A Day With N°RRA
April 15
Founded in 2011, Nordic Regional Airline AB (Norra) operates numerous domestic and European routes on behalf of Finnair. The company previously operated under the name Flybe Finland Oy.
All flights operated by Norra carry a Finnair flight number. Baggage policies, travel extras, special services, and services at the airport and onboard are the same as those on Finnair-operated flights.
One of the most challenging locations I've recorded in so far is probably inside an airplane cabin—mainly due to the limited space and working area, especially when the aircraft is fully boarded.
Together with Feelm Creative, we've done quite a bit of work recently for Norra. The tasks may seem straightforward and easy, but they're far more challenging than you'd think.
Before any footage can be shot, there's also a lot of preparation involved. Airports have strict rules, laws, and regulations—even for workers. Liquids, tools, or sharp objects aren't allowed through the security gate as usual. Building camera setups without tools is nearly impossible. So, we made sure all the screws and attachments were already in place at check-in—the point of no return if something is missing or out of place.
We boarded the aircraft along with the cabin crew and pilots, who are used to working in such confined environments. We stowed our filming equipment to make room for passengers. The walkway is narrow, and the ceiling low above the seats. I bumped my head more times than I have fingers on my hands. It takes a while to get used to that kind of space.
Shortly after takeoff, once the seatbelt sign turned off, we started filming the cabin crew in action. Using a RED Komodo 6K, I discovered the DJI RS2 gimbal behaves very funny in the air—which wasn’t a surprise. The gimbal responded exactly as designed, tilting and rolling while the aircraft maneuvered through the clouds. I imagine it would perform similarly on a boat. I’d never seen it before, but it looked funny nonetheless.
For static shots, we used a RED Gemini S35 5K mounted on a tripod and switched between a couple of lenses we brought along—from 16–35mm to 70–200mm Canon lenses. No need to level the fluid head at 12km altitude—just make sure it looks straight enough.
It’s been a great experience working onboard the aircraft. It feels like a unique opportunity. Above the clouds, you're forced to work with the limitations you have—improvising solutions and staying as creative as possible.
Because up here, the sky isn’t the limit.
