After flying and photographing with the Mavic Pro for over a year I have had acquaintances ask if I could do some photography for them. It seems there is a market out there for drone photography and the Mavic system quality seems to meet the needs of individuals that have contacted me.
That brings up the subject of an FAA UAS license that is needed to stay legal (if you are doing commercial photography). The exam itself costs $150 and is quite challenging in at least two aspects for most of us new to aviation in general; first, the "map reading and interpreting" sections of the exam and secondly, the meteorological coverage.
The meteorological questions are quite challenging even for someone who has taken and passed, the NOAA WeatherSpotter courses. The FAA UAS exam questions cover the weather formats provided to private and commercial pilots in the "streaming" format that is gibberish to the uninitiated (but is easy to interpret if you know the order and style format of the information).
The aeronautical "map reading" questions are also challenging for those not used to the symbology and dense information provided in standard aeronautical charts (i.e., the ones private pilots use). Again, what's needed is careful explanations of everything on the charts.
The actual FAA UAS exam focuses on these two areas and that makes it a difficult test for the uninitiated. If you have a private pilot's license, you are "initiated." But that category covers very few drone pilots.
So, how do we study for the test in the hope of getting a passing grade?
I've answered that question by enrolling in the course found at UAVgroundschool.com. The first three lessons are free online for anyone to try. All the lessons are well done, taught by actually licensed instructors, and with plenty of visuals. Sample questions are sprinkled liberally throughout and there are full practice exams (automatically graded) to build up your skillset and reduce anxiety. The videos for each lesson are worth the price of the ground school. They can be paused and rerun again and again until the concepts are cemented into your brain. The site even refunds your fee if you fail the test (but you won't). You receive permanent access to the materials and that's important since you have to re-qualify every 24 months with a written exam.
I really enjoy the setup for professional looking drone photography and the actual flying itself. With the Mavic we have a cost-effective platform for commercial photography. With the FAA license, we can be legal and responsible operators. I energetically recommend taking the UAVgroundschool course. Try out the first few lessons even if you have no intention of testing for the license; it's valuable information and well delivered! It's also fun.
Let's stay safe and sane and give drone pilots a good reputation.
That brings up the subject of an FAA UAS license that is needed to stay legal (if you are doing commercial photography). The exam itself costs $150 and is quite challenging in at least two aspects for most of us new to aviation in general; first, the "map reading and interpreting" sections of the exam and secondly, the meteorological coverage.
The meteorological questions are quite challenging even for someone who has taken and passed, the NOAA WeatherSpotter courses. The FAA UAS exam questions cover the weather formats provided to private and commercial pilots in the "streaming" format that is gibberish to the uninitiated (but is easy to interpret if you know the order and style format of the information).
The aeronautical "map reading" questions are also challenging for those not used to the symbology and dense information provided in standard aeronautical charts (i.e., the ones private pilots use). Again, what's needed is careful explanations of everything on the charts.
The actual FAA UAS exam focuses on these two areas and that makes it a difficult test for the uninitiated. If you have a private pilot's license, you are "initiated." But that category covers very few drone pilots.
So, how do we study for the test in the hope of getting a passing grade?
I've answered that question by enrolling in the course found at UAVgroundschool.com. The first three lessons are free online for anyone to try. All the lessons are well done, taught by actually licensed instructors, and with plenty of visuals. Sample questions are sprinkled liberally throughout and there are full practice exams (automatically graded) to build up your skillset and reduce anxiety. The videos for each lesson are worth the price of the ground school. They can be paused and rerun again and again until the concepts are cemented into your brain. The site even refunds your fee if you fail the test (but you won't). You receive permanent access to the materials and that's important since you have to re-qualify every 24 months with a written exam.
I really enjoy the setup for professional looking drone photography and the actual flying itself. With the Mavic we have a cost-effective platform for commercial photography. With the FAA license, we can be legal and responsible operators. I energetically recommend taking the UAVgroundschool course. Try out the first few lessons even if you have no intention of testing for the license; it's valuable information and well delivered! It's also fun.
Let's stay safe and sane and give drone pilots a good reputation.
