The Best of the USA by Drone

With offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Sarasota (Florida), Airwolf Drones is a top commercial aerial photography and videography company.  They specialize in aerial cinematography for television shows, commercials, and other highly demanding applications.  In this excellent reel, you'll see some of the highlights of their work for some of the world's top brands and television producers.  The video features footage of some iconic spots around the USA and some of the best "people" and "action" sequences we've seen anywhere.  

Multiple Drone Video of the Week Winner FrameworkFilms is a pioneer in the dronelapse technique, in which thousands of aerial photos are stitched together to create a "fast forward" view of the world.  In this outstanding reel, you'll see the highlights of their work in 2020, almost all of which was shot in the USA.  Notable locations include San Francisco; Nashville; Santa Barbara, California; Los Angeles; Denver; Minneapolis; Laguna Beach, California; the Colorado Rockies; Chicago; Paris (France); Seattle; and Atlanta. This video was a DVOY finalist in 2021. 

From the fields, to the coast, to the city this aerial reel by contributor Lyfted Media has a little bit of everything. Lyfted Media Lead Pilot and Founder Jimmy Olivero has been shooting aerial cinematography since 2007.  Through his company, he now has affiliates in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. The drone footage of the St Louis Arch, Brooklyn Bridge and New York City skyline, and other iconic sites around the great expanse of the USA are standouts in this Drone Video of the Week Winner. 

Explore the USA from above with this fantastic travel video by contributor Antonio Sasso, which combines footage from a DJI Mavic Air 2 with first person view (FPV) drone footage.  The video opens with a stunning shot of the iconic Monument Valley in southern Utah.  At around the :45 mark, you'll see Miami Beach, followed by some nice views of Fort Worth, Texas, including a dive of one of its skyscrapers.  Other highlights include an FPV fly-over of Venice Beach, California (1:05) and some aerial views of Utah's Horseshoe Canyon (1:30).    

In this video, award-winning contributor Jay Worsley created a masterpiece by brilliantly mixing astoundingly beautiful aerial footage from across the Western USA.  The two spots which get top billing are the Pacific coastline of Oregon, and southern Utah.  Brilliantly narrated, the video will take you over the enormous rocks that line the Oregon coastline as well as the spectacular formations of Moab.  It's a Finalist in the Landscapes category for the second annual Annual Drone Video Awards.

Check out the scenery of the USA's New England in this stunning 4k drone video by brand-new AirVuz contributor and pilot You Rock We Drone.  The video was shot throughout the region, which includes six states in the northeastern corner of the country.  Some of the locations featured include Newport, Rhode Island; the state of Maine; and various locations in the state of Massachusetts, including Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard, two islands which lie just to the south of Cape Cod.  

Top contributor and DVOW nominee HAYDEN KAST used a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone to create this stunning aerial look at the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  The great chain, which runs from Canada's British Columbia to New Mexico in the Southwestern USA, covers the western half of Colorado.  Colorado is in many respects the heart of the Rockies; it is home to its 30 highest peaks and 78 of its hundred highest.  The highest peak of the Rockies, Mt. Elbert (elevation: 4.4k meters above sea level or 14/4k ft.) is near the center of the state.

Top AirVuz contributor and Drone Video of the Week Finalist Victor Metron has made a name for himself with stunning dronelapse shots and other types of aerial footage from the western United States.  In this stunning piece, he combined over 20 dronelapse shots with about a dozen conventional aerial clips to create a beautiful aerial collage of the (broadly-defined) American West. The video features magnificent footage of the mountains of Utah, the Washington State coastline, Hawaii, and more.  

Head west with contributor Deniz to the golden state of California in this beautifully cinematic drone video from a trip to America's Golden State.  He traveled through its northern and southern regions to capture aerial footage of all its great features.  From the prickly cactus-filled deserts, to the famous pier of Santa Monica, to the winding roads of San Francisco, and to the waves of the Pacific, he really captured the true essence of California in this Drone Video of the Week nominee.

