New Pilot Needs Advice

[Scanloni]

Hi All,

As a new member I’d like to thank everyone for all the knowledge and advice I’ve already gleaned from this forum. I’m just entering the world of drone piloting and the information you all provide on a daily basis is invaluable.

Having just passed the FAA Part 107 exam, I’m looking at making my first drone purchase. It probably goes without saying that I’m a bit unsure as to which one best suits my needs, and I could really use some help narrowing down the best options. I’d also appreciate any advice with regard to training resources/opportunities to accomplish my goals.

A quick background about myself might help- I’m a USAF veteran, having served as Crew Chief on an A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog. I then had a career as an electro-mechanical technician working for defense related agencies such as Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics. Most recently I was a lighthouse technician for the USCG Boston. I’m also an FAA licensed Airframe and Powerplant Aircraft Mechanic.

I’m entering the drone pilot field with professional aspirations on a freelance basis. I don’t intend to get rich flying drones, but ideally it would be a profitable side business. I’m willing to invest the time and money necessary to accomplish this, with regard to training and equipment.

I’m struggling a bit in terms of distinguishing which avenues to pursue. As I said, I’m willing to invest in training and high-end equipment if the return justifies doing so. However, I don’t want to waste a lot of time and money only to find opportunities are few and far between.

I understand many of you fly Mavic Pro, Air, zoom, Phantoms, etc as both hobby and financial gain. Perhaps I’ll be joining that group when all is said and done. That said, there are more expensive drones such as the Matrice, Inspire, Enterprise, etc that are evidently suited for more advanced tasks that I presume would lead to a more significant financial return.

Should I invest in one of the higher-end drones focusing on providing more advanced services? Again, I’m willing to pursue whatever training is necessary/available to justify the relatively large financial investment.

Anyone here doing, or attempted to do what I’ve described? Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts, advice, experience.

 

[vindibona1]

The answer IMO is pretty simple. You're in the US (Boston). You have a Part 107. You want to do professional work.
AT THIS MOMENT if I had to guide you to your first drone it would unquestioningly be the DJI Air 2s. It is state of the art and competes with DJI's top prosumer drone the Mavic 2 Pro. It actually has some great features that the Mavic 2 does not. The only drawback between the Air2s and the M2P is that the M2P has a variable aperture, from f2.8-f11. The Air2s has a fixed aperture of f2.8. I would say the images are comparable. The flight characteristics are probably similar enough.

A lot of first time drone buyers start with something like a Mini/Mini 2. If money is an object that's something to think about because the fly more combo of the Mini 2 is $600 while the Air2s is $1300 which is still cheaper than the M2P combo which is now long in the tooth which will probably be replaced soon by a M3. However it is my experience that as good as the Mini 2 has, it has limitations that might not be acceptible for commercial use. While it is strong enough to withstand relatively strong winds, it's light weight makes it hard to retain stability in very windy conditions. My Mavic 2 Pro is MUCH more stable in more difficult conditions and I suspect the Air2s would perform similarly. There are a lot more filiming nuances and features in the Air2s that I know I'd want to have, even if I only used them occasionally. The film quality of the Air2s is hard to beat, and excels in low light conditions where the Mini/Mini2/Mavic Air2, with smaller sensors to do not do so well with low light.

I don't own an Air2s but if I were starting again today that's the one I'd buy. I may own one some day unless the Mavic 3 is more compelling when it is finally released.

 

[Prop Wash]

Another thing to consider is the airframe type. The high-end models you mentioned tend to be larger & fixed frame UAVs, where the "Mavic"drones are smaller & foldable. If you end up doing high-end, high$ jobs, the high-end drones would definitely work - It's just that they would be more difficult to transport which may cost you more $ to do so depending on the job you're doing.

 

[Meta4]

Should I invest in one of the higher-end drones focusing on providing more advanced services? Again, I’m willing to pursue whatever training is necessary/available to justify the relatively large financial investment.

I would recommend being in a position of finding the work that requires a large, expensive, specialised drone before spending that sort of money.

Anyone here doing, or attempted to do what I’ve described?

Yes, lots are, but don't imagine there's work out there for any guy who turns up with a drone.

