Anyone using Hanger Autopilot?

[Mike_Flys]

Mike,

What kind of $$ does Hanger pay for flying their missions? I’ve been studying for the 107 certificate just to have it so actually using it professionally would be even better.

I know there’s another company with an app that pays people to fly but I believe the pay is crap. They, like hanger, own the rights to everything you capture while flying their missions, which I understand, but if it costs more money than you make you’re getting screwed.

Your thoughts?

It depends on the mission, but $40-$50 or so. But when you think about it your driving to and from and mostly baby sitting the drone while you are there. In most cases if you are on site 30 minutes your doing it wrong.
Drone Base pays about double that but you have to hand fly their missions, more work and takes a bit longer.

For both work depends on where you live, and how many other drone pilots are near you.

Mike

 

[kenny d]

I’m in Connecticut. How would I go about finding out the number of pilots in my area?

 

[Mike_Flys]

I’m in Connecticut. How would I go about finding out the number of pilots in my area?

If it’s about work then you really only have to worry about commercial pilots that are actually working.

I know a lot of the comercial Drone pilots near me. I have met them at FAA Safety events, Airshows, seminars, Drone fly-ins and other local events.

Comercial Drone Facebook groups, meetup, yellow pages, word of mouth,....
Also I’m guessing that some of the people that paid $150 to get there sUAS may not pay another $150 to renew it.

I’m sure if you hit up the comercial pilot forums there will be people with other ideas.

Mike

 

[kenny d]

Thanks Mike. At $40 - $75 an hour it doesn’t look like I’ll get rich flying a drone. After paying for training, licensing, commercial insurance, equipment maintenance and upgrades, auto maintenance, gas, driving time, marketing, there’s probably not enough left over to make it profitable. And to top it off, the video and stills that you submit may not be good enough to get you paid.

I’m not a very good photographer or videographer to begin with so more training and practice in those areas are a necessity before I think seriously about commercial drone work.

I’ll just keep practicing with Autopilot and learn the ins and outs of that and maybe, who knows, I’ll become a flight instructor for that platform.

Thanks for all your time.

Kenny

 

[Mike_Flys]

Thanks Mike. At $40 - $75 an hour it doesn’t look like I’ll get rich flying a drone. After paying for training, licensing, commercial insurance, equipment maintenance and upgrades, auto maintenance, gas, driving time, marketing, there’s probably not enough left over to make it profitable. And to top it off, the video and stills that you submit may not be good enough to get you paid.

I’m not a very good photographer or videographer to begin with so more training and practice in those areas are a necessity before I think seriously about commercial drone work.

I’ll just keep practicing with Autopilot and learn the ins and outs of that and maybe, who knows, I’ll become a flight instructor for that platform.

Thanks for all your time.

Kenny

It is not for everyone, but it is a fun hobby. The industry is still growing and has a lot to work through.
Fortunately for me making money with my drones and/or photos/videos is not my main source of income. But does make a good side hustle and one I plan to grow. The best way to make money is to work for yourself, but it doesn't mean you have to quit your day job, at least at first anyway.
As a small business "paying for training, licensing, commercial insurance, equipment maintenance and upgrades, auto maintenance, gas, driving time, marketing," become write offs.

If it is something you want to do, then start it out as a side gig and build it over time.
Being able to do ground pics and videos is something you may consider adding required by Drone Base).
Network visit drone meet ups, go to FAAST seminars, join drone groups, and Commercial Drone Pilots for forum (link at the bottom of every page here) ...
Take photo and video classes. There are tons of them on line for free. Talk with local realtors and insurance companies...

I highly recommend looking at Petr's blogs https://www.photoflightam.com/drone-news-blog/ and listening to his podcast https://dronephotographypodcast.com/
I have learned tons from him over the past couple years and he is an inspiration to me.

As a lifetime Aviation geek, Airplane/Seaplane pilot, a guy who has been shooting pictures since the 70s and video since the 80s started flying RC helicopters in 2000... you might think I have an advantage, but I assure you it doesn't mean I will be better or more successful at this than you.

If you like it and think you would enjoy making a $ at it. go for it.

Mike

 

[MotorBertje]

Nice discussion. I am trying to setup airspace as well for tracking purposes but I am facing a problem.
I am using iPhone 6 together with a iPhone 7. Both phones see eachother (namens and blue icons) but they do not share the gps positions. Same with iPad 4 mini and another iPhone 7. Do you have any idea of what I am doing wrong?

