Rising Stars: Meet Graham Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Graham Hill.  

Hi Graham, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
– Company began about 8 years ago – Formerly was working at NREL using GIS (mapping) datasets

– Had an idea to use drones to do my own mapping

– Blossomed into a full-blown production company, using drones for Film, TV, music videos

– 3 years ago, experimented with our first drone light show setup at copper mountain

– Then covid ended live events

– Decided to take a chance and invest fully in spring of 2021, which proved to be perfect timing

– Have now done around 50 drone light shows all across the United States

– We now share the largest drone light show fleet in North America. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Covid hit us hard, and it was very hard getting going with no live events More recently, supply chain interruptions have hit us, as well as logistics costs to move a large fleet of drones over the US. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
– I touch every step of the drone light show, from the media and web that attracts our customers, to the sales call/material and pitch, to show design, to logistical planning, and then ultimately to flying/performing the show for the client.

– My specialty is sales and creative. I love to be on the creative call with the client so we can shape their vision into more than they had expected

– Most proud of some of the most challenging shows we have performed, and how well our team stayed focused. But ultimately, I’m most proud of our very first show we did at copper mtn. It was only 18 drones and was incredibly difficult, but it charted a course for the future.

– Attention to detail is what sets us apart. We take a boutique, personal approach, but have a truly national scale. When we select a client to work with, they have our full attention up until the performance, and that pays off as a lasting client relationship 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
– Set expectations: We are in a new industry, flying complex new technology. For us to be successful, we need to set expectations and do the work early in the process in order to have a successful show. When we have said “yes” or trusted certain details without examining them, they have led to problems later on in the process – Have the right crew: For the work we do and the stress it comes with, it’s very important we are surrounded by the right makeup of people. We are very confident in the crew we have assembled today

– Know when to say “no”: Similar to setting expectations. We are governed by the FAA and local/state permitting. We have to know when to say no and to push back, as skipping steps for one client could lead to lost opportunities for future clients.

Pricing:

• 300-450 dollars per drone for the show
• National holidays/dense urban environs may be more expensive
• dealing with supply chain/inflation

Contact Info:

• Email: graham@hireuavpro.com
• Website: https://www.hireuavpro.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hireuavpro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hireuavpro
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC–_MUP2k92Y87n_7vDA6Og 

Image Credits
Eddie Huang