Commercial use of my drone after getting the 107 done

Marcius1979 · Aug 15, 2018

Hi Folks,

I live in South Florida... I'm curious about making extra cash with my drone Q500. I saw people in this forum talking about working for the fire department, police, inspection company and etc etc. How I can have access to those places looking for certified drone pilots with drones?

Thanks for any help

AH-1G · Aug 15, 2018

It's a very tough road, good luck!

actionplant · Aug 15, 2018

I've had good success networking with real estate agents and shooting footage for their commercials.

OnTheRopes · Aug 15, 2018

Marcius1979 said:
Hi Folks,

I live in South Florida... I'm curious about making extra cash with my drone Q500. I saw people in this forum talking about working for the fire department, police, inspection company and etc etc. How I can have access to those places looking for certified drone pilots with drones?

Thanks for any help

The thing is, are the fire department , police or inspection company going to hire a drone operator who has no experience of their industry, or will they just train up one of their own to fly a drone?

PatR · Aug 15, 2018

They train their own.

OnTheRopes · Aug 16, 2018

PatR said:
They train their own.

Exactly

Marcius1979 · Aug 16, 2018

AH-1G said:
It's a very tough road, good luck!

Thank you

Marcius1979 · Aug 16, 2018

actionplant said:
I've had good success networking with real estate agents and shooting footage for their commercials.

Good idea. Thanks for the reply!

Marcius1979 · Aug 16, 2018

OnTheRopes said:
The thing is, are the fire department , police or inspection company going to hire a drone operator who has no experience of their industry, or will they just train up one of their own to fly a drone?

Well... That's truth. But also maybe some places want save money with insurance and extra cost? Like having someone in the payroll all the time? Maybe it's cheaper to pay on the go?

Thanks for your reply!

Ty Pilot · Aug 16, 2018

Marcius1979 said:
Hi Folks,

I live in South Florida... I'm curious about making extra cash with my drone Q500. I saw people in this forum talking about working for the fire department, police, inspection company and etc etc. How I can have access to those places looking for certified drone pilots with drones?

Thanks for any help

Fire and Police Departments ideally want to operate under a COA which; is a whole different ball game to a 107. I live outside of Orlando and am in talks with my local FD but they can't get the funding to go the COA route and quite frankly when I presented them with a way in which they could do it on their own, they choose to hold off. In the end I am now listed as a resource for post hurricane damage assessment. So the next time there is a hurricane they may or may not use me. Not much work there. So basically, big departments with deep pockets hire outside firms to come in and set up a program and file massive amounts of paperwork with the FAA in the hopes to get a Certificate of Authorization. Small departments can't afford this which is why when you look at the number of departments with a COA it is very low.

As for other avenues such as aerial imaging, the most important thing to remember is that a drone is just a tool that holds a camera and thus; you are looking to become a photographer or videographer. Those two fields expand well past just having a drone so think of the drone as just another tool to provide a service. . . .that is much broader than the aerial stuff.

Marcius1979 · Aug 16, 2018

Ty Pilot said:
Fire and Police Departments ideally want to operate under a COA which; is a whole different ball game to a 107. I live outside of Orlando and am in talks with my local FD but they can't get the funding to go the COA route and quite frankly when I presented them with a way in which they could do it on their own, they choose to hold off. In the end I am now listed as a resource for post hurricane damage assessment. So the next time there is a hurricane they may or may not use me. Not much work there. So basically, big departments with deep pockets hire outside firms to come in and set up a program and file massive amounts of paperwork with the FAA in the hopes to get a Certificate of Authorization. Small departments can't afford this which is why when you look at the number of departments with a COA it is very low.

As for other avenues such as aerial imaging, the most important thing to remember is that a drone is just a tool that holds a camera and thus; you are looking to become a photographer or videographer. Those two fields expand well past just having a drone so think of the drone as just another tool to provide a service. . . .that is much broader than the aerial stuff.

You are so right. Thank you so much for the comment. I will worry first to learn and like you said use the drone like another tool.

Matthew H · Aug 17, 2018

Check out Air Bears. Also you might ask Garret Bryl (on Facebook) as he does a lot of volunteer work for local LE and FD.

PatR · Aug 17, 2018

Volunteer work usually means free work, something far too many try to obtain. Especially across real estate outfits. You can pretty much guarantee the first free job you do for someone will eliminate any possibility of doing a paid job for them later.

OnTheRopes · Aug 17, 2018

PatR said:
Volunteer work usually means free work, something far too many try to obtain. Especially across real estate outfits. You can pretty much guarantee the first free job you do for someone will eliminate any possibility of doing a paid job for them later.

Yep, lots of free work out there and it won't help get paid work later they will just move on to the next person willing to work for free.

FlushVision · Aug 18, 2018

OnTheRopes said:
Yep, lots of free work out there and it won't help get paid work later they will just move on to the next person willing to work for free.

Totally agree. For marketing purposes, I've done a couple of pro-bono jobs to raise my profile (about 3 or 4 in the last two years the last one just this last Sunday), and as far as I can tell they have resulted in no noticeable difference to the amount of new clients generated over and above what I would expect having not done the pro-bono work. However, last Sunday's job looked like it could have generated more work but for the fact that the local newspaper, who picked up on it, managed to get my business name wrong (they called me 'Lush Vision').

It's a fact that I would have no problem at all in getting work if I didn't charge for it. I'm constantly approached by various organisations and individuals offering me work but without payment. Some of them promise to promote my business on their facebook pages and such like, or promise that they will recommend me to their friends or business associates. But, out of the few that I have done so far, new clients generated are not noticeable.

In the end, do a free job for someone and to that someone you are forever free.

OnTheRopes · Aug 18, 2018

FlushVision said:
Totally agree. For marketing purposes, I've done a couple of pro-bono jobs to raise my profile (about 3 or 4 in the last two years the last one just this last Sunday), and as far as I can tell they have resulted in no noticeable difference to the amount of new clients generated over and above what I would expect having not done the pro-bono work. However, last Sunday's job looked like it could have generated more work but for the fact that the local newspaper, who picked up on it, managed to get my business name wrong (they called me 'Lush Vision').

It's a fact that I would have no problem at all in getting work if I didn't charge for it. I'm constantly approached by various organisations and individuals offering me work but without payment. Some of them promise to promote my business on their facebook pages and such like, or promise that they will recommend me to their friends or business associates. But, out of the few that I have done so far, new clients generated are not noticeable.

In the end, do a free job for someone and to that someone you are forever free.

Exactly that, it is a common joke amongst pro photographers, magazines and advertising companies wanting to use your images, they have no budget for it of course but it will give you great exposure.
Well I can tell you that exposure never ever pays the bills and it never brings in work, I once asked them if they worked for free or if the printer was happy to work for 'exposure'. Oddly they did not come back to me.

Eagle's Eye Video · Aug 18, 2018

Value is perception... if you charge nothing, your work must not be worth paying for. Ultimately, you are being told you are without value.

AH-1G · Aug 18, 2018

have you ever come across a plumber or electrician who's starting his (purposely not being politically correct) new business come to you and say " HI can I give you free service, I won't charge you a dime because ???????"

OnTheRopes · Aug 18, 2018

It also helps put those that do it for a living out of work

FlushVision · Aug 18, 2018

OnTheRopes said:
It also helps put those that do it for a living out of work

Exactly why I've only done 4 freebies in over two years and only to non profit organisations that simply don't have the funds to pay any commercial operator anyway. That way I've not deprived a fellow commercial operator of any business. I have a BIG beef about people flying hobby drones for peanuts or free that are undermining my business.