Top contributor Hayden Kast, recently featured on the Drone Dish, created this stunning drone video of a spot on the North American Continental Divide.  It was shot in Summit County, Colorado, which is in the north-central part of the state.  The great divide forms the border between the eastern and western watersheds of North America; everything to the east flows towards the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, everything to the west flows into the Pacific Ocean. This video was a DVOW nominee in May 2019. 

This drone video of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States won the Drone Video of the Week Contest in August, 2018.  On a road trip through the Beaver State, top contributor and pilot Javier Mora Marin and a friend captured this amazing aerial footage from some of the state's most spectacular spots.  Highlights of the video include bird's eye views of Silver Falls, God’s Thumb, Painted Hills, Smith Rock, Mount Hood, and some of the state's many lush pine tree forests. 

This drone video by top content creator and pilot Thatdroneview starts off by exploring the old Presidio military complex in San Francisco where the Golden Gate Bridge appears to float above dense Northern California fog. Shot with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro, the video then moves on to other classic Northern California spots like the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts and the Bixby Bridge on the famed Big Sur coastline.  Prepare to be amazed by the bird's eye views of some of the most iconic sights in America.  

Kansas is a USA state that lies close to the geographic center of the country.  The western part of the state (by far the majority of its overall land area) is part of the Great Plains.  Western Kansas is one of the principal wheat-growing areas of the USA; it regularly produces well over 300 million bushels of the grain on an annual basis.  Award-winning contributor Doug A used a drone to create this spectacular reel about the landscape of the Sunflower State, whose vast rolling wheatfields are the Breadbasket of America.   

Washington State is situated in the northwest corner of the United States, bordering the Canadian province of British Columbia.  The Evergreen State has some of the greatest landscape diversity of any state, with vast pine forests, towering volcanic mountain peaks, and a large desert in the eastern part of the state.  Content creator and drone pilot Explorewashingtonstate does just that with this great aerial tour of this amazing state in the northwestern corner of the continental USA.

Check out this incredible drone video from the USA state of Colorado by pilot dronevideodenver. The western state has an incredible, diverse landscape of arid deserts, river canyons, and of course the snowy Rocky Mountains that make the state such a popular destination. Some of our favorite moments in this DVOW-Nominated video include a time-lapse of Aspen’s Maroon Bells near the 2:00 and 2:30 marks, Red Cliff Bridge at 1:20, and Telluride’s Bridal Veil Falls at the 2:20 minute mark. 

The Smoky Mountain range in the United States is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn is part of the Appalachian system.  Among other distinctions, the Smoky's are home to some of the most spectacular fall scenery in the country.  The range covers parts of several  southeastern states in rolling forested mountains that turn brilliant colors from mid-September through October.  Top contributor used a drone to film these beautiful mountains in the state of Tennessee at the height of the Fall color season.    

New  AirVuz contributor Totality Films brings us this marvelous aerial tour of the great Southwestern USA state of Arizona.  The last of the "lower 48" states to be admitted to the Union (in 1912), the giant territory covers nearly 300k square km (114k square mi.).  While its population has exploded to over 7 million as of 2020, much of it remains thinly populated, and a quarter of its land area is covered by Indian reservations.  This video was chosen as a finalist for the "Best of Arizona" category at the 2019 AZDroneFest Film Festival.

Award-winning content creator and drone pilot Jay Worsley hails from Phoenix, Arizona in the Southwestern USA.  This epic aerial film showcases the beauty of the western United States, seen from the perspective of a drone.  "Perspective" was a winner at the first annual AirVuz Drone Video Awards, taking the honor in the Landscapes category.  Prepare to be mesmerized by his "Perspective" of the great American West, one of the most popular videos ever uploaded to the AirVuz online community.

Two-time Drone Video of the Week Finalist Victor Metron does it again with this fantastic aerial collage from the American West. The video opens with an epic shot of a snow-covered forest in Washington State. At about the 1:30 mark, there's an incredible timelapse shot looking over a shimmering alpine lake surrounded by mountains; it's followed by another sequence involving a different mountain lake. Other footage sequences show off the beauty of Washington's Puget Sound, the Central California coastline, and more.   

