Oak City Drone

05/21/2026

THE STORM HAS ARRIVED. 🌀🚩🚩

Raleigh, can you feel the energy? Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals starts tonight, and the entire city is locked in.

Check out the brand-new look of the Lenovo Center right before the puck drops, framed perfectly alongside Carter-Finley Stadium with the downtown Raleigh skyline holding down the horizon.

The stadium glass is wrapped, the plaza is set, and the house is going to be absolutely deafening! Swipe through to see the home of the Hurricanes ready for a historic postseason run.

It’s time to raise up. LET'S GO CANES!

📸 Drone photography by

05/19/2026

Two major construction projects are officially transforming the downtown Raleigh skyline right now: the new Omni Hotel and the relocation of the Red Hat Amphitheater.

Here is a quick look at the blueprints, timelines, and exactly what is happening on the ground:

🏗️ The Raleigh Omni Hotels & Resorts

The deep foundation work currently underway at the corner of Martin and Dawson Streets is the footprint for the upcoming Omni Raleigh Hotel. This massive project is going to be a 29-story luxury tower featuring 600 guest rooms, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, a rooftop pool, and North Carolina's very first Bob’s Steak & Chop House. The city backed this development to serve as the primary headquarters hotel for the downtown convention district, giving Raleigh the room inventory it needs to lock down major national conventions.

Timeline: Crews are moving heavy dirt now, with an official opening target set for late 2028.

🎸 The New Red Hat Amphitheater

Just a block to the south, heavy steel framework is going up for the new, relocated Red Hat Amphitheater. The venue is shifting over to make way for the massive 300,000-square-foot expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center. The original "temporary" site is hosting its final concert season this year, while this brand-new, permanent version will scale up capacity to over 6,000 seats. The new setup promises better fan sightlines, permanent restrooms, and enhanced backstage facilities to keep drawing major regional and national music tours downtown.

Timeline: The current venue stays active through October, and the new expanded amphitheater will officially open in time for the 2027 outdoor concert season.

Stay tuned as we continue to track the heavy logistics and structural progress of these major civic builds from above!

05/01/2026

A floating city in the heart of San Diego. ⚓️🏙️🌴

The USS Midway (CV-41) isn't just an icon of the Embarcadero; it’s the most visited naval warship museum in the world. Since opening in 2004, it’s welcomed over 18 million guests, with more than 1.2 million visitors a year stepping on board to explore naval history first-hand.

A few facts for the logbook:

Longest Serving: Commissioned in 1945 (just 8 days after WWII ended), it was the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, with 47 years of active duty.

Cold War Workhorse: It was the first U.S. carrier too large to transit the Panama Canal and the only ship to serve through the entire Cold War—from its start in 1945 to Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

A Floating City: At peak capacity, the Midway housed a crew of over 4,500 sailors. Today, the 4-acre flight deck holds more than 30 restored aircraft.

Top-Tier Ranking: It consistently ranks as one of the Top 10 Museums in the U.S. on TripAdvisor—and for good reason.

With over 60 exhibits and 30+ restored aircraft on a 4-acre flight deck, it is hands-down one of the coolest museum experiences in the country. If you’re heading to San Diego, do yourself a favor and put this at the top of your list. It’s a masterclass in naval engineering and history that you can’t fully appreciate until you're standing on the deck. 🚈🚢

04/26/2026

I went down to the other day to take pictures of the murals. I had no idea that the 56th annual was taking place at the same time. Apparently this is the largest and show in the world. There were hundreds of vehicles. It was a way nicer collection than any auto museum I've ever seen. I was even adopted for the day by . I appreciate the hospitality and warm welcome!

Drone pics coming soon.