There's no shortage of hopeful drone owners who would like to generate income with their drone, but there's a shortage of customers that need someone to do drone work for them.
These days drones are cheap and easy to fly and many of the people that might have paid a drone operator a couple of years ago are now doing it for themselves.

Over on the commercial drone sister forum, posts similar to yours are quite common.
Here are a couple that might give you some ideas:

Any recommendations for starting out?

Hey everyone! Thank you for your replies on my last post. I started doing more research and developed a game plan. However, if someone could help me out real quick that'd be perfect. So I began researching different drones and their different applications. I think I'm interested in...

commercialdronepilots.com

About starting a business

So many come to this site wanting to start a drone-based business. Many here share their experiences and knowledge. What would be nice to see is a thread on starting a drone-based business business. It would be easy for someone to spend a great deal of money on a drone or drones and then not be...

commercialdronepilots.com

Looking to start aerial photography for real estate business.. Needing guidance

Hello, I've done research and have this completed so far: -Bought/ Practices with 2 different drones -Part 107 license -Insurance (through SkyWatch.. unless you have a better choice) -LLC in the works -Logo + business cards in the works The last couple things I am looking at are pricing and...

commercialdronepilots.com

Career change to drone pilot ?????

Hello all , from sunny South Carolina. My name is Ray and I am hoping to gain as much insight/input good or bad as I can get in the drone pilot field. I am 46 years old and due to wear and tear over the years I am in need of finding a good career/business that will carry me to retirement. I have...

commercialdronepilots.com

 

[vindibona1]

@Scanloni You've told us about your flight credentials and that's great. Thinking about @Meta4 said above, the one thing that should be asked is WHAT KIND OF FILMING/Photography EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE? Before you invest a ton, do you have the FILMING experience that would lead you to any commercial work. Building a portfolio and reputation and client base takes time, assuming you can produce a quality product. Aiming a little lower at the beginning isn't a bad thing because if you do get into flying/filming as a professional you're going to need a backup drone anyway.

In my case my primary is a Mavic 2 Pro but my secondary is a Mini 2, which was upgraded from a Mini 1. But I had the Mini 1 first and then got the M2P six weeks later, but didn't regret buying the Mini nor upgrading to the Mini 2. If you want a practice drone that will ultimately be a backup, if you're ultimately aiming higher, perhaps the Mini 2 should be your first to learn on buying you time until you get something bigger/better?

 

[DougMcC]

There are two skills you will need to master - flying the drone in US airspace AND aerial photography/videography. You then will learn how to integrate these skills and knowledge to meet the needs of your client. Those A 10 pilots had to first learn to fly simpler aircraft. Navigate, work with controllers and airspace etc. THEN they learned how to deliver what their clients needed (depleted uranium high velocity projectiles) on target. Best starting platform in my opinion for you is a Mavic Air 2S. I have a Mavic 2 pro and the Air 2S. You will enjoy mastering these skills!

 

[vindibona1]

There are two skills you will need to master - flying the drone in US airspace AND aerial photography/videography. You then will learn how to integrate these skills and knowledge to meet the needs of your client. Those A 10 pilots had to first learn to fly simpler aircraft. Navigate, work with controllers and airspace etc. THEN they learned how to deliver what their clients needed (depleted uranium high velocity projectiles) on target. Best starting platform in my opinion for you is a Mavic Air 2S. I have a Mavic 2 pro and the Air 2S. You will enjoy mastering these skills!

How would describe the different flying characteristics between M2P and A2S? Stability, handling, response, ability to control? One of the features on the M2P that I really enjoy and take advantage of a lot is the tripod mode. The top speed is 2.5mph which provides more precision and smoothness. In contrast the Mini 2's "Cine" mode has a top speed of 13mph and the stick curves and latency make it very difficult to be extremely precise, especially where inches count. I know that Mavic Air2 has a Cine mode speed of 11mph, interestingly slower than the Mini 2.

