Drone pilots in Tampa
Aerial photos, listing video and roof checks at fixed prices, flown by Part 107 pilots based in the metro.
Astral Pic is not open in Tampa yet. Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa and Orlando are next. Join the list and we will tell you when Tampa opens.
If you book before Tampa opens, you pay nothing unless a pilot accepts; your dashboard shows when one does. Astral Pic is open in Dallas-Fort Worth today.
Updated October 2026
Join the Tampa list
Tell us whether you want to book or to fly, and we will send one email when Tampa opens. Every pilot listed here will first have shown us a current Part 107 certificate, their registration label and a $1 million insurance certificate. You can book before Tampa opens; you pay nothing unless a pilot accepts.
What can you book in Tampa?
The same four fixed-price packages and two quoted services as every Astral Pic metro, at the same prices. Aerial Photos, Aerial Video, the Listing Bundle and a Roof Check each carry one price for you and one payout for your pilot. Construction progress flights and event or wedding coverage are quoted by the pilot who flies them. In Tampa they can be flown once the first pilots are verified.
| Package | What you get | On site | You pay | Pilot earns | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial Photos | 12 to 15 edited stills of the house, lot and street. | Up to 30 min | $179 | $143 | Details about Aerial Photos |
| Aerial Video | A 60 to 90 second edited 4K clip plus 5 stills. | Up to 45 min | $299 | $239 | Details about Aerial Video |
| Listing Bundle | 15 stills plus the 60 to 90 second clip, one visit. | Up to 60 min | $349 | $279 | Details about the Listing Bundle |
| Roof Check | 30 to 50 stills of every slope, ridge, valley and penetration, plus a short written note. | 30 to 50 min | $229 | $183 | Details about the Roof Check |
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Construction progress
Weekly or monthly flights over a site, quoted by the pilot who flies them. Describe the site and the window, and verified pilots nearby name their price.
About progress flights -
Events and weddings
A Part 107 pilot films the venue, the arrivals and the exit from outside the crowd. Typical aerial add-ons for a wedding run $200 to $500; the pilot names the price.
About event coverage
Where can a drone fly in Tampa?
Most of the bay area, with FAA authorization inside the airport rings. Tampa International sits under Class B airspace that covers much of the city and the Westshore district, and it is LAANC-enabled, so a pilot gets near-real-time authorization through an FAA-approved app where the facility map allows. St. Pete-Clearwater, Albert Whitted in downtown St. Petersburg, MacDill Air Force Base and Lakeland Linder add Class D rings of about four and a half miles, and Sarasota Bradenton to the south has a Class C ring of about five miles.
MacDill on the south Tampa peninsula is a military field, so a pilot working in Ballast Point, Port Tampa or Interbay checks whether LAANC covers the grid or files through FAA DroneZone, which takes longer; allow extra days there. Where any facility map sets a low ceiling, the pilot files 72 hours ahead. Game days bring a three mile temporary flight restriction around Raymond James Stadium from an hour before to an hour after the event.
Florida Statute 934.50 bars recording private property or the people on it with the intent to conduct surveillance without written consent, which is why the booking form asks you to confirm you own, lease or represent the property and agree to exterior photos. Florida also restricts drone flights over critical infrastructure such as power plants and port facilities. Pilots keep the camera on your property, not the neighbors.
When is the best time to book in Tampa?
November to May is the dry season and the easy one; summer is about mornings. Tampa flies year-round; the limits are sustained wind over 20 mph, rain and visibility under three miles. From June to September an afternoon thunderstorm is the norm, so pilots fly in the morning. Hurricane season runs June to November, and after a storm roof checks across the bay area are booked at once. Listing season runs from late March to June, with heavy investor and second-home activity all year.
The metro recorded 52,784 homes sold and 73,339 new listings in 2025 according to Redfin's metro tracker; together with Orlando the I-4 corridor is one of the largest housing regions in the country. About 2,300 Part 107 holders list a releasable address in the metro in the FAA's October 2026 airmen file, and Florida is the third largest state for Part 107 holders; the true numbers are higher because many pilots withhold their address.
- Airports and airspace
- Class B at Tampa International, with LAANC. Class D at St. Pete-Clearwater, Albert Whitted, MacDill Air Force Base and Lakeland Linder; Class C at Sarasota Bradenton. Allow extra days near MacDill and 72 hours where a facility-map ceiling is low.
- Weather windows
- Dry season November to May. Mornings from June to September to beat afternoon storms. Hurricane season June to November. No flights in rain, sustained wind over 20 mph or under three miles of visibility.
- Listing season
- Late March to June, with investor and second-home listings all year. 52,784 homes sold and 73,339 new listings in 2025 (Redfin).
- Typical price band
- US price guides put stand-alone listing aerials at about $249 and up, drone photo and video packages at $249 to $499, and a drone roof inspection at $150 to $400 (2025 and 2026). Our prices: $179 to $349 per package and $229 for a Roof Check, with the pilot payout printed next to each.
Pilots in Tampa right now
A pilot appears here only after showing us a current FAA Part 107 certificate, the FAA registration label on their drone and a liability insurance certificate of at least $1 million, checked by a person. The list is live from our records and shows the real number, including zero.
No pilots are listed in Tampa yet. Verification starts when the metro opens.
Are you a pilot in Tampa? See how drone pilot jobs work on Astral Pic, then join the list above as a pilot and we will email you when we start verifying in Tampa.
Tampa questions
What if a tropical storm is forecast for my window?
Your pilot decides whether it is safe and legal to fly, and a named storm is an easy no. FAA rules require three miles of visibility and clear distance from clouds; our pilots also do not fly in rain, in sustained wind over 20 mph, or under a temporary flight restriction, including the ones that follow a disaster declaration. If the pilot calls it off, you pay nothing extra and you pick a new window within 14 days. After a storm passes, book your Roof Check early; demand across the bay area arrives all at once.
Can the pilot fly over the water for a waterfront listing?
Yes, within line of sight from your property. The pilot launches from your lot or a public spot with permission, flies out over the bay, canal or Gulf for the reveal shot and keeps the aircraft in view the whole time. Boats and people on the water are kept out of the frame or filmed only incidentally. Near Albert Whitted or MacDill the airspace rules above still apply, so give a window of three days or more.
Do you cover St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Brandon?
The Tampa metro on Astral Pic covers addresses within about 45 miles of downtown Tampa, which includes St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Wesley Chapel and most of Pasco and Pinellas counties. Each pilot sets their own radius of 10 to 50 miles from their base, so the booking form tells you how many verified pilots cover your exact address before you book, and you pay nothing unless one accepts.
Need a pilot now?
Astral Pic is open in Dallas-Fort Worth today, with the same packages and prices. If your property is in North Texas, book there. Otherwise join the Tampa list above and we will email you when Tampa opens. Orlando is also on the way; see the Orlando page.