALKOR Training and proficiency Standard Operating Guideline 

Falkor Aerials strives for the highest level of service, based on experienced pilots, camera operators and 

ground personnel. With that in mind training requirements are outlined in this Standard Operating 

Guideline. Members of Falkor Flight Team may move through the levels of proficiency by getting a 

signoff of the current level, and focused instruction for the next level. 

All Pilots representing Falkor on set must be at least Technician level pilots according to this standard 

operating guideline in their approved aircraft, additionally if operating in the United States National 

Airspace must be a certified PIC (Pilot in Command) which at this time entails being a Licensed Airmen 

under the FAA Section 333 UAS exemption process.

LEVELS:

Awareness (A):

Provides the ability to safety operate around equipment, and basic knowledge of system

Must be awareness level or higher to participate in a shoot 

Operations (O):

The ability to operate equipment under nominal conditions. Can signoff awareness level

Technician (T):

The ability to operate equipment under abnormal, extreme, or unusual conditions. Can signoff 

awareness and operations level.

Specialist (S):

Specific skillset for unusual, or particularly hazardous operations.

MAIN AREAS:

General Operations

outlines knowledge requirements for equipment associated with aircraft and ground support 

equipment, and may include non-flight operations.

Pilot (of each type of craft)

FALKOR Aerials, 1074 Sunshine Canyon Drive, Boulder, Colorado. falkoraerials.com 303.249.8423
specific requirements to fly each craft, or be a part of the flight team on set or training missions.

Camera Operator

requirements to operate, or handle the camera systems associated with each craft

Flight Team Assistant

requirements to assist with the flight team on set or practice missions when not a pilot or camera 

operator.

General:

Equipment Handling

• Awareness: What each piece is and how to handle it

• Operations: Packing, unpacking, going through checklist

• Technician: Modifying/creating checklist

On set or training missions

• Awareness: Staying out of the shot, Audio protocols, Unsafe areas, role knowledge

• Operations: interacting with set personnel, who is DP, Director, DIT, Producer, AP

• Technician: Assuming aerial DP role, or other as needed, interacting with director/producer 

formally

Aerial Operations

• Awareness: Knowledge of Scout, shot compositions, setup, preflight, get the shot, landing, post 

flight log, possible dangers (radio towers, power lines, aircraft, FAA no fly zones etc), 

• Operations: Participation in scout, shot compositions, setup, preflight, getting the shot, landing, 

post flight, and discussion of possible dangers, can fill out post flight log, problem reporting, etc.

• Technician: Leading scot, composing shots, setting up, preflight, get the shot, landing, post flight 

work, and making the call with respect to possible dangers, no fly zones, etc

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Radio Use

• Awareness: Terminology, protocalls, basic radio functions (flight radios and set radios)

• Operations: Using radios (flight radios and set radios), awareness of possible radio interferance

• Technician: Setting up systems, assigning roles, handing out, collecting radios, keeping charged, 

etc. Knowledge of radio interference, hazards, and mitigation

• Specialist: Make determination based on frequency bands, and power which radios are acceptable

for use on set with aerial operations, and shutting down unacceptable radios

Pilot:

DLSR Octocopter (FK001):

• Awareness: Zero flight hour requirements: Basic knowledge of preflight, setup, tear down, 

hazard assessment, proper handling, knowledge of essential parts, and assist with 

preflight, understands flight limitations. NO FLIGHT

• Operations: 100 hour flight requirements: knows how to perform preflight, setup, tear down, 

assess readiness, take-off, landing, fill out post flight log, problem reports, fix simple issues, 

Understands camera system, vibration dampening, video transmitter etc. May fly supervised, 

with back up PIC in place at all times.

• Technician: 500 hour flight requirements: Setup RC, fix problems, can build/tear down copter for 

travel, use flight controller assistant and modify basic settings, setup camera, vibration 

dampeners, video transmitter, ground station etc. Can fly simple shoots unsupervised moving into

more complex, shoots with a Technician or higher camera operator.

