An eight-year-old, whose aerial footage earned an international award, has been named the world’s youngest drone videographer by the Guinness World Records.
Louisa Royer, a third-grader at Evansville Day School in Indiana, U.S., began piloting a drone when she was seven years old after asking for one as a gift.
“I asked for a drone as a gift because I love science, and it seemed like a fun way to explore the world from a different viewpoint,” Royer tells the Guinness World Records.
“Understanding how to safely fly the drone in different countries and locations was tough.
“You have to be very aware of your surroundings to avoid airports and obstacles like power lines or trees.”
Royer took her drone along on trips with her family to Europe, Japan, Australia, and South Korea. Additionally, flying the drone in the U.S. required Royer to take and pass a drone safety course from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Soon, the third-grader’s teacher encouraged her to submit her footage to film festivals.
A year later, Royer won the 2023 Best New Drone Pilot Award for her short film Dangerous Plants at the AZDroneFest International Film Festival in Arizona, U.S.
She ended up being named the world’s youngest drone videographer (female) at the age of 8 years 258 days by the Guinness World Records.
Royer explains that she was inspired to seek a Guinness World Records title after watching YouTube videos on a 13-year-old boy who used drones for mapping. This sparked her ambition to become the youngest female drone videographer.
“It’s amazing,” Royers says of receiving her Guinness World Record certificate.
“It is really exciting and all of my friends and family are very proud of me which is a great feeling.”
Her film showcasing her drone videography, titled Dangerous Plants explores the scenic beauty of Hungary and Romania. Dangerous Plants garnered recognition and awards at several international film festivals, including the Thunderbird Drone Festival, Bloomington International Film Festival, and the Arizona Drone Film Festival, with the latter securing her the Guinness World Records title.
According to 14News, Louisa embarked on a family trip to Romania and Hungary, guided by Evansville Day School’s Spanish teacher Anna Gergely last year. For Dangerous Plants, Louisa captured drone footage of the quaint villages of Transylvania, many of Budapest’s landmarks, and the bustling cities of Romania, according to Evansville Day School.
Image credits: Feature photo licensed via Depositphotos.