9am: Most people don’t realise the amount of work that goes into taking off a drone: meeting all the regulations and the cost of getting the drone in the air. It is heavily regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority – that’s a good thing for safety – and accredited, professional operators are so important.

I like to do a site check prior to filming or before an event. Every flying day is different, but mine always start with a coffee – soy latte please – then a pre-flight meeting to ensure everyone knows what’s happening during the day. I also have to complete the first stage of the regulatory paperwork – the Job Safety Analysis.

Peter Jose

Reinventing life’s flightpath

For Pete Jose, aviation isn't just a career – it's a family legacy. "I have fond childhood memories of my Dad giving me a hug as he headed off to work looking very smart in his Qantas pilot's uniform," Pete recalls. 

His father's influence went beyond inspiration. "After a career as a pilot with Qantas in the 50s and 60s, Dad piloted joy flights over Melbourne with Pete in their de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth biplane. He trained me in a vintage Tiger Moth in the early days and taught me acrobatics. It was an open cockpit, so we had the full flying helmet and goggles!"

Pete's own Qantas journey began in the late 1990s, starting as a pilot on the Dash-8  before the BAE-146 four-engine jet before progressing through the ranks to captain the Dash-8 Q400, accumulating 25 years of service with the Qantas group. Pete’s wife also shares a passion for the skies, having spent 20 years as a flight attendant at Qantas and now as a customer service manager. 

It all started with a call from Robbie at @bybob.co, an amazing videographer, to Drone Pilot Pete: "Hey Pete, how about taking off from the rooftops of the beautiful and iconic Princess Theatre, where the cast of the TINA: The Tina Turner Musical Australia national tour is performing?"

"Can this be done?"

With a love for technology, photography, and aviation, Peter "Pete" Jose turned his enthusiasm for the sky into a successful aerial photography company.

Hey Dad, this is coming from your 12-year-old son. "Since you're new to this Fliteboard sport…

Beyond the aesthetic appeal, conducting drone inspections in the area adds a crucial layer to our work. The importance of safety helps mitigate serious accident or injury

The challenge at hand? Conducting a confined space flight underground in a cheese factory. Now, that's a first for me…

A special day I won’t forget, dedicated to raising awareness made it a truly rewarding experience.