What does it take to fly drones in brutal wind, freezing temperatures, and high risk environments while staying creative and focused?
In Vallerret’s Creative Outsiders, Lukas Riedl and Carl van den Boom sit down with Joana Braga, a drone pilot and designer from Portugal now based in Iceland.
Joana shares how her journey into drone flying began with exploration and curiosity, and how it evolved into FPV flying and filming extreme motorsport and action sports in some of the toughest conditions imaginable.
Living in Iceland means working with constant uncertainty. Wind, cold, and rapidly changing weather are part of every shoot. Joana talks openly about fear, preparation, and why mindset matters just as much as technical skill when flying in high risk environments.
The conversation also touches on representation in a male dominated industry. Joana reflects on the assumptions she has faced, why visibility matters, and how her “Women Can Fly” message grew out of real experiences.
From filming Formula Offroad to dreaming of capturing the Dakar Rally, Joana’s approach stays grounded in storytelling. The drone is simply the tool that allows her to get closer to the action and tell the story the way she sees it.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Flying drones in extreme weather and unpredictable conditions
- Managing fear and staying focused under pressure
- The role of mindset and preparation in high risk flying
- FPV drones and filming extreme motorsport
- Being a woman in a male dominated drone industry
- Future ambitions including filming the Dakar Rally
🎙️ Listen to the episode here:
Explore more of Joana’s work through the links below:
Stay sharp. Stay curious. Stay out longer.
