Introductions and Dedications

Welcome back! Before getting to the point that I had planned for this edition of the newsletter and have long anticipated, I want to start by noting something that is both tragic and sad. Last week, there was a devastating mid-air collision between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner in Washington DC. Pilots know, and you may have heard, that the nation’s capital is a special restricted zone, requiring additional training and certification for pilots to fly in the area. There’s too much at stake, and the consequences dire, to blame anyone before the investigation has concluded. I want to share my condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the victims, and hope that any readers affected by the tragedy find profound solace in this, the sharing of that painful memory.

Before I heard the news of that calamity, I had originally planned to start this edition of Colorado HIGH SKY with another collision, somewhat closer to home, and while concerning, may be fully resolved soon. You have likely heard about the fires in Southern California, and I again want to share my heartfelt sympathies for the losses to so many. There was one incident that might have escaped much notice: a rare and costly plane for fighting wildfires from Canada was struck by a drone. A man has plead guilty to flying a drone without authorization during the mission the “Super Scooper” was undertaking fighting the fires. A small drone, similar to the one I use for the “tiny planet” panoramas, a DJI Mini 3, weighing less than 6 ounces, punched a hole the size of a grown person’s fist into the wing of the airplane, causing the Canadian plane, one of only two in the whole world with the same capacity and capabilities, to be grounded for tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. While bird strikes are not an uncommon risk for pilots, birds aren’t made of metal and plastic, and a drone is much more dense and causes more damage than a bird of a similar weight, like the damage a quail could possibly cause in the same kind of collision with the Super Scooper, for example.

I hope that this uncharacteristically sad opening for this article isn’t diminished by my own introduction, as I also wanted to share with you a little bit about myself. My name is Chris Pitchford, and I’m a certified drone pilot in Colorado. This newsletter showcases my aerial photography and landscape photography. If you’re local to Lakewood, Colorado, you might see me around, as I enjoy riding my bike to nearby parks to test equipment and practice my technique before making the climb up into the mountains and potentially harsher conditions to take photos there.

I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself before I introduce the very important subjects of my dedication. I want to share with you a special dedication to some family members who have been absolutely rock-solid and steadfast in their support: my dad, Joel, and my step-mom, Ellen.

Thank you both so much for all that you’ve done!

One of the reasons I wanted to introduce this article with acknowledgments to the dangers of aerial photography is that I carry drone insurance. This makes sure that anyone affected by any accident that is my responsibility will not be left to financially fend for themselves, as the policy provides one million dollars of indemnification in the case of an accident. Thanks to the generous gift from Joel and Ellen, that policy is paid for the year! I am so grateful, and can truly state that their generosity makes this publication possible.

I went to visit the small town of Foxton, located on the North Fork of the South Platte River. On the way, I took some photographs of The Chairs, Cathedral Spires, and from a distance, Devil’s Head, that I thought portray the embodiment of this newsletter. Some of these peaks look drastically different from one side to the other, due to erosion. This area is close to old familiar places long known to both my dad and step-mom from years, long past, from living nearby.

As seen from the north, Cathedral Spires doesn’t seem to have as many “spires” as when seen from the south. It was a really warm day for a visit to Kennedy Gulch near the South Platte. But the nighttime temperatures were still below freezing, keeping the ice around despite the daylight and warmth. The pictures themselves seemed to embody the spirit of Colorado HIGH SKY, in part because I have spent time in the area and seems both quintessentially mountainous and accessible.

Thanks for reading to the end of this article, and for sharing my journey as a professional aerial photographer. But my most heartfelt thanks and love also go to my dad, Joel, and my step-mom, Ellen, for their support and encouragement of Colorado HIGH SKY!