• Specialist: 1000+ hour flight requirements: Built copter (or similar), can modify complex 

settings, and set system up from scratch, bind controller, replace all components, sets flight 

limitations, design and troubleshoot vibration system, camera, video transmitter, etc. May set 

personal flight limits, and fly all shoots, complex, proximity flying, hand catch/launch as needed 

and train other pilots.

Heavy Lift Octo:

• Awareness: Zero flight hour requirements: Basic knowledge of preflight, setup, tear down, hazard

assessment, proper handling, knowledge of essential parts, and assist with preflight, understands 

flight limitations. NO FLIGHT

FALKOR Aerials, 1074 Sunshine Canyon Drive, Boulder, Colorado. falkoraerials.com 303.249.8423
• Operations: 500 hour flight requirements: knows how to perform preflight, setup, tear down, 

assess readiness, take-off, landing, fill out post flight log, problem reports, fix simple issues, 

Understands camera system, vibration dampening, video transmitter etc. May fly supervised, 

with back up PIC in place at all times.

• Technician: 1000 hour flight requirements: Setup RC, fix problems, can build/tear down copter 

for travel, use flight controller assistant and modify basic settings, setup camera, vibration 

dampeners, video transmitter, ground station etc. Can fly simple shoots unsupervised moving into

more complex, shoots with a Technician or higher camera operator.

• Specialist: 3000+ hour flight requirements: Built copter (or similar), can modify complex 

settings, and set system up from scratch, bind controller, replace all components, sets flight 

limitations, design and troubleshoot vibration system, camera, video transmitter, etc. May set 

personal flight limits, and fly all shoots, complex, proximity flying, hand catch/launch as needed 

and train other pilots.

Camera Operator:

Movi (M5 or M10:

• Awareness: how to handle, proper order of transmitter power up/down, how to check battery 

level

• Operations: Balancing camera, setup and operation of video transmitter, basic knowledge of 

Freefly configurator, and modification of basic setting, converting from aerial to handheld mode, 

packing/unpacking movi, troubleshooting

• Technician: Setup of a new camera from scratch, balance, tuning, etc.

• Specialist: Modification of system, specifying new components, repairing damaged components, 

etc.

Camera:

• Awareness: Lens types, turn on/off, start/stop record, take photos, mounting hardware, camera 

safety, 

• Operations: Setting focus, frame rates, F/#s, shutter speed, basic shot composition

• Technician: Can use different lenses for different shots, make determination of frame rates, focus 

other than infinity, complex shot compostion

FALKOR Aerials, 1074 Sunshine Canyon Drive, Boulder, Colorado. falkoraerials.com 303.249.8423
• Specialist: Can specify different cameras depending on DP needs, rent/buy future cameras, knows

codecs, compressions, and cinema cameras (RED, FS7, etc)

Ground Station:

• Awareness: Turn on/off, plug in battery, check voltage, pack up/unpack

• Operations: Change channels, troubleshoot, change between connex and Triton, change monitors

• Technician: setup new system from scratch

• Specialist: Spec out future ground station upgrades, repair damaged system

Flight Team Assistant:

Battery Systems:

• Awareness: Know what batteries go to which systems, charged vs dead battery labeling, safe 

battery handling

• Operations: Charges all batteries, proper battery handling, can fly with batteries (TSA),

• Technician: knows max charge/discharge rate, and can modify charger setting to fit different 

batteries. Replaces chargers and batteries as needed.

• Specialist: Spec out future battery upgrades

Footage Handling

• Awareness: know card labeling and organization, can swap cards in camera while maintaining 

previous footage (MAY NOT FORMAT CARDS)

• Operations: Can backup footage from card to drive/computer (MAY NOT FORMAT CARDS 

WITHOUT DIRECT SUPERVISION

• Technician: Can supervise footage backup onto computer, as well as backup footage to multiple 

drives, create drive structure, and format cards as needed

• Specialist: Sets home backup system of all mobile drives, can edit and stabilize clips, and deliver 

to customer, buy new cards and drives as needed

FALKOR Aerials, 1074 Sunshine Canyon Drive, Boulder, Colorado. falkoraerials.com 303.249.8423