RAW Digital Group flies drone photography and video in Bay City, MI, with FAA Part 107 certified pilots from its Detroit studio. Published starting prices are $450 for aerial photos, $1,500 for aerial video and $2,500 for FPV fly-throughs, with travel to Bay City quoted per project.
Updated
What Bay City businesses film from the air
The Saginaw River is Bay City’s main street from above. Downtown sits on the east bank with Wenonah Park at the water, Veterans Memorial Park lines the west bank, and a string of bridges ties them together. Just south, the Uptown redevelopment is being built in phases on about 54 acres of former industrial riverfront on the east bank, according to environmental consultant AKT Peerless, which worked on the site. Riverfront apartments, offices and restaurants there need aerials that show the water, the boardwalk and the walk to downtown.
The rest of the work follows the shoreline and the river’s industry. Marinas and waterfront homes need drone video that shows docks, slips and access to Saginaw Bay. Industrial and port sites along the river want scale and logistics views for recruiting and sales. Tourism groups and event producers use the river and the bay as their backdrop, and contractors document riverfront projects with repeat flights from fixed points.
Open airspace, with water runways to the south
According to the FAA’s Class Airspace data, downtown Bay City and both riverfront parks sit under Class E airspace that starts 700 feet above ground, and Bay City State Park sits under Class E that starts at 1,200 feet. No FAA facility map covers the city, so a drone videographer flying under 400 feet needs no LAANC authorization. MBS International’s Class D is a circle about 4 nautical miles around that airport, and downtown is roughly twice that distance to the east.
The airport to watch is closer. James Clements Municipal Airport, about 3 miles south of the city, is city-owned and has no tower, and FAA records list three water runways alongside two paved ones. Floatplanes and small planes fly low around the field, so we plan south side flights with a visual observer and give way to any manned aircraft.
State park rules on Saginaw Bay
Bay City State Park, according to the Michigan DNR, has more than 1,000 feet of sandy beach and more than 2,000 acres of wetlands, woods and prairie, including Tobico Marsh, one of the largest remaining freshwater coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes. It is also one of the stricter places to fly in the area. The DNR’s Land Use Orders require written permission for commercial drone use, ban flights over occupied beaches and campgrounds, and close the Tobico Marsh refuge area to entry from September 1 to January 1 without written permission. We request DNR approval before any state park shoot.
Festivals, light and seasons
Bay City’s big riverfront events draw crowds that rule out most flight paths. The Bay City Fireworks Festival fills Veterans Memorial Park and Wenonah Park each July, and its organizers list July 1 to 3, 2027 for the next edition. Tall Ship Celebration organizers say Bay City has hosted the Great Lakes tall ship fleet on every visit since 2001 and has been named Port of the Year four times by Tall Ships America; their site still features the 2019 fleet and no next date is posted.
For business shoots, late spring through early fall gives calm water and full trees along the river. October color along the riverfront parks and the state park woods is strong, and spring and fall bring migrating birds to Tobico Marsh. Twilight flights, legal under Part 107 with anti-collision lighting, show the riverfront and downtown lit up.
Planning a Bay City shoot
Send the address, date window and what you need to deliver. We check the festival calendar, state park and landowner permissions and floatplane traffic before we send a fixed quote. See our Detroit drone photography services, including waterfront drone photography and multifamily drone video, or contact us to start.