 

[DaveS]

All the advice I've read here is excellent. Here is what I've gone through personally. I'm the DP (Dir of Photography), Chief Videographer, whatever title you like for a medium sized advertising/marketing agency. I shoot all the video for TV commercials, industrial videos and social media. My boss wanted to get into drones when the very first Phantom came out so, we did. I learned to fly that simply by flying alot, then I crashed it, got an Inspire 1 and, after many years, crashed that. Now we have the Mavic Pro 2. I love it. We could have purchased the Inspire 2 but it was very expensive and, frankly, if I flew that drone, I'd want someone else to operate the camera. So, that's it for DJI. But honestly, we did look at other drones, most notably Autel. Also, DJI's Geo-fencing is so restrictive and doesn't match up with the FAA rules, that we are now considering the XDynamics Evo II. Research more, then carefully choose but remember, you can own more than one drone over time.

 

[Scanloni]

Thanks for the great replies everyone. I believe I’m excitedly getting ahead of myself with regards to considering the high-end drones.

I suppose it makes a lot more sense to start smaller with something like a Mavic 2 Pro/Air2S, and get familiar with producing video before jumping ahead toward loftier goals. A smaller initial investment will also make the learning process far more enjoyable as opposed to putting a lot of pressure on myself right from the start by purchasing a $10K drone system and then having to figure out what to do with it. If/when I’m ready to invest in something like that, which will likely take longer than I originally anticipated, I’m sure I could still make use of the Mavic so might as well start there and enjoy getting my feet wet.

 

[itallica]

The answer IMO is pretty simple. You're in the US (Boston). You have a Part 107. You want to do professional work.
AT THIS MOMENT if I had to guide you to your first drone it would unquestioningly be the DJI Air 2s. It is state of the art and competes with DJI's top prosumer drone the Mavic 2 Pro. It actually has some great features that the Mavic 2 does not. The only drawback between the Air2s and the M2P is that the M2P has a variable aperture, from f2.8-f11. The Air2s has a fixed aperture of f2.8. I would say the images are comparable. The flight characteristics are probably similar enough.

I own an air2s ... LOVE it for all the reasons you state above, but the BIG drawback is it will never have litchi support, and maven and dronedeploy are ?months? out even after DJI releases the SDK. This is really holding me back from even doing some personal projects I want to do, much less learning mapping and 3D modeling. In hindsight I should have bought the cheapest used MA2 I could find and work work work until the MA3 comes out.

 

[vindibona1]

I own an air2s ... LOVE it for all the reasons you state above, but the BIG drawback is it will never have litchi support, and maven and dronedeploy are ?months? out even after DJI releases the SDK. This is really holding me back from even doing some personal projects I want to do, much less learning mapping and 3D modeling. In hindsight I should have bought the cheapest used MA2 I could find and work work work until the MA3 comes out.

I think Litchi will add it on should DJI ever release the SDK's. Still waiting on the Mini 2 with Litchi myself. FWIW my M2P was purchased as a refurb and I couldn't be happier. I was able to swing a deal with a retailer (who will remain unidentified) for the M2P refurb with a separate flymore kit for $1500 inclusive of tax and shipping. A deal I couldn't refuse. The "refurbished" drone came absolutely brand spankin' new in absolutely every respect including the packaging. I couldn't be happier as, with tax, would have cost me $2200 for a "new" one. It was from an authorized reseller and had no trouble getting care/refresh through DJI.

 

[GFields]

Greetings!

IMHO and experience start small and build your fleet as you meet opportunities. When I started, I bought several drones including the Inspire 2. However, I rarely, if ever, got jobs that warrant having the I2.

I would suggest purchasing the new Mavic Air 2s. It is capable of taking great images as well as video. Then add to your equipment as needed.

 

[Rabber]

Hi All,

As a new member I’d like to thank everyone for all the knowledge and advice I’ve already gleaned from this forum. I’m just entering the world of drone piloting and the information you all provide on a daily basis is invaluable.

Having just passed the FAA Part 107 exam, I’m looking at making my first drone purchase. It probably goes without saying that I’m a bit unsure as to which one best suits my needs, and I could really use some help narrowing down the best options. I’d also appreciate any advice with regard to training resources/opportunities to accomplish my goals.

A quick background about myself might help- I’m a USAF veteran, having served as Crew Chief on an A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog. I then had a career as an electro-mechanical technician working for defense related agencies such as Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics. Most recently I was a lighthouse technician for the USCG Boston. I’m also an FAA licensed Airframe and Powerplant Aircraft Mechanic.

