by Kate Evans
Covey Air LLC is a new aerial photography, video and inspection service located in Paw Paw. The b
usiness was founded by and is owned and operated by Cody Covey, a U.S. Army combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Covey is a former Army Non-Commissioned Officer and also a former professional wrestler and promoter with Covey Pro.
According to his bio, Covey has produced live events and TV tapings for television shows broadcast in English and Spanish
in the Washington, D.C. metro area on both satellite and cable providers. He also has a degree in business management.
Covey said he has always had a passion for Rotary Wing Aviation or helicopters since he was a kid. With the new technology and growing field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones, Covey was inspired to begin researching drones. He acquired his official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 Remote Pilot License for commercial flight operations last May.
Covey said he started his new aerial photography/video business in late September and started filming outdoor events like weddings and go kart races. He’s done photos and videos of both residential and commercial real estate, some properties for sale or rent and other photos just for people to treasure.
“It gives you a great bird’s eye view. It helps potential buyers to know what’s around the property,” Covey said of drone photography and videos.
Aerial services
Covey Air LLC is available to cover sporting events, family reunions, weddings, parties and provide television/film services and more. Covey said it’s neat to have photos of events like family reunions and parties from far above and angles not from the ground.
Covey can do local news and television shows, documentaries and movies. He can also take aerial photos and videos of certain landscapes, scenery or geographical areas at specific times and photograph or film wildlife in nature or zoos.
Covey said his very favorite aerial photo is one he took last summer of a view of the Potomac River from the West Virginia side in Paw Paw that captured the river, the mountain ridges, the country landscape and the horizon.
Covey also does freelance videos and shots that he sells to websites for films. He said he could be breaking into independent films in the near future.
Covey said that one of his first jobs with his drone was covering a Warm Springs Middle School cross country event outdoor event. Another aerial sporting event possibility is motor racing.
Inspections
Another aerial service Covey provides are inspections of buildings and other infrastructure including construction, towers, roofs, gutters and chimneys.
Developers may want to monitor construction sites from week to week, monthly, quarterly or whatever a client needs to see how the work is going, he said. Covey can do roof inspections by sending his drone up at different angles and he can shoot down chimneys to check the state of the chimney flue.
Covey said there are a wide variety of applications that drones can be used for such as inspecting cell phone towers, bridges and wind turbines. The drone can check the equipment and see if it needs maintenance or repairs. It saves on having someone climb up a ladder to check the structure to see if it’s damaged and needs fixed.
Affordable
Covey said rates for his aerial services are very competitively priced and affordable. He is also open to customer suggestions for other services as long as they’re legal and safe.
Covey said it’s a one man business and a small family operation. His wife and kids come along to help as visual observers for the drone, which is fine if an authorized pilot is present.
Covey said he’s a budget analyst for FEMA and that being a remote pilot for aerial photography and video services is a side job.
“I do it for fun,” Covey said.
For more information about Covey Air LLC services, call Covey’s office at 304-947-7100 or his cell phone at 304-702-7177 or email him at cody.coveyair@outlook.com.
Covey Air LLC also has a website at www.coveyair.com. It is a 100% veteran-owned business.
