Get to know: Linda Degen, owner operator Skybird Drone Photography

From a student/employee at WUSF-TV, to 26 years as an editor/production manager with the local Tampa NBC affiliate, and everything in-between, it has been a crazy wonderful ride.

I have worked on symphonies and dance programs, directed Creature Feature with Dr. Paul Bearer, and nicknamed “Psychedelic Linda of the Camera Crew” by Dusty Rhoads when I worked on Championship Wrestling from Florida.  The Unlimited Hydroplane and Offshore Powerboat racing circuits afforded me the opportunity to travel around the country and travel 100mph on the water in a Jet-Boat.

I became well acquainted with the Tampa Bay Area when working on PM Magazine, for two different stations, when we had to find five fun things to do every week.

I’ve worked in various capacities on sports, the usual Baseball, Basketball, Tennis and Golf, as well as snow skiing, races and a weekly syndicated show, water skiing, horse jumping, diving, auto racing and a week in Hawaii working on the Ironman Triathlon.

Every time I’ve done a documentary, I’ve said “I’ll never do that again”, beginning with a documentary on the life of Salvador Dali to coincide with the opening of the Dali Museum, to WFLA-TV’s 50th Anniversary and the 100th anniversary of Tampa’s Gasparilla parade.

There have been projects that have recurred annually, beginning with the most raucous event in the Tampa Bay area, the Gasparilla Parade.  While Gasparilla is a lot of fun to work on, the most rewarding project has been the All Children’s Hospital Telethon for which we raised millions of dollars over the years to support this amazing medical resource for our kids.