The Freefly Alta 8 is a professional octorotor heavy-lift drone built in the USA for aerial cinematography, supporting payloads up to ~9 kg. It can mount a MoVI gimbal above or below the airframe to enable 'sky view' shots and folds for transport.
| Country | USA |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Multirotor |
| Price | ~$17,500 USD |
| Subtype | Heavy-lift cinematography octocopter |
| Role | Aerial cinematography |
| Classification | Commercial heavy-lift UAS |
| Mission | cinematography, industrial |
| Datalink | 2.4 GHz RC |
| Variants | Alta 6; Alta X |
| Operators | Film/production industry |
| Frame type | Octocopter |
| Propulsion | Electric (8 rotors) |
| Combat-proven | No |
| Export status | Commercial |
| Launch method | VTOL |
| Autonomy level | GPS-assisted / waypoint |
| Recovery method | VTOL |
| Year introduced | 2016 |
| Max payload (kg) | 9 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 64 |
| Standard sensors | GPS, camera gimbal (MoVI) |
| Production status | Discontinued (succeeded by Alta X) |
| Airframe / lift type | Multirotor – octo |
| Control / autonomy level | Semi-autonomous (human-on-the-loop), Waypoint / GPS-guided |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – civil | Photography / film |
| Origin / supply chain | COTS (DJI, Autel, Skydio), Military-grade |
| Propulsion | Electric (LiPo / Li-ion) |
| Signature / detectability | GNSS-dependent, RF-emitting |
| Speed regime | Medium (50–150 km/h) |
| Weight / class | Class III – MALE (>600 kg) |