107's guys, get to work. Its not hard. You just start calling companies and offer services.

[macfawlty]

What's your actual profit per hour, I assume there is work to be done post flight? Do you charge for travel time?

To be clear I'm not trying to be a smart *** I'm just curious about the total costs to you in terms of your time.

If you're at home sitting on your hands watching daytime TV, your profitability is pretty low on that activity, so...

If it's something you can work into your schedule without a lot of travel time, it's up to you how much it's worth. As hobbyists, we spend a fair amount of time driving to worthy destinations, waiting for seasons and weather conditions to be just right and no one is paying us for that.

 

[Drone on]

Are you required to carry liability insurance? Not so much for the wedding work, but may be for the roof inspections and solar panel inspections?
If so, who do use, and what do your premiums amount to?

 

[jaysrmc]

Are you required to carry liability insurance? Not so much for the wedding work, but may be for the roof inspections and solar panel inspections?
If so, who do use, and what do your premiums amount to?

I carry a 1 million dollar policy, it is about 79 a month.

 

[Drone on]

I carry a 1 million dollar policy, it is about 79 a month.

$1M seems high for what potential damage a drone could cause. How did you arrive at that figure?

 

[STUFF2C]

A million is not much if you clunk someone in the noggin... think like a "dig bite attorney"

 

[Drone on]

A million is not much if you clunk someone in the noggin... think like a "dig bite attorney"

True. I was thinking of property loss.

 

[jaysrmc]

$1M seems high for what potential damage a drone could cause. How did you arrive at that figure?

Well, I thought about what would happen if I crashed into someone and disfigured their face because a car crashed into me and my face was disfigured. The claim was paid out at 1 million but half went to hospital bills, then lawers got their hands in it and the rest paid for my duaghters schooling.

 

[STUFF2C]

In the "Airmap" app Droneinsurance.com offers pay as you fly insurance policies. My plan is to just invoice the customer for the ins cost to cover the flight. Seems like the simplest way to handle it. Thier site lets you choose the amount and type of ins you need for said flight. Might be pricey, but allows you to cover any insurance needs a commercial company would require.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I have been inspecting pipeline for department of energy for a while but now I have another gig doing solar panel inspection. I just started calling around. I just got a call back from a roofing company and would like to know price per job to inspect ceramic roof shingles. Takes 30 min tops, I told them 50 every 30 minutes, they don't have to pay for insurence or worrying about someone break more shingles. It was hard to start out but I just started cold calling comanies that would do inspections. Roofing, construction, solar companies I have even had my infor posted on the local news by sening in photos of sunsets and sunrises, traffic jams etc.. The jobs are here we just need to be hungry enough to go after them.

Since you are hungry for the work, and fearless , let me share some of the ideas that can really increase your income.

Farmers that own alot of land are usually a bit on the older side and really could use some extra help with there property and land.

Have a script ready to go when you call them on knock on there door. on what your Perimiter check can do for them.


Perimiter check around the entire farm.
Search for broken fences.
Search for wounded animails.
Search for stray animals.
Poachers living on there land.
Rivers that are blocked / flooding
Dead rotting animals
Roofs that are ready to fall in .
Buckles in the grain towers.
Dead vegetation
Stolen equipment or abandoned garbage /cats /dogs ect

Many farmers have never even seen there Farms from the sky or the land they own.
Nor the roofs of all the barns .

Once you get one farmer as a client you will get 10.

I also suggest you let your Neighbor Hood watch know that you have a drone and fly a perimiter check
in your neighborhood to keep is safe and report any nonsense you see going on.

Phantomrain.org
Flying in and out out of the storm.

 

[musicjeremy]

What is the deliverable for the perimeter inspection? Is it a grid of photos? A video? Would you use any specialized software like dronedeploy?

 

[Phantomrain.org]

What is the deliverable for the perimeter inspection? Is it a grid of photos? A video? Would you use any specialized software like dronedeploy?

Grid patterns work well, covering the farm estate. Litchi / waypoints work magic in a job like that.

I also think 3 level tiers are important, where you fly at 3 different heights .

