417 Drone Shots

10/04/2026

Silver Dollar City's New Resort in Progress. How’s is this for a room with a view?

The new Silver Dollar City Resort is taking shape in Branson West, just minutes from Silver Dollar City. I captured these aerial views on October 3 to show the construction progress, and the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake stretching out behind it. From the publicly available information, the 262-room resort is scheduled to open in 2027. It is, I believe, the first project in Silver Dollar City’s $500 million, 10-year development plan. There’s still a lot of work to be done before it opens , but you can already get a good look at what’s coming. Would you stay here for a Silver Dollar City getaway?

Thank you for taking a minute to view my work. Follow me to see more from the Ozarks and Beyond.

📷 417DroneShots

10/04/2026

Celebrating 417 Drone Shots 4th year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉

10/01/2026

Nature always finds a way - Lebanon, Missouri

I captured this old silo near Lebanon, Missouri, in April 2022. Long after it had stopped serving its original purpose, a tree had taken root inside and grown above its stone walls, turning a forgotten piece of Missouri farm country into something alive again. It looks like a planter in a giant's home. Sometimes the most interesting sights are the ones quietly being reclaimed by time and nature.

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09/28/2026

Forsyth Progress Update 🚧🌱

A few people have asked for an update on a couple of projects around Forsyth, so I took the Air 3 up this evening for a look. The Forsyth Community Garden is coming along nicely, the plants are growing and you can really start to see the garden taking shape. And just down the road, the new senior center is looking closer and closer to finished. It’s been interesting watching this project progress from the air.
Always fun to document the changes happening around our community. I’ll keep checking in on both as they continue to come along.

09/27/2026

An Ozarks bridge you can’t cross anymore.

A couple of years ago, I drove across this old one-lane bridge tucked away in the Missouri Ozarks. Today, it’s no longer open to the public. I’m glad I had the drone along to capture it from above while there was still a chance to experience it from both perspectives. There’s something about bridges, built for another time, still hanging on long after most traffic has moved somewhere else.

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09/24/2026

From Sunrise to Sunset in the Ozarks-Taney County, Missouri

Two views from the 417 Drone Shots archives showing how differently the Ozarks can look at the beginning and end of the day. In one direction, the morning sun rises above layers of clouds and fog stretching across Taney County. In the other, the last colors of sunset settle over the water and bridge below.

Which view do you prefer—the peaceful layers of an Ozarks sunrise or the deeper colors of sunset? Follow me to see more from the Ozarks and Beyond. Thank you and have a great day.

09/22/2026

From the 417 Drone Shots archives, this weathered old barn somewhere in Taney County remains one of my favorite barn photographs. Surrounded by the changing colors of an Ozarks autumn, it was also the picture that sent me off searching for many more of the great old barns scattered across the Ozarks. Every one holding its own history.

Follow me to see more from the Ozarks and Beyond. Thank you and have a great day.

09/22/2026

Sunset at Swan Creek, Taney County, Missouri

Sometimes the best photographs are the ones you never planned to take. I was out for a bike ride with my DJI Air 3 packed in the bike bags when the sky began lighting up over Swan Creek. I had to stop, unpack the drone and send it up before the color disappeared. The winding creek, exposed gravel bar and reflection of that brilliant sunset came together for one of those moments that made carrying the drone well worth the effort. Have you ever stopped whatever you were doing because a sunset was simply too good to miss?

Follow me to see more from the Ozarks and Beyond. Thank you and have a great day.

09/20/2026

I do not normally post legal or regulatory information, but Missouri drone pilots need to know about a new state law that took effect this year. This is not legal advice, I am not a lawyer. You should consult a lawyer if you have any questions or concerns.

If you fly recreationally, pay attention: Missouri now makes it an offense to intentionally fly a drone **within the property boundaries** of a “critical infrastructure facility.”

That phrase sounds like it means a dam or power plant. It does not stop there. The statutory definition also includes power lines and associated equipment, substations, cell towers, telephone poles and lines—including fiber optic lines—railroad tracks and yards, water and wastewater facilities, gas infrastructure, pipelines, grain-processing facilities, and broadband networks.

In other words, this can involve a surprising amount of the ordinary Missouri landscape. A quick FAA airspace check does not show every property line or utility right-of-way.

For recreational flyers, the practical rule is simple: do not fly within the boundary of a covered facility. Plan a route that stays outside it; if you cannot confidently identify the boundary, choose another launch point or location. This is not a blanket ban on flying *near* every power line or tower—but the definition is broad enough that caution is warranted.

For Part 107 pilots, like I am, there is an important distinction. Section 577.800(6) says the statute does not apply to a drone used for a commercial purpose that is otherwise operating lawfully, when the operator is FAA-authorized to operate in that airspace. All of my flights and photos taken 417DroneShots are commercial and in compliance with part 107.

So, a genuine commercial operation conducted lawfully under Part 107 is exempt from **this particular Missouri statute**. In unrestricted Class G airspace, Part 107 is the FAA authority for the commercial flight; in controlled airspace, obtain and retain the required LAANC/FAA authorization.

That exemption does not override FAA flight rules, TFRs, property rights, privacy laws, or any other applicable rule. But it is a significant protection that commercial Part 107 pilots should know—and be prepared to explain courteously if asked.

Official statute:
https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=577.800

Definition of “critical infrastructure facility”:
https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=569.086

Trespass on a critical infrastructure facility — penalty.

09/20/2026

As summer begins to give way to fall, here is one more peaceful evening from the 417 Drone Shots archives. This June 2024 view captured a tiny island surrounded by the open waters of Table Rock Lake, with crossing boat wakes leading toward the last warm colors along the horizon.

Sometimes the quietest scenes are the ones that make you want to stay a little longer. Would you rather watch this sunset from the water or from somewhere along the shoreline?

Follow me to see more from the Ozarks and Beyond. Thank you and have a great day.