04/15/2026

Check this out y'all! Yesterday, I took a sneak peek at the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Bridge currently under construction over the 101 in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles. Once complete in Fall of 2026, this will be the largest wildlife crossing bridge of its type in the entire world. It's generating a massive buzz in the environmental, conservation, engineering, and planning circles right now, and should serve as an international model for future similar projects globally. 🌎🦌🐯🦊🦖

Project link in the comments! ⬇️

04/13/2026

Oh hey City of Oceanside, look who's back? 👀

Sunsets hit differently here. Stay tuned y'all! 🌊☀️🌴

04/04/2026

Raleigh’s Southside Revolution: From Play Plazas to The Weld 🌳🏙️

The Gipson Play Plaza at Dorothea Dix Park is officially open, and it is a total game-changer for the city! 🌻 This 18-acre space isn't just for kids; the massive climbing towers and the Watermill Mountain splash pad are truly works of art. 🎨 It’s the perfect spot to grab a coffee at the Stone Houses and watch the downtown skyline while the kids burn off some energy. ☕ Other big moves are happening across the park too, like the Rocky Branch restoration that will soon connect downtown directly to the plaza via new multi-use trails. 🏃‍♂️💨 This phase of the Master Plan is really bringing the "Big Park" vision to life for all of us. 🏟️✨

If you’ve been stuck in traffic on Lake Wheeler Road lately, just know that a major upgrade is finally in the works! 🚧 The city has officially approved the Lake Wheeler Road Improvement Project to turn this stretch into a "Complete Street" with safe bike lanes and sidewalks. 🚲🚶‍♀️ Utility crews are already out there doing exploratory potholing and moving lines to prep for the heavy earth-moving operations starting this year. 👷‍♂️ Expect to see a new roundabout at the South Saunders intersection soon to help keep things flowing much smoother. 🔄 It’s going to be a bit of a construction zone for a while, but the end result will be a much safer gateway into Dix Park. 🚙💨

Right next door, the momentum at The Weld development is hitting a huge milestone with the kickoff of Phase 3 infrastructure. 🏗️🔥 Crews are currently focused on massive water and sewer upgrades along State Street to support the future density of this urban hub. 💧🛠️ These deep utility improvements are actually being timed to sync up with the future Southern Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. 🚌💨 It’s wild to see how quickly this pocket of Raleigh is transforming from industrial lots into a high-end, transit-oriented neighborhood. 🏢✨ By the time Phase 3 is vertically rising, this area is going to feel like a completely different part of the city. 🌟📈

03/28/2026

A few videos from the other day.

Progress shots of the Glenwood Highline, The NC Museum of History Renovation and Tower Crane Installation, and the NC Education Building in Downtown Raleigh ...

03/24/2026

A New Giant Has Joined the Raleigh Skyline! 🏗️

There’s a new neighbor in downtown Raleigh, and it’s hard to miss! We spotted this massive blue tower crane standing tall over the North Carolina Museum of History as major renovation and expansion work officially hits high gear.

This isn't just a simple facelift; the museum is undergoing a transformative $180 million journey to better preserve and share our state's 14,000-year story. The expansion will add roughly 40,000 square feet of space, including 25% more gallery room for artifacts and a brand-new restaurant! 🥘

Seeing the crane hub and jib being assembled from this aerial perspective really puts the scale of this project into context. While the building is closed until 2028, it’s exciting to watch the "bones" of our flagship historical institution evolve right before our eyes.

From upgraded climate controls to a more accessible entrance on Bicentennial Plaza, this project is all about ensuring our history has a modern, safe home for generations to come. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the progress as this vertical giant helps reshape a piece of downtown.

Which part of the new museum are you most excited to see? The new exhibits, the restaurant, or just having this iconic space back in action? Let’s hear your favorite museum memories in the comments! 👇

02/21/2026

There are no words that can fully capture 48 years of sacrifice, but there is incredible power in seeing a community come together to say goodbye. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to have captured the "last call" and funeral service for beloved Firefighter Dale Malone of the White Level Fire Department in Franklin County, NC. Seeing the sea of uniforms and the outpouring of support from above reminds us of the immense weight our first responders carry for us daily.

The aerial perspective of the funeral procession and graveside service truly highlighted the profound impact of Firefighter Malone's nearly half a century of service. Watching the line of fire engines and the American flag draped over the casket on the back of the fire truck provided a sobering look at the legacy of a man who dedicated his entire life to protecting and helping others. It was a humbling experience to witness such a high level of respect and honor shown by his brothers and sisters in uniform during this final tribute.

May these images serve as a lasting tribute to a lifetime of service and a small step toward healing for the White Level Fire Department and the Malone family. We hope that seeing the magnitude of the support and love from the community offers some peace during this difficult time. We are honored to have played a small part in documenting the memory of a hero who gave so much to our county. 🚒🙏🇺🇸