What Clinton Township businesses film from the air
Clinton Township’s commercial core runs along Hall Road, where the Mall at Partridge Creek, Macomb Community College’s Center Campus, the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, restaurants and medical offices sit within a few miles of one another. Aerials there show leasing prospects how a site connects to M-59, where the parking is and what sits next door. Farther south and east, Gratiot Avenue and Groesbeck Highway carry commercial and light industrial property, and the Clinton River’s branches wind through residential neighborhoods where a riverfront lot sells on the view.
Selfridge airspace shapes most shoots
We checked the FAA’s Class Airspace, UAS facility map and national security layers across the township. Selfridge Air National Guard Base (MTC), in neighboring Harrison Township, has Class D airspace from the surface to 3,100 feet MSL, and about half of Clinton Township falls inside it. Its western edge runs diagonally, from the township’s northern border near the Civic Center, which is just inside, to its southeast corner. The Mall at Partridge Creek, the Center Campus and Henry Ford Macomb Hospital are just outside, in Class G.
Inside the Class D, we request authorization through LAANC, and the ceiling depends on the grid. The FAA facility map allows 400 feet along the western edge, 200 to 300 feet through the middle of the township and 100 feet or 0 feet along the eastern edge near Mount Clemens. A 0-foot grid means no automatic approval at any altitude, so a project there needs a separate FAA request with real lead time. FAA data also lists Selfridge’s Class D as part-time, with hours set by NOTAM, and we file LAANC for every flight inside it regardless.
The base itself is covered by an FAA national security UAS flight restriction from the surface to 400 feet, 24 hours a day, and its boundary is about a quarter mile from the township’s eastern edge. Our Detroit drone rules guide covers how these layers fit together. Airspace changes, so we confirm every flight in B4UFLY or a LAANC app on the day.
The lake next door
Lake St. Clair Metropark, just east of the township, is the closest big waterfront location. It has a beach, a marina, an Olympic-sized pool and a 3.75-mile paved trail, according to the Metroparks. It also sits inside Selfridge’s Class D with a 100-foot ceiling, about 3 miles from the base. Metroparks Rule 28 allows drones but bars flights over bathhouses and pools and requires prior notice to the airport operator and tower within 5 miles of an airport. Commercial filming needs a permit through the park office.
Wind is the other lake factor. NOAA’s Coast Pilot says peak gusts at Selfridge have reached the 60-knot range in spring and late fall, with northerly and northwesterly winds common there in the morning and southeasterlies common on spring and summer afternoons. Calm mornings are usually the best window for waterfront work.
Light and seasons
Late spring through early fall gives green lawns and busy retail lots. Along the Clinton River, October color adds interest to residential listings. Low winter sun can work for commercial rooftops on clear days, though cold shortens flight time.
Planning a Clinton Township shoot
Send the address and what you need. We check which Selfridge grid it falls in, whether LAANC can approve the altitude the shot needs and who controls the launch site before we quote. See our Detroit drone photography services, real estate drone photography, or contact us to start.