I’m entering the drone pilot field with professional aspirations on a freelance basis. I don’t intend to get rich flying drones, but ideally it would be a profitable side business. I’m willing to invest the time and money necessary to accomplish this, with regard to training and equipment.

I’m struggling a bit in terms of distinguishing which avenues to pursue. As I said, I’m willing to invest in training and high-end equipment if the return justifies doing so. However, I don’t want to waste a lot of time and money only to find opportunities are few and far between.

I understand many of you fly Mavic Pro, Air, zoom, Phantoms, etc as both hobby and financial gain. Perhaps I’ll be joining that group when all is said and done. That said, there are more expensive drones such as the Matrice, Inspire, Enterprise, etc that are evidently suited for more advanced tasks that I presume would lead to a more significant financial return.

Should I invest in one of the higher-end drones focusing on providing more advanced services? Again, I’m willing to pursue whatever training is necessary/available to justify the relatively large financial investment.

Anyone here doing, or attempted to do what I’ve described? Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts, advice, experience.

If you read this forum much, you will notice MANY pilot errors resulting in the damage or loss of a drone. If you are new, buy an inexpensive (Air) drone to LEARN how they work. Do not go out and but an expensive model and lose or damage it.

 

[Rabber]

Another bit of advice. Drones photography is very mainstream. If you think you are going to buy a drone and start making any money, think again.
Pro drone photography is HIGHLY competitive with MANY well trained pro's. Do a google search for "Professional drone photography"
Not only are you going to have to learn drone photographic techniques, you are also going to have to be skilled in video editing software and all that entails.

 

[tlswift58]

The answer IMO is pretty simple. You're in the US (Boston). You have a Part 107. You want to do professional work.
AT THIS MOMENT if I had to guide you to your first drone it would unquestioningly be the DJI Air 2s. It is state of the art and competes with DJI's top prosumer drone the Mavic 2 Pro. It actually has some great features that the Mavic 2 does not. The only drawback between the Air2s and the M2P is that the M2P has a variable aperture, from f2.8-f11. The Air2s has a fixed aperture of f2.8. I would say the images are comparable. The flight characteristics are probably similar enough.

A lot of first time drone buyers start with something like a Mini/Mini 2. If money is an object that's something to think about because the fly more combo of the Mini 2 is $600 while the Air2s is $1300 which is still cheaper than the M2P combo which is now long in the tooth which will probably be replaced soon by a M3. However it is my experience that as good as the Mini 2 has, it has limitations that might not be acceptible for commercial use. While it is strong enough to withstand relatively strong winds, it's light weight makes it hard to retain stability in very windy conditions. My Mavic 2 Pro is MUCH more stable in more difficult conditions and I suspect the Air2s would perform similarly. There are a lot more filiming nuances and features in the Air2s that I know I'd want to have, even if I only used them occasionally. The film quality of the Air2s is hard to beat, and excels in low light conditions where the Mini/Mini2/Mavic Air2, with smaller sensors to do not do so well with low light.

I don't own an Air2s but if I were starting again today that's the one I'd buy. I may own one some day unless the Mavic 3 is more compelling when it is finally released.

Agree on the Air 2 / 2S. Once you get your flying legs, maybe look for a more pro drone and maybe the 3 will be out by then. No details on it, but should be good all around.

 

[tlswift58]

The drone is just one part of the arsenal you'll need. You'll need a darn good computer that can handle 4k video files (huge size), some decent editing software for pictures and also editing video files, and LOTS of storage capacity - like a NAS with several large TB hard drives. Those items will cost you more than most of the drones that DJI makes - outside of the Inspire.

As for DJI and Geo-fencing. POOH. Planning your missions in advance takes care of much of those hassles. You've got to look at the areas you'll be flying and if any restrictions be aware of clearing them BEFORE you go fly. I have an Air2 and been told a couple of times that I needed access and simply went thru the UNLOCK procedure - as they do vary depending on restrictions you encounter. ZERO ISSUES not unlocking and unable to fly.

