Heavy lift drones
Freefly Alta 8: heavy lift for cinema cameras
Cinema's favourite cameras, in the air. The Alta 8 flies ARRI, Sony Venice and RED bodies with full cinema lenses on a custom Movi Pro, so aerials cut straight into the edit. Dual-operator crew, UK-wide and abroad.
Fly ARRI, Sony or RED
When the aerials have to match the rest of the film, the answer is to fly the same camera. The Alta 8 carries cinema cameras and lenses on a custom Movi Pro gimbal: most often an ARRI Alexa Mini or Mini LF. The colourist gets one sensor, one look and one grade, with no drone footage to disguise.
ARRI
Alexa Mini, Mini LF, Alexa 35
Sony
Venice 2, Burano, FX9, FX6
RED
V-Raptor 8K VV, V-Raptor [X], V-Raptor XE, V-Raptor XL, Komodo, Komodo-X, Monstro 8K VV, Helium, Gemini, Dragon, Epic, Weapon
Blackmagic
Cinema cameras in the same weight class
Slow motion
Freefly Ember and Pixboom Spark high-speed cameras, for slow motion from the air
If your camera, lens and accessories come in under 9.1 kg, we can almost certainly fly it.
Lenses and the Movi Pro
Lenses: with the Alta 8 and Movi Pro it's all about weight and balance. Generally we fly lenses under 1.7 kg, like Zeiss Supreme Radiance primes, Zeiss Super Speeds, ARRI Signature Primes, Cooke S4s, Tribe7 Blackwings, Atlas and Hawk V-Lite anamorphics, and short Angenieux zooms. When the lens package goes over 1.7 kg, it's time for the Alta X to step in.
Lens control: focus, iris and zoom are pulled wirelessly from the ground station, with the camera operator framing on Freefly's MIMIC and Movi Pro controller.
Our Movi Pro isn't stock. It's been rebuilt to the Ignite Digi format, which makes room for bigger cinema lenses and adds 24V power for cameras that need it, like the Sony Venice and ARRI Alexa 35.
It's the drone we reach for on cinema, drama and high-end commercials, where the DOP wants to choose the glass and the director wants grade consistency. It's the right tool for:
- Matching the A camera on feature work and TVCs.
- Focus-pulled, shallow depth of field from the air.
- Car, boat and action sequences that need a true cinema sensor.
- Commercials where the director wants every shot on the same camera.
Dual operator
Every Alta 8 shot is flown by two people. The pilot flies the aircraft and the camera operator frames on the Movi Pro using Freefly's ground station, with wireless focus, iris and zoom control from the ground.
Our camera operator is also an aerial DOP who knows ARRI, Sony and RED bodies inside out. Settings, lenses and looks are agreed with your DOP and camera team, so the drone unit works in sync with the main unit and camera department.
Dual operator
Pilot and camera operator. The standard Alta 8 crew.
Team of three
On busy days we recommend a team of three. The third crew member spots and keeps the batteries loaded and charging, so the aircraft is ready the moment you call action. Ask us about a team where that third person is a focus puller, pulling focus as well as covering batteries and spotting.
One crew, two jobs
Drone unit and B camera
Tim Boydell, who leads our Alta 8 crew, is a working DOP and camera operator as well as a drone operator, so a second unit can run aerials and ground work with a safe, experienced pair of hands.
When the aerials are done, the camera comes off the Movi Pro and into a tripod or handheld build in under 30 minutes, or stays on the Movi Pro, ready to go as a gimbal unit.
One crew, one camera package, two jobs covered. It's a rare combination, and it means your production gets cinema aerials and a second camera without paying for two separate units.
“For four years we've flown the Alta 8 across a series of commercials, matching a unique set of lenses between the drone and the main unit. Between flights, the camera comes off the drone and runs as B camera for the rest of the day, operated by Tim Boydell.”
Alta 8 or Alta X?
