ACCESS AERIAL
JESSUP,PA
WWW.ACCESSAERIAL.COM
MEMBER SINCE 2016
Bill Gates once said that, in his opinion,
drones will be more impactful in positive
ways than what people recognize. This
proved true for Lee DeAngelis, who is
the chief executive officer for Jessup-
based Access Aerial. The company has
been able to provide its specialized
drone photography and videography
services to construction projects,
community initiatives, schools and
celebrations, all while keeping up-to-
date with the field’s latest technological
trends. Meet Access Aerial...
What made you decide to start your
business?
As an amateur filmmaker and
self-described “creator,” I hoped
to experiment with new aerial
perspectives in video. I thought I
could make some awesome family
movies and maybe even make money
taking real estate photos. In June
2014, the Scranton Cooperage caught
fire, which sent plumes of black smoke
into the air above my Jessup home. It
was right outside my door, so I sent
my recently purchased DJI Phantom
drone up and got some incredible
aerial pictures and video and posted
them to Facebook. That’s when I saw
the potential of this technology—
aerial imaging, fire situational
awareness and news gathering were
just some of the potential uses I
realized in just that one flight.
4 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
What are some things that people might
not know about drone photography? What are some of the more interesting
projects you’ve worked on?
Competition is fierce in the drone
service market today—the barrier to
entry has dropped and technology is
cheap. You need experience and skills
to separate yourself from the crowd.
People think you can simple buy a
$1,200 drone and start making money,
but there is much more to it. You have
to keep up with the technology and
you need to have photography and film
skills. You also have to stay current with
FAA regulations and test every two
years to stay current with your Part 107
commercial drone license. Over the past year we’ve been
involved in several massive
construction projects in the area,
including the Cardinal LG facility
and the University of Scranton’s
The Chamber
has been
extremely
beneficial in
building my
business.
How can drone photography be useful
for business owners in their marketing?
Aerial photography and video offer
a unique perspective for filmmakers,
content creators and marketers. The
images from a drone are inherently
viral on social media and can help
promote businesses extremely well.
On the commercial front, drone images
can show off large properties and
construction projects like never before .
Quinn Athletics Campus. We captured
aerial progression of these projects on
a weekly basis and it was incredible
to see how the drone footage could
be used to track and document the
projects.
How has your Chamber membership
helped your business?
The Chamber has been extremely
beneficial in building my business.
From networking events to business
referrals, the membership has
been worth every penny and more.
They’ve even hired me for some of
their own projects.
Get in the Spotlight!
Every month, The Greater
Scranton Chamber of Commerce
features a member small business
in the Small Business Spotlight.
Don’t miss your chance to be
seen! Visit scrantonchamber.com
to apply for membership or to
fill out a Small Business Spotlight
application today!