I tried peer to peer as well as Network. Same story I am able to enter the airspace, see the phones names but not gps locations.

 

[BossOlive]

It's 30$ that's the probiblem, why pay money when you can use dji go, or the ever useful AIRMAP

 

[monikati]

Mike,

Thanks for you input. I’ve been studying Autopilot Flight School for a month to familiarize myself thoroughly with it before taking my first flight using it. I have yet to try autonomous flight using any app and have kept my hands on the controller for every flight I’ve ever taken with my MPP. I plan on making my first autonomous flight next weekend, weather permitting, which will be a short waypoint mission with 2 or 3 waypoints along the Naugatuck River in Connecticut. It’s a fly fishing only area and the area I want to scout isn’t easily accessible, highway on one side and small mountains on the other.FileZilla Malwarebytes Rufus I can launch in an area downstream and fly upriver to get my shots and then gain altitude and come straight back to the home point.

Any pointers you can give me, other than the obvious, make sure RTH is set high enough, etc.

Thanks for your time and expertise.

Kenny

How "enforced" are these regulations?

 

[BossOlive]

Kenny I use Autopilot, and all of the Hangar apps including hangar 360. It is a great app even for the price.
It is very robust app allowing you to create flying assisted flights such as keeping the camera pointed on target while you fly, or fully automated flights where the drone self flies, and records video, photos, panos,.... according to the pre-programed flight.

I have flown some pre-programmed missions on a couple commercial jobs. It lets me do a lot of the work from home the night or days before. Then when I get to the job site I do a safety flight to make sure all my altitudes and flight paths are safe, adjust if I have to then send it on it's way while I watch closely for safety.

When you combine it with Airspace it will follow anyone's I-device that joins your airspace and any DJI drones that are connected to their devices.
I would love to use airspace more than I have.

Biggest downside for me is it only works on IOS so it does not on Android. While I generally fly with an iPad Mini 4, I do own and have flown with an Android tablet before. I actually bought my I-Pad mini to fly Autopilot. I much preferer flying a tablet to a phone



DJI G04 doesn't allow you to fly pre programed way points from a map, and shoot video at one take pictures at another, 360 at another...
DJI's GS Pro (also known as Ground Station Pro) does let you fly preprogramed flights from waypoints on a map, but doesn't have half the features of AutoPilot.

DJI go4 is a good app, and I do fly with it more than Autopilot.
Autopilot is another tool in my tool box, for missions that would be harder or near impossible to hand fly.

Just my $0.02

Mike

I tried setting up my mavic on iPad Air 2 to follow my Spark on iPhone 6sPlus
My mavic just stayed there. Is it possible?
If so I need a walkthrough or something.
Airspace was all configured calibrated I must be doing something wrong.
Anyone with step by step ?

 

[Mike_Flys]

I tried setting up my mavic on iPad Air 2 to follow my Spark on iPhone 6sPlus
My mavic just stayed there. Is it possible?
If so I need a walkthrough or something.
Airspace was all configured calibrated I must be doing something wrong.
Anyone with step by step ?

I’m sorry I haven’t used autopilot and airspace in several months.
Last time I did any auto flight through 3rd party app I used Litchi because I like planning my flights on the computer.
Unfortunately Litchi doesn’t have anything like airspace that I am aware of.

I’m sorry I’m no help.

 

[BossOlive]

I’m sorry I haven’t used autopilot and airspace in several months.
Last time I did any auto flight through 3rd party app I used Litchi because I like planning my flights on the computer.
Unfortunately Litchi doesn’t have anything like airspace that I am aware of.

I’m sorry I’m no help.

No worries.
Doesn’t seem to be a lot of people using airspace. Or autopilot. Lol

 

[BossOlive]

Sorry I misunderstood.
It works good for keeping a focus or tracking someone, especially in an area with shadows, or lots of background and for ground noise like trees and shrubs. Where active track can loose them if if have a good gps signal and drop an iPhone in their pocket they will stay in frame.

Also better at drone on drone tracking than active track... well as long as your tracking a DJI drone connected to an i device.

I was bummed when the OSMO software "AutoFrame" quit working with Airspace. I'm starting to think they will never fix it.
I haven't used airspace as much as I do the flight planning of autopilot. I will have to make it a goal to use it more.


Mike

Have you ever tried following a Spark in Airspace?
I’m trying to get that sorted out,any pointers ?