Landed First Gig - Thanks Everyone!

[rjwmorrell]

So after just a short while and just 3 hours of flying time, but after following loads of advice both here and from some great YouTubers who do this for a living, I've "landed" a first gig. It's a roofing company who happened to be doing work nearby and out of pure luck, they were already looking to add drone footage to their social media and their website to help promote their business.

I showed them some videos that I had already shot (including my own roof inspection one) and they liked it!

Commercial work is a lot easier here in Canada, since the rules came into effect in 2019 you do not need a Special Flight Operations Certificate to do commercial drone work. I was already looking into insurance and had written the Advanced pilot exam, by the end of the summer I hope to do the flight review to get the Advanced certificate -- this will allow me to fly the larger of my two drones, the Air 2S, in controlled airspace (which covers most of the city I live in!). This gig will be shot on the smaller sub 250g drone, which has fewer flight restrictions.

 

[Gagey52]

Good onya mate. Keep at it.
Regards

 

[DefCon65]

I'm in Canada as well and have the advanced operations license. If you passed the exam, you should have no trouble with the flight review. Just keep safety in mind (as always) because that's what they are primarily interested in. If you can show safety oriented flight, you'll pass the review with no issues

 

[rjwmorrell]

Thanks! I'm planning to build up some flight time and practice my mission planning, site survey, and emergency procedures a bit more but I feel pretty confident that I should do ok. Honestly, the exam took me two tries (but I did not study at all the first time!) so I'm expecting at least a bit of a challenge for the flight review -- but your comment puts me a little more at ease!

 

[DefCon65]

Thanks! I'm planning to build up some flight time and practice my mission planning, site survey, and emergency procedures a bit more but I feel pretty confident that I should do ok. Honestly, the exam took me two tries (but I did not study at all the first time!) so I'm expecting at least a bit of a challenge for the flight review -- but your comment puts me a little more at ease!

Here's a link to what is, in my opinion, the best prep for a flight review:

 

[f13dfx]

Hello! Congratulations on getting your first gig. I turned 65 back earlier this year & I do use my current drones, the Mavic 3 & Mini 3 Pro w/RC Pro controller for the industry I’m in whenever I can. I often get challenged as to the legality of my Mini 3 Pro flights with some of the situations I’m in.

Would like to know what one would charge once they land a gig with a roofing or real estate company. And would it be based on an hourly basis, number of photos/videos taken, or what other parameters. Haven’t bothered to do the Advanced Exam yet since my work is usually out in the countryside but got inspired by your post to revisit this opportunity again. I have about 50 hours of flying time between a Mavic 2 Pro, Mini 2, Autel Nano+, Mavic 3 & Mini 3 Pro.

Congrats & thanks in advance!