What Clarkston businesses film from the air
Clarkston is small, under half a square mile of land by Census Bureau measure, but its setting is what draws aerial work. The town grew around the Mill Pond. The Clarkston Community Historical Society says the Clark brothers dammed the Clinton River in 1838 to power a gristmill, and the dam became Washington Street. The village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and residents voted in 1992 to incorporate as a city, according to the M-15 Pure Michigan Byway. For downtown restaurants and shops, drone video shows the pond, the historic storefronts on Main Street and the trees in one frame.
Most of the market lies in Independence Township around it. Lake homes, wooded lots and new subdivisions show better in aerial photography that shows water, frontage and privacy. Pine Knob brings both winter and summer work, with a ski hill on Sashabaw Road and an amphitheater that 313 Presents lists at 15,040 capacity. Independence Oaks, with its 68-acre Crooked Lake and the Twin Chimney Shelter that the county says is popular for weddings, is a common setting for venue and event content. The county also says Independence Oaks is the 24th site in Michigan recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network.
The Class D line through downtown
In Clarkston, controlled airspace runs through the middle of downtown. According to FAA data, Oakland County International Airport’s Class D ends near Washington Street. City Hall on Depot Road and the south end of Main Street are inside it, while the Mill Pond blocks just north are outside. We file LAANC for any flight that could cross the line.
The ceiling is generous. The FAA’s UAS facility map allows 400 feet over nearly the whole city, so most downtown shots need only a quick LAANC approval. The lower grids, 200 and 300 feet, sit along the township’s southern edge near Waterford. Pine Knob and Independence Oaks are in open Class G airspace. Deer Lake sits only about a third of a mile north of the Class D line by our measurement, so shoots on its south shore get a closer check. Any flight that needs to go above a grid’s ceiling requires a separate FAA request through DroneZone, which takes far longer than LAANC, so we plan those shots early.
Venues, parks and state land
Pine Knob Music Theatre is off limits. Its operator, 313 Presents, says drones are prohibited inside or outside the venue, including the parking lots. Oakland County Parks allows drones that follow federal and state law, but commercial photos and video in its parks need a written permit. Indian Springs Metropark in White Lake Township requires notice to airports within 5 miles under its Rule 28, and Holly State Recreation Area to the northwest is DNR land that needs written permission for commercial flights.
Light and seasons
October color over the Mill Pond and the hills around Pine Knob is the season most people ask for. Winter snow suits ski and holiday content and gives lake homes clean lines. In summer, early morning keeps boats and crowds out of frame, and Part 107 limits flying over people at concerts and events.
Planning a Clarkston shoot
Send the address, date window and what you need delivered. We check which side of the Class D line the property sits on, the facility map ceiling, park rules and the owner’s permission before we send a quote. See our Detroit drone photography services, including real estate drone photography and waterfront drone photography, or contact us to start.