- Ruby Noel
Pilot Spotlight: Interview with WWD Ambassador Ciska de Jong
Tell us your story. How did you get started in the drone industry and when did that happen?
I watched a film made by a local videographer early 2017, he used drone footage to capture a different view of my home town, I knew straight away I wanted one! From there my passion and creativity for film making took off.
Tell us about your company/work/organization and your position.
I started New Zealand Adventures on Facebook as a page to display fun travel type videos I was creating from my road trips with friends and my partner. I wasn't quite ready to do much with the page, but knew if I started it well before I wanted to really pursue this passion I could gain at least a small following for when I was ready. It took off instantly and gained 18,000 followers in just over a year.
What kind of drone(s) do you fly and what's your favorite thing about it?
DJI Mavic Pro. Its reliability, stability, distance range, video and photo quality, ease of flying and very much its portability.
Have you learned any valuable lessons being in the drone industry you can share with our female drone community?
Don't fly backwards unless you can physically see whats behind the drone! Things like trees can take you down, fast haha! Treat every flight as its the most important, be cautious and safe at all times.
Whether its from a creative, commercial or humanitarian perspective, tell us about your most memorable drone flight you have piloted thus far.
Oh gosh, there's been so many! We were at one of my favorite spots called Blue Springs where we ran into a man who we thought was homeless. We stopped and chatted and it turns out he was walking the country by foot to raise awareness about water purity. Long story short, I offered to get some drone shots for him which ended up in me making a beautiful film of his journey which was aired in a cinema and in a museum exhibition.
What would you say to women and girls about the drone industry to spark their interest in getting involved?
Imagine being able to fly and where it would take you? The aerial views of oceans hitting rocks, surfers catching the big waves, mountain peaks, the top of waterfalls or even just being able to take fun photos/videos on you and your mates!
What excites you most about more women joining the drone industry?
The creativeness we can bring. I couldn't believe how many males were into drones and videography. It's exciting to see more females being able to bring their flare to the industry.
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you?
Dream, create, celebrate.. You can do anything you put your mind to..
Ciska is a female drone pilot, born and bred in New Zealand. New Zealand born & breed. She Solo traveled the world for 1.5 years and is a woman of many hats, owning a vehicle body repair shop for 7 years. She now travels New Zealand, getting paid too make travel drone videos for New Zealand Adventures.