With that said pictures are where you will shine finding a possible threat, or item of interest to show them.

The more pictures of the there farm the better.

When you are there , try to get in your head that this is not about the drone but about a helping the farmer.

Many times you can just take your camera and snap pictures of what I would call the mess.

The mess is a barn where there is S storm of crap everywhere filled to the brim with everything you can think of , completely over whelming to anyone that might think about organizing it.

Snap a picture : So one day they can look at it and come up with a plan as to how they might get things done, Awesome added benefit for them.

You dont need to do any editing for them, just put it all on a USB or you can send them a Disc.

Keep in your head that a permiter check is the goal and the drone is just a single tool to help get that job done , but dont rely on that tool alone.

Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor.

 

[Mavrick II]

Nice job! I plan on supplementing my retirement income. I could actually quit my current job and only need to make 1K a week. If I wait a year that will drop to 500 a week when social security kicks in. For now I will just start up and if get overwhelmed with request, retire! to have with backup income and work your own schedule. I am ready to get going this spring.

 

[Point Zero]

Great thread. Thanks to the OP and all that have added their own experiences and ideas!

 

[0317]

Exactly. I only insure the photos and videos are on the card and then job is finished.

I just got my certs two days ago, do you need any waivers before you start "job" hunting?

 

[dirkclod]

OK guys I have had to delete post to get this back on track.
Sorry.
You can carry on now as you were before .

 

[jaysrmc]

OK guys I have had to delete post to get this back on track.
Sorry.
You can carry on now as you were before .

Thanks. I only posted proof that I fly drones for a living, did not insult anyone it was the other chap that came in the thread and started his trash talk so I posted some proof of my work.

Yes I do carry insurance, it is a requirment for many clients and usually the min they will accept is a million dollar policy.

 

[jaysrmc]

I just got my certs two days ago, do you need any waivers before you start "job" hunting?

Nah, you don't need any waiver yet.

I suggest that you do this..
Create a website, it can be generic and just be a place holder to hold your site it should have some content or a link to some good videos you have done.

Anyways, I usually do two things, I cold call or I drive right up to a place on my way to a job that I think could use my services. If I do that, I stop and grab some donuts or something like that, never more than 5 bucks. I just drop in, tell them I am a pretty bad sales guy but I am pretty good at flying drones and feel you may benifit from my services as inspecting a roof can now be done in a matter of a few minutes.

Solar companies are all over the drones, the two I work with now send me more work than I can do right now. I charge them depending on how many panels they have. Usually these inspections take about 15min from the time you drive up and leave. It takes about 5 minutes to do the inspection. 5 minutes to send the photos and video to the drop box account and now the client can see what I got for them. I am usually paid 40-50 per inspection, if it is far away I will charge travel time.

I now have found that most of my solar panel inspections are near golf courts and baseball fields. Those panels can support your weight but a good hit will crack and shatter them.

 

[jaysrmc]

Nah, you don't need any waiver yet.

I suggest that you do this..
Create a website, it can be generic and just be a place holder to hold your site it should have some content or a link to some good videos you have done.

Anyways, I usually do two things, I cold call or I drive right up to a place on my way to a job that I think could use my services. If I do that, I stop and grab some donuts or something like that, never more than 5 bucks. I just drop in, tell them I am a pretty bad sales guy but I am pretty good at flying drones and feel you may benifit from my services as inspecting a roof can now be done in a matter of a few minutes.

Solar companies are all over the drones, the two I work with now send me more work than I can do right now. I charge them depending on how many panels they have. Usually these inspections take about 15min from the time you drive up and leave. It takes about 5 minutes to do the inspection. 5 minutes to send the photos and video to the drop box account and now the client can see what I got for them. I am usually paid 40-50 per inspection, if it is far away I will charge travel time.

I now have found that most of my solar panel inspections are near golf courts and baseball fields. Those panels can support your weight but a good hit will crack and shatter them.

I just got my certs two days ago, do you need any waivers before you start "job" hunting?

The company to hit right now is tesla, their solar panels are the best out there, I did two jobs for them and they pay well but they will not pay travel time so I just bump my hourly rate for them.