Contributor Tarcy_Vision used a DJI Mavic Air drone to create an unforgettable aerial tour of Southern Florida during Spring Break, a time of year when many of the state's beaches and cities are flooded with college students.  Although somewhat more subdued compared to its heyday in the 1970's (when the city of Fort Lauderdale was virtually synonymous with Spring Break), the Gold Coast region running from Miami to West Palm Beach is still considered one of the prime Spring Break destinations.  

The New England in the northeastern United States is known for its brilliant colors in Autumn.  Among the states of the region, Vermont is the smallest but also is blessed with thick forests.  In this video, contributor Green Mountain Drone treats us to an aerial view of Fall in the state of Vermont with footage of Groton State Forest at Kettle Pond State Park, Boulder Beach State Park and Owl's Head State Park.  Famously, Vermont was the first state after the original 13 Colonies to join the United States.

In this video, award-winning content creator and drone pilot Haussmannvisuals treats us to bird's eye views of three of the main islands of Hawaii: Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii (commonly referred to as the Big Island).  He captured the footage using two drones: a DJI Phantom 4 Professional and a Mavic Pro.  He encountered some unusually strong winds during his time there, which makes the resulting video all the more impressive.  Feast your eyes on these marvelous bird's eye views of America's 50th state! 

Known for being one of the best locations in the United States to see the leaves change, the northeastern state of New Hampshire looks marvelous in this Drone Video of the Month Staff Pick by contributor armando_martinez. Whether it be shots of the sun peaking over the mountains, close-up, reveal, and top-down shots of the fall foliage, or panoramics of the colors mirrored along the water, contributor and drone pilot Armandom's video knocks it out of the park with these epic scenes from the heart of the New England region.  

South Dakota is a lightly populated state in the Great Plains region of the north-central United States.  While South Dakota is amongst the top third of USA states in terms of land area, it has the fifth lowest population.  It is a state of flat terrain and large farms to the east, with a much more hilly and rugged environment to the west.  Content creator Toby Brusseau treats us to an aerial tour of this great state, home of the famous Mt. Rushmore in the western part of the state and a popular road trip destination.

Check out these fantastic drone views of the Low Country region of South Carolina in the Southeastern USA, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and pilot Clark Lupton.  The video, which features a mix of gimbal-stabilized shots and first person view (FPV) drone footage, was filmed over this region, which is not precisely defined but which generally coincides with the plains which lie along most of the state's Atlantic Ocean coastline.  This video was picked as a Finalist for the Drone Video of the Week in March of 2022.  

Contributor and pilot LUX used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to create this aerial view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, USA.  The Blue Ridge is a sub-range of the Appalachian chain which runs roughly parallel to the USA's East Coast; this popular tourist draw runs through several states, with its largest portions lying in Virginia and North Carolina.  The name "Blue Ridge" derives from the bluish appearance of the peaks seen from a distance, a result of isoprene released from the mountains' trees. 

Cape Cod extends from the Massachusetts mainland just southeast of the city of Boston as a great arc sweeping into the Atlantic Ocean.  At the far tip of the cape is Provincetown, the site of the historic Mayflower landing in 1620.    While naturally connected to the mainland, Cape Cod Canal's construction in the early 1900's separated the cape.  In this drone video, top content creator iDrone Aerials gives us an aerial tour of this summer district, one of the most popular tourist spots on the USA's East Coast.  

Top AirVuz contributor LUK☰☰ earned a spot as a DVOW Finalist with this fantastic drone video from the state of Utah.  Utah has some of the most diverse and spectacular landscapes of any state in the USA.  It's northeastern corner is covered buy subchains of the Rocky Mountains, and its western and southern portions much more closely resemble the desert landscapes of the Southwest.  This video manages to cover it all: snow-covered peaks, yawning canyons, magnificent rock formations, and unique features such as the Great Salt Lake.  

The HBO hit show Westworld has inspired many creatives, including pilot Victor Metron who took his drone to Utah and Hawaii to create this short film. Westworld is about a futuristic park that is created for rich vacationers. The park is looked after by robotic “hosts,” that allow visitors to live out their fantasies through artificial consciousness. Hence the white robot featured throughout. Filled with time lapses and incredible landscape shots, it’s a drone video you just have to watch. This video was a DVOW nominee in June, 2019.

