Working with drones is an exciting line of work, although it’s not a field that many females typically choose to pursue. Meet Allie Bardes, Production Coordinator at Heliguy, who shares her journey in this Q&A. She’s worked her way up from an Office Assistant to Production Coordinator and Drone Operator. Allie proves that being a young mum doesn’t prevent the pursuit of an exciting and rewarding career.

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey at Heliguy so far:
How did you become a Production Coordinator and long have you been in your role? 

I started as an Office Assistant, supporting Guy with the daily production/admin responsibilities, after quickly getting the hang of things, I moved into more of a Production Coordinator/Manager role. The promotion to Production Coordinator happened early, and I’m gaining confidence and enjoying it more all the time. There’s a learning curve, but there’s progress. It’s different from other production roles, as we’re involved in multiple productions across Australia at any given time, and I must manage all of them at the same time. 

I’m enjoying it so much, I fight for every chance I get to go on set, I’ve been levelling up my skills and have become a licenced drone operator. So whether it be an assistant on Heavylift (drone) jobs, or as the actual drone operator on Inspire 2 jobs, I want to dive right in!

You’re originally from the US, what brought you to Australia? 

I met my Aussie partner in New Mexico, while I was working at Vermejo Park Ranch, a guest resort that restores wilderness populations. He had come to film an episode of Leave No Trace TV (luxury eco-tourism TV show), I offered to help them film since I’d studied mass communications at UNCA. Following that, I was invited to LA to help them film an interview with one of the executives at Paramount Studios. We then travelled the world together filming for Leave No Trace TV, in unbelievable locations including the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Patagonian rainforest in Chile, the Zagora mountainous region of Greece, and of course – Australia! 

We travelled often enough to sustain a relationship and had our baby girl near my home in America. I lived and worked near my family in America for almost the entire first year of her life, then made the big move to Australia. It was me, a baby, and four checked bags on a big plane. 

My partner’s production business is based in Sydney, so it wasn’t really an option for him to relocate. I wanted my daughter to be close to her father, and of course, we all wanted to be together. Sydney also appealed to me for having ample opportunities to work in the screen industry, better school systems for my daughter, and the real major draw for me – the seafood! 

Speaking of parenthood, how has it been for you juggling the work/life balance as a mother? 

I love working, and I love being a mom. Finding the balance is the greatest challenge because my work self is quite different to my mom self. I am fully involved with work when I’m working, and I need to be fully attentive when I’m being a parent, too. It’s like being two sides of a coin and having to switch between modes, kind of like operating a drone, I guess! I find that my experience being a mother helps me deal with people and problems that arise in the industry. It’s like survival instincts and the awareness that you need as a parent and on the field. 

As a Production Coordinator, what does your job entail on a day-to-day basis? 

In addition to organising crew and equipment, I also organise quotes; check the airspace for potentially required permits. I start the conversation around safety/lockdowns, then pass it on to relevant parties. I send the invoices for every job we do, make travel bookings for the crew when production is unable to (occasionally). I look after accounts, pay contractors and bills and assist in the hiring process of employees. Last year I started assisting the drone team on set for heavylift jobs like feature films and TVCs.

Through the grapevine, you passed your pilot license test at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority with flying colours. Congrats!
What does this enable you to fly/what can you operate? 

Thank you!! I wouldn’t say it was with “flying colours!” The course material was challenging for me, as a beginner in this tech world, and it isn’t exactly designed to be easy. We know people who’ve failed the test and retaken it two or three times. To legally fly drones as a pilot in command in Australia, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of the extensive rules and regulations governing drone operations. Any failure to comply can result in heavy consequences.

I was so relieved when I passed. I think I shrieked and knelt to the floor, and the guys at the office ran up the stairs and asked “oh no, you didn’t pass?” and I responded “I DID IT!” Jumping up and down and clapping excitedly like a girly girl, they tapped their fist to my shoulder like a bro – which is just the way it ought to be. 

I’m certified to operate multi-rotor RPA’s (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) of up to 7kgs on commercial jobs.

This makes you one of the very few females doing this kind of work, can you comment on what it has been like for you being a female in a male-dominated space? 

I don’t really notice a difference from my being a female in this space, other than the fact that not many females are doing it. People might be surprised when I show up as the Pilot for jobs, but it doesn’t bother me, I’m just there to fly it. I don’t think to myself, “if only I were a man this would come easier to me.”

It might bring me more attention, more eyes on me and maybe it raises awareness in the industry. It’s a cool feeling knowing that people don’t expect it from me and that I’m able to just get on with it. I like that.

“I always felt that women have superpowers too. And without comparing or giving less opportunity to one gender over the other, we’re all human, here to do what we came to do – living and existing in the same way. It’s only a matter of time before the general population starts believing in equality on a grander level, and then equity in the workplace will follow.“

Did you have hobbies growing up that fostered your career path today?

My brother and I were close growing up, with only two years between us. So, I was used to “bro-talk,” doing sporty things outside, and gaming with him and his network of online friends. He was an avid gamer, and still is! We mostly played Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and some PC games. They always liked having a girl play the game. I think that having a gaming background can help translate into operating drones later in real life. 

What do you love about working with the team at Heliguy? 

“There are so many looney-tunes moments of die-hard laughter and camaraderie between us all. We support each other, and we push each other to be better and better. I love the moments of struggle, where we all test our boundaries of patience and personal perseverance and I love the moments of clarity when we’ve collectively found a solution to a problem we’d been facing.“

The best times are when we know it’s busy, when it’s hard, pressures are high, and we almost naturally switch into this survival mode of being calm, cool and collected to get through it. When tensions are high in the office, there’s always at least one person who stays positive for the rest of us to piggyback from. We are a team. We laugh together, we cry together, and we grow together as a unit. 

When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun? What do you get up to in your free time? 

I absolutely must have physical exercise during the week. I go to the gym every morning before going to the office. After dropping off my little one to daycare, I go to the gym (which is a new thing for me – living in the city) and I do the most challenging HIIT classes to get my head in the game for the day. This is critical to my routine because when I’m at work, it’s full-on. 

I do most of the cooking (and cleaning) at home. Cooking I really enjoy – food being a hobby of mine. The cleaning, you can say, is the bane of my existence. 

On the weekends, I volunteer at OzHarvest, which has been a great way for me to give back to the community and to make a good group of friends here in Australia. 

When I have free time, I like to paint watercolours and oils with my daughter or take her rock climbing. We like doing anything outdoorsy, adventurous, and swimming-related. 

What’s your favourite film of all time and why? 

I always wanted to do something meaningful with my life. I am not sure yet where my career is heading, but I am sure that the steps I’m taking are heading in the right direction. Perhaps in the future, we can affect parts of the world by using drone technology. Whether it’s through working on cinematic projects that impact the viewers in some way – or at the very least, by doing what I do in a male-dominated industry, I could encourage other women to do the same.