Matt is a self-taught drone pilot and aerial videographer, as well as a talented Ultimate Frisbee player.
Matt loves Baltimore for its quirky vibe and fine people.
Email Matt: mattdough10[at]gmail[dot]com How interesting!: Matt’s dog, Sky, is quite literally the best dog in the world. While many people think that their dogs are also great, their dogs can’t contend for this honor!
What brought you to Baltimore? Baltimore has been my home for about four years now. When I moved to Baltimore, I had absolutely zero contacts, let alone friends. Nearly all the friends that I have made in this city to this point were through Ultimate Frisbee, or the people I know because of Ultimate.
What’s your connection to Baltimore? My connection to the city is mainly through Patterson Park, as I have lived on or near the park for the entirety of my stay here. It is a sanctuary from the madness of the city; if I wasn’t close to this park or another park I don’t think I would manage the city very well! This isn’t just because I have a dog; it also a way to get some green space into my life. I grew up among the trees and fields; to be completely surrounded by the man-made world would drive me insane. Other than that, I’m passionate about making things. I have a small office/workshop space that my partner and I share that I use to work on whatever is my project at the time. For the past year or so I have fallen head over heels with the RC multirotor scene (read: drones). Growing up, I was very much into RC cars and trucks but, I fell away from it for a long time. With the advancements in technology that allow for the pilot of a drone to fly using FPV (First Person View), it creates a whole new frontier of flying. I started flying FPV by first building a racing/freestyle drone; these are small 4 rotor drones that are incredibly nimble and fast. They can come with auto-stabilization to self-level but because of the way I fly, I use full manual control (called ACRO). This allows me to fly uninhibited by any controller interference, giving me the freedom to fly upside down, do barrel rolls, or back flips in unlimited supply. I have recently started doing more cinematic flying with a different style drone that prioritizes stabilization over freedom of flight. This presents a different challenge as I am more focused on the subject of the video/image. Honestly, the flying can be a bit boring in comparison to the freestyle drones, but the end product is incredible. I have fallen so much in love with this hobby that I am moving to make it my profession. I have earned my FAA Part 107 pilots license (drone-specific) so that I can get paid for the work that I do with the drones. The biggest learning curve that I have had to approach in this new venture has been the video editing, but I have learned and am learning so much. My goal is to be producing content to my youtube/instagram on a weekly basis (once the weather warms up) to promote myself. After just starting into the professional world I have already secured jobs for congressional district campaign over the next year. I am so excited to show Baltimore from my new perspective.
What do you like about Baltimore? I love how funky this city is; it has such an off-beat attitude, compared with the other “big” cities in the area. Especially in Ultimate Frisbee, it is a great community and the people who play the sport are very welcoming. Ultimate has really been my connector with the fine people in this city. While there may be Ultimate Frisbee communities in other cities, Baltimore has such a great scene. There is a wide range of competition in the city. If you are only interested in playing with friends there are multiple pick-up locations that would welcome you, and if you are interested in playing on nationals-level teams, there are some in the region that are accessible. I have played on a couple of the club teams in the area and always play as many local leagues as possible. It is a great way to meet people while getting exercise and playing a fantastic sport.
New Baltimoreans should definitely check out: Central Maryland Ultimate Association (CMUA): I love Ultimate and the community that is built around it. I have made so many friends through the sport.