Both are Freefly heavy lift drones, and both fly cinema cameras. The difference is flight time and payload, with improved GPS stability on the Alta X.
Alta X lifts more and stays up longer. Choose it for the heaviest camera and lens builds, or when every minute in the air counts.
Alta 8 is the one we take abroad. It runs on standard 6S LiPo batteries, which are easy to get hold of almost anywhere. Big drone batteries can't go on a plane as luggage, so we source them locally instead of shipping them, which makes travel simpler and cheaper. It's eight rotors and folds down for transport.
Not sure which you need? Tell us the camera, the lens and the shot, and we'll advise the best package.
What Freefly built into it
Maximum payload
9.1 kg (20 lb)
Maximum takeoff weight
18.1 kg (40 lb)
Aircraft weight
6.2 kg (13.6 lb)
Motors
8 Freefly F45 direct-drive, 18 inch folding carbon props
Batteries
Two 6S LiPo packs, 22.2 V (we fly 12,000 mAh)
Flight time
Around 8 minutes with an ARRI Alexa Mini package
Size
1,325 mm across, folds to 660 mm
Operating temperature
−20°C to 45°C
Gimbal
Custom Movi Pro, below or on top for upward shots
Video link
DJI or Vaxis wireless video, SDI out at the base station
Day rates
Full crewed rates, including pilot, camera operator, Alta 8, custom Movi Pro, wireless lens control and batteries for the day.
Dual operator (pilot and camera operator)
from £2,550
Team of three (adds a spotter and battery tech, or a focus puller who covers both)
£2,900–£3,500
Drone unit plus B camera or second unit
Ask us
Our DOP flies the drone unit, then operates B camera or runs a second unit between flights.
Camera body and lenses from the production, or supplied on request. Prices exclude VAT. Day length, overtime, travel and cancellation follow our rate card.
Get the full rate card
For producers
Are you CAA authorised and insured? Yes. We hold a CAA Operational Authorisation and carry £5m drone public liability insurance. We handle the risk assessment and flight plan, can arrange landowner permissions, and share everything with your production before the shoot.
Do you handle location and airspace permissions? We can. On TV and film shoots the location team usually secures location permissions, and we work alongside them with our risk assessments and flight plans. Where there's no location team, we can arrange landowner and airspace permissions ourselves, for example near airports or in restricted airspace. We fly under a CAA Operational Authorisation (PDRA01), which allows us to work within 50 metres of people who aren't part of the shoot (30 metres for take-off and landing). For London, congested areas, or shots that need to get closer, we can fly under an Operating Safety Case (OSC) at additional cost, reducing separation to 20 metres from the public with the Alta 8.
Can you fly our camera and lenses? If the full build, with lens, motors and transmitter, is within 9.1 kg, yes. Send us the camera and lens list and we'll confirm the weight and balance before the shoot.
Can our DOP operate the camera? Yes. We can supply the pilot, the Alta 8 and the Movi Pro, with your DOP or camera operator on the controls. We'll get them set up on the hand controller before the first flight. Ask us for a quote.
How long does it take to set up? For an ARRI Alexa Mini or Mini LF with a prime, we schedule a one-hour pre-call slot before shooting to build and balance the camera. For heavier builds and 24V bodies such as the Sony Venice or Alexa 35, a prep day may be needed. Once it's pre-built, we're ready to fly about 20 minutes after arriving, with quick resets between setups.
What does the director see? A live picture from the main camera, sent down by DJI or Vaxis wireless video. The base station has SDI outputs, so we can feed video village, the director's monitor or the DIT cart directly.
Can you take it abroad? Yes. The Alta 8 is the drone we travel with, because its standard batteries can be sourced locally rather than shipped. We've filmed in more than 30 countries and often handle the local permissions ourselves.
Tell us the camera and the shot
We'll tell you straight whether it's the Alta 8, the Alta X or the Inspire 3, and what it'll cost.
Check availability