Shout out to all "Professional" Mavic users

[AndrewM]

Is anyone doing anything agricultural wise with theirs? Surveys, crops, weeds/pests, livestock monitoring, irrigation and drainage? That sort of thing.

Just wondering

I do landscape, garden, wetlands and some tree canopy work. I realized quite by accident that it's also a good method for spotting annal bluegrass outbreaks in bluegrass turf. You can easily see the color differences and the annual bluegrass shows up as very distinct circles in the perennial (Kentucky) bluegrass. We also use it recently to survey the side of a building where flying squirrels were getting into the building through knot holes in the wood siding. When we flew the AC back and forth along the building sides (about 200 feet each side) you could clearly see where the squirrels had found holes that just needed a bit of chewing to gain entrance. Of course catching the squirrels is a very different story.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Hi everyone
Found this thread and have a couple questions if you could please chime in.

Short story:
My wife is a real estate broker. I do all her marketing and content creation from photo shoots to videos. Figured the next step would be to get the drone.

After doing the research it obviously is more complicated to actually perform this service from FAA requirements for commercial use. I completely understand the need to get the 107 certificate and would be happy to go through testing. But there are a lot of airports, a lot. Everywhere. Small and large. Can't fly within 5 miles. I know it is possible to operate within airport airspace after getting ATF approval. Online I was reading you could call them directly and get approval. Seems okay. But, I was viewing Tony Northrups training video and it no longer is okay to call. You have to go through the FAA and then they mediate it. And it takes 90 days get an okay. This won't work for real estate videos/photos.

How do you pro's deal with this? Are there quicker ways to get approval?

I appreciate the honest perspective. Thanks

Very lucky where I live, as we have very little controlled airspace.

First, as a certified part 107, you do not need to get authorization from class G airports, nor do you need to notify them to fly under part 107. There are lots of airports that are class G, I.E. uncontrolled.

You will need authorization for Class B,C,D, and E surface.

Yes, as of right now, the process is ridiculous, but I am hoping that they live up to their word of having near real-time authorizations soon.

Their FAA visualize maps are an encouraging sign, as that is the first step toward that goal.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

[John A.]

Can anyone tell me who is going to ensure that you have a 107 certificate? I mean if someone was to just do some real estate work who's going to enforce these rules. It's not like a buzzer goes off the minute you take flight. I'm just curious.


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Have an accident, or an encounter with Law Enforcement that goes sideways....and you'd find out pretty quick who is enforcing. I'm a licensed pilot......and I've [Comment edited by Admin] while flying (violated a TCA at night one time) and had a few freinds who've [Comment edited by Admin] worse than that. Do NOT screw around with the FAA. They have resources and they have people dedicated to enforcement and they have all the time in the world. Taking regulations with a cavalier attitude it a guaranteed way to INCREASE regulation (for both commercial and recreational).

 

[John A.]

I am taking my test for 107 certification soon. I wanted you guys opinion on something. Do you all think the police will start operating Mavics in place of helicopters? Also do you think DJI will work with law enforcement to make specialized versions of it? I was just thinking that rural areas could provide themselves air support with a little bit of training if every patrol car had one of these babies in it. It might be just the thing they need to fight this Heroin and Meth epidemic.


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I live in a rural area. I actually visited my local PD and Sheriff, explained what I'm doing and who I am (recreational and commercial) and offerred my services to them on a complimentary basis at any time they saw the need. I strongly encouraged them to purchase a drone for thier dept, and offered to assist anyone in thier dept with getting 'trained up' in both the flying, photography/video and post processing aspects. I was invited back to both the local pd and Sheriff's dept to brief their officers/deputies on how modern drones work and what the current regulations are around them. Now, when I'm out and see an officer or deputy...they wave and I wave. Sometimes they stop and chat or look over my shoulder. That's how we build our hobby/business. Be part of our community....rather than a bunch of oddballs with those spooky drones spying on people..LOL.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

I live in a rural area. I actually visited my local PD and Sheriff, explained what I'm doing and who I am (recreational and commercial) and offerred my services to them on a complimentary basis at any time they saw the need. I strongly encouraged them to purchase a drone for thier dept, and offered to assist anyone in thier dept with getting 'trained up' in both the flying, photography/video and post processing aspects. I was invited back to both the local pd and Sheriff's dept to brief their officers/deputies on how modern drones work and what the current regulations are around them. Now, when I'm out and see an officer or deputy...they wave and I wave. Sometimes they stop and chat or look over my shoulder. That's how we build our hobby/business. Be part of our community....rather than a bunch of oddballs with those spooky drones spying on people..LOL.

That’s how it’s done. Outstanding!

 

[JohnnyD913]

I’m commercial from Arkansas..
Just passed in June..
Since I’m slowly building momentum in my business..
Use the Mavic exclusively now...
I’m waiting for the new Birds to come out.
Like a possible Mavic 3 or inspire3...

 

[BigAl07]

That’s how it’s done. Outstanding!

@Robert Mitchell HOWDY neighbor (Haywood County here but I work in Buncombe quite a bit).

What has changed with you and your drone operations since you started this thread back in 2017?

 

[Robert Mitchell]

@Robert Mitchell HOWDY neighbor (Haywood County here but I work in Buncombe quite a bit).

What has changed with you and your drone operations since you started this thread back in 2017?

Not much. The real estate services have continued to grow, (as you know, real estate is red hot up here now) and expanding services to include construction site monitoring, and online commercials. I have another business and between the two, I am staying quite busy.

 

[BigAl07]

Not much. The real estate services have continued to grow, (as you know, real estate is red hot up here now) and expanding services to include construction site monitoring, and online commercials. I have another business and between the two, I am staying quite busy.

Outstanding. Glad to hear how well it's going for you over there. I am glad to say it's been very good over here in Haywood.

It's been our best year thus far. We beat our "annual" record by April (for the whole year) so we've def been blessed this year. We expanded our offering in RE to include ground, interior, and Virtual Tour offerings late last year. The Virtual Tours has been AMAZING due to Covid etc.

We should meet up and network some time.