What Grand Rapids businesses film from the air
Most aerial photography in Grand Rapids follows the river. Downtown apartment and office buildings use drone video to show how close they sit to the Grand River, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place. The Acrisure Amphitheater at 201 Market Avenue, a 12,000 seat venue according to Grand Action 2.0, has added a new riverfront subject. Up the hill, the hospitals and research buildings on Michigan Street’s Medical Mile need campus overviews for recruiting and fundraising. Across the rest of the city, manufacturers, distribution centers and retail property owners want clean site and access shots that a ground photographer cannot get.
The river itself is changing. The City of Grand Rapids broke ground in 2026 on the Grand River Restoration Lower Reach, which removes four low-head dams between I-196 and Fulton Street under a $14.56 million construction contract. The city expects the work to take about two years. For developers and property owners along the water, repeat drone video from fixed points is a straightforward way to document that change over time.
Airspace: mostly Class G under the GRR shelf
The main airport is Gerald R. Ford International (GRR), about 9 miles southeast of downtown. According to the FAA’s Class Airspace data, its Class C surface area reaches only the southeast edge of the city, around 28th Street and the East Beltline. Over downtown, the Westside, Heritage Hill, Eastown and the north end, the Class C begins at 2,000 feet above sea level, far above the 400 foot limit for drones. Below Class E at 700 feet the airspace is uncontrolled Class G, so most Grand Rapids flights need no LAANC authorization.
In the southeast corner we request LAANC for every flight. The FAA UAS facility map allows up to 400 feet there, and 0 feet over the airport. We also plan Medical Mile flights around the rooftop heliport at Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital, where medical helicopters have the right of way.
Campus, city and event rules
Grand Valley State University’s downtown Pew Campus is the main property restriction in the city center. GVSU’s drone policy bars flights over university property without prior written approval and a certificate of insurance with at least $1,000,000 per occurrence in drone liability coverage. For buildings next to campus we launch from private land and keep the flight path off GVSU property.
The City of Grand Rapids film permit page does not mention drones, but its film and photography permit applies when a shoot interrupts traffic, uses public property or affects parking. The city asks for applications at least 15 days out. ArtPrize, which runs Sept. 18 to Oct. 3 in 2026, and concert nights at the amphitheater fill downtown with crowds, and Part 107 limits flying over people. Those weeks work better for private sites outside the center.
Light, seasons and travel
Fall color along the Grand River and in Riverside Park usually arrives in October, and flights after ArtPrize ends on Oct. 3 avoid the downtown crowds. Winter gives clean skyline shots after snow. For facades, an hour after sunrise or before sunset gives the most even light.
We are based at our Detroit studio on Hunt Street, about 160 miles from Grand Rapids. Travel is part of the quote, and we can pair a Grand Rapids shoot with others nearby, such as Holland or Kalamazoo, to share the trip.
Planning a Grand Rapids shoot
Send the address, date window and deliverables. We check the FAA grid, GVSU property lines, the event calendar and landowner permission before we quote. See our Detroit drone photography services, including commercial real estate drone photography and construction progress flights, or contact us to start.