There are also some companies that send out contract work for shooting warehouse locations and such. Maybe if you get good enough - the local real estate market may be another area as well. A buddy of mine flies contract work from a place in Texas. Don't know the name of it, but should be Google-able.

BTW - was a "crew dog" as well. Worked the A-10 for about 5 years, but also worked F-111A's, F-4D's, F-15 A/B's, and F-16 C/D's for 20 long years. Thought about getting my 107 and went to classes with DartDrones, but did not buy my first drone for a couple of years. Wanted the Phantom 4 Pro, but wasn't going to pay top dollar for an older drone. Got me a Mini to learn to fly and if you can fly that little bugger well, then the bigger drones should be a piece of cake. Then got an Air2 and it's my go to drone for waterfalling and everything else. The Air 2S is nice with the bigger camera sensor -but not worth me upgrading, since I only fly recreationally. No longer interested in flying commercial, as fully retired and love just flying for fun. The FPV drone by DJI is cool, but pricey as well.

If you can find a Mini 2 or Air2 on the cheap - make sure to get the FlyMore kit with it for extra batteries and such - then go that route and LEARN TO FLY first. Then decide IF going commercial is something you want to do and look at the more Prosumer drones. Know nothing of Autel, Yuntec (if still in business), or other drones makers. Love my little small drones as they can be taken most anywhere - where a large drone is not so much.

 

[vindibona1]

As for DJI and Geo-fencing. POOH. Planning your missions in advance takes care of much of those hassles. You've got to look at the areas you'll be flying and if any restrictions be aware of clearing them BEFORE you go fly. I have an Air2 and been told a couple of times that I needed access and simply went thru the UNLOCK procedure - as they do vary depending on restrictions you encounter. ZERO ISSUES not unlocking and unable to fly.

I agree with tlswift58 for the most part but would like to add a few comments. You must plan in advance because often it is unlikely that you can get unlocked in the field on site. I have failed with that numeous times and even had issues from home. Most recently I had applied for and granted a custom unlock as I needed it for a period of time. The unlock was to grant me 500 meters (1600 ft) from the stated homepoint and I barely got 30m/100ft. Their self unlock process isn't clear and is buggy. So as tls said... plan ahead and test beforehand if you can.

 

[tlswift58]

I agree with tlswift58 for the most part but would like to add a few comments. You must plan in advance because often it is unlikely that you can get unlocked in the field on site. I have failed with that numeous times and even had issues from home. Most recently I had applied for and granted a custom unlock as I needed it for a period of time. The unlock was to grant me 500 meters (1600 ft) from the stated homepoint and I barely got 30m/100ft. Their self unlock process isn't clear and is buggy. So as tls said... plan ahead and test beforehand if you can.

When I'm out flying - I have a Wi-Fi only tablet that I use, so there is no Internet connection 99.999% of the time. My last flight was at Toccoa Falls, which is located on Toccoa College property. I'm guessing I had some access as a screen popped up wanting me to "authorize" my flight (I did not connect to their Internet that I'm aware of - so must have been public if anything). I simply clicked on ok and everything was fine. My buddy was flying his Mavic Pro with SC and got the same message. Once he figured out how to "okay" the flight - he was off and flying as well. Another buddy with a DJI FPV was flying too - but no idea if he got the "authorization" request or not - he did not mention it. All it was was asking me to take responsibility for flying in that location - not to a point of any LAANC's or such.

 

[itallica]

I think Litchi will add it on should DJI ever release the SDK's. Still waiting on the Mini 2 with Litchi myself.

I may be misinformed, but I was told the air2/s doesn't have the processing power and whatever hardware it needs to be able to use the GPS to get done what litchi needs to it get done. I hope you're right. Soon.

 

[vindibona1]

I may be misinformed, but I was told the air2/s doesn't have the processing power and whatever hardware it needs to be able to use the GPS to get done what litchi needs to it get done. I hope you're right. Soon.

I may be uninformed but I hadn't heard anything about that at all. What are your sources? Considering the amount of processing that might be needed for the additional video strain on the system you might be right, but I don't know. Perhaps if you wrote Litchi they might provide some insight. I know they won't have an SDK to start work on it yet, but they might know if there is a possibility of it being available- or no hope.