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So You Want a Commercial Drone

So, if I understand this the only real professionals are folks involved in making television shows, commercials and movies. Everything else is not professional? Construction monitoring, agricultural flying, power line/tower inspection, roof inspections, insurance documentation, and any sort of aerial photographic documentation is not actually "professional"? Interesting.

For some unfathomable reason it’s always been viewed that way, or at least starting during the period the first 333’s were being submitted for approvals.

Fact is, cinema photography is one of the smallest segments of the drone industry with general aerial photography being the most saturated and most difficult to make money with. Going back to 2013 I well recall writing documentation packages for outfits that would not touch the artistic side of aerial photography due to over saturation. Various types of inspections, mapping, and ISR provided greater opportunity at the time, and still do, and those are very much professional endeavors.
 
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Funny, seems almost every segment where people make money where is some sort of perceived hierarchy. I was listening to a story on the radio the other day about long haul truckers.There is even a pecking order there, apparently auto haulers are low on the totem pole. No matter where you go, there are always people who have to contrive some means to make themselves feel superior.
 
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The AltaPro video was very