Whether it be the lush, green, exotic hills of Hawaii, the rolling deserts and canyons of the southwestern United States, the mountains or the snow covered forests, the crash shores of the oceanside beaches or the calm, glass-like waters of Lake Tahoe at sunset, the DJI Mavic 2 can take some absolutely phenomenal images. Cinematographer Victor Metron caught all of these images and more with his DJI Mavic 2 then perfectly edited them together in this Drone Video of the Week nominated piece.

Multiple Drone Video of the Week Winner FrameworkFilms brings us this spectacular aerial video from the Ozark Mountains in the Southeastern USA.  The Ozarks actually consist of two separate mountain ranges covering parts of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.  This footage was shot in the Fall over the Arkansas portion of the Ozarks, which cover a land area of roughly 47k square mi. (around 120k square km) and which represent the largest mountain/upland region between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.  

Top AirVuz contributor T-christ-T brings us this marvelous drone video from Alaska.  Filmed over the course of two separate trips through the USA's 49th state, the video features footage from the following locations: Hatcher Pass, which runs through the Talkeetna Mountains; Anchorage, Alaska's largest city; Fairbanks, the state's second-largest town; Seward, on the Kenai Peninsula in the south; Valdez, on Prince William Sound; Homer, also on Kenai; Whittier, on the Passage Canal; Knik Glacier; Denali; the Alaska Range; and more. 

See the beauty of Minnesota from above thanks to this stunning video by talented pilot and producer, Fit Lam Studios. Stand out shots include aerial views of downtown Minneapolis’s U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Plaza South, First Avenue and the Prince star. St Paul is showcased with shots of the State Capital, Cathedral of Saint Paul during Red Bull Crashed Ice, and the Xcel Energy Center. Views of the MN State Fair grounds, Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, and the Northern Lights are also featured. 

Enjoy these stunning drone views of Lake Tahoe in the western USA, compliments of AirVuz contributor Drone Promotions.  The lake lies on the California/Nevada border, on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  The largest alpine lake in the USA, as well as the largest (by water volume) outside of the Great Lakes, Lake Tahoe is one of the great natural treasures of North America.  With a maximum depth of over 1.6k ft. (500 m), it's also the second-deepest lake in the USA after Oregon's Crater Lake.  

The Grand Canyon in the Southwestern USA state of Arizona is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The almost 2,000 miles of red rock canyons that surround the Colorado River are one of the most heavily toured parks in the county.  The great canyon is up to 29 km wide (around 18 mi.) and has a maximum depth of up to 1.85k meters or around 6.1k ft.  It's part of a large US National park in the northwestern corner of Arizona.  See its magnitude and beauty in this drone video by contributor emanuele. 

Take an aerial tour of the great Southeastern USA state of Alabama, compliments of new contributor Clark Lupton.  Most of the video was filmed around Mobile Bay, the giant inlet which lies at the heart of the state's coastline.  Featured locations include the city of Mobile, the great port at the head of the bay; Orange Beach, a town just southeast of the bay, on the Gulf of Mexico; Dauphin Island, which is situated in the bay's mouth; Point Clear, a beach community on the eastern side of the bay; and more.  

Top contributor Rick Ray Films worked with TV show producer to film for an upcoming TV show, and was able to use some of his footage to create this beautiful mini-tour of the Lower Mississippi River.   The video opens with some excellent shots from Memphis, the largest city on the river between St. Louis and New Orleans.  Heading downstream, you'll see more iconic sights, such as riverboats, barges, and cotton fields.  Towards the end of the piece, there are some great shots of New Orleans and other spots in Louisiana.  

Top AirVuz contributor and drone pilot 8 Fifty Productions brings us this fantastic aerial video from the state of West Virginia.  West Virginia enjoys the distinction of being the only state which lies entirely within the great Appalachian mountain chain which in effect forms the border region between the USA's Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest.  Nicknamed the Mountain State, West Virginia was formed at the outset of the Civil War when the western part of Virginia elected to remain in the Union.  

The ship Mayflower carrying the Pilgrims who settled what became the New England region of the USA made landfall at the very tip of what is known now as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 1620.  The town they founded there was named Provincetown, and the Mayflower Compact they signed here is one of the most important documents in the American historical record.  The monument to commemorate these events is called Pilgrim Monument, which was completed in 1910.  Check out from above in this drone video from PO3SMITH.

Chec out some of the most iconic sites of the American West in this fantastic piece by AirVuz contributor and drone pilot blackbrd99.  The video opens with a shot over Lake Tahoe, on the California/Nevada border.  After a quick stop on the California coast, you'll head inland to the deserts of the Southwest.  At 1:15 there's a great shot of the Shiprock formation in New Mexico, followed by some epic footage from a canyon.  Then it's back to California for some lighthouse shots, Big Sur (including the Bixby Bridge at 2:45), and more.  

Explore the USA's Pacific Northwest via FPV drone in this amazing video - a nominee for 2023 FPV Drone Video of the Year - by loganlien.  The video was filmed in various coastal and interior locations in Oregon and northern California. Starting at :23, you'll dive Multnomah Falls, on the Columbia River Gorge near the Oregon/Washington border.  At :50, you'll see the redwood trees of Prairie Creek in California's Humboldt County. Other highlights include California's Sue-meg State Park (1:10), Oregon's Silver Lake State Park (1:24), and more.  

St. Thomas is the northwesternmost of the three Caribbean islands known as the United States Virgin Islands. It lies just to the west of St. John and some distance to the north of St. Croix, the largest of the group.  While opinions differ, St. Thomas is generally considered the most beautiful of the US Virgin Islands.  In this drone video by contributor and pilot Jtcfilms, you'll get a bird's eye view of this bit of Caribbean paradise.  It was filmed from the Marriott in Frenchman's Cove and the  surrounding areas.

Top contributor Thatdroneview created this marvelous aerial tour of Puerto Rico, the United States Territory in the Caribbean Sea.  The video features bird's eye views of the island's crystal clear waters, mangrove-lined beaches, and the jade-colored mountains, and other natural and cultural features which make it a perennial favorite amongst Caribbean travel destinations. The video was shot using a combination of aerial footage from a DJI Phantom 4 drone and ground camera footage.  

Explore the northeastern USA by drone in this excellent travel video by multiple Drone Video of the Week Finalist ristypics.  Filmed with a DJI Mavic 3 Pro and supplemented with ground camera footage, the video was shot in the course of a trip through the New England states of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont  as well as New York.  It was filmed during the Fall season, when the region's extensive deciduous forests turn to brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red, attracting tourists from around the world.  

Check out this magnificent drone video of the South Pacific island of Guam, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Chrisky.  The US territory is part of Micronesia, the northernmost of the three main South Pacific island groupings.  The island covers about 510 square km (around 160 square mi.) and has a full-time population of around 160k.  Acquired by the USA during the course of the Spanish- American War, Guam was captured by the Japanese shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor and recaptured in a bitter battle in 1944.  

In this aerial compilation of the United States of America created by the editorial team at AirVūz, viewers will see the best aerial footage from around this diverse country. Being the third largest country in the world, there are plenty of places for aerial cinematographers to fly their drones. States featured in the curated collection of drone videos include California, Hawaii, New York, Florida, Texas, and more. Fly over skyscrapers, waterfalls, mountains, beaches, glaciers and lakes in these aerial films.

The heart of the Southeastern USA state of Arkansas is just that - the middle of the state.   Crossed by the Arkansas River, this is where the state's hilly northern half meets the lowlands of its southern half.  In this drone video, you'll get a bird's eye view of Central Arkansas, home to the vast majority of the state's roughly three million inhabitants.  It includes some excellent footage of Little Rock, the state's capital and largest city; the resort city of Hot Springs in the Ouachita Mountains, the town of Heber Springs, and more.   

In this episode of Drone Dish, host Tyler Mason caught up with the award-winning drone pilot Jay Worsley.  Jay traveled from his home in Phoenix, Arizona to the New York City Drone Film Festival, where one of his entries was a finalist.  Jay's videos of the Southwestern USA's spectacular landscapes are some of the most popular videos on AirVuz; his classic "Perspective" won the "Landscapes" category in the first annual Drone Video Awards, and "Ethos" was selected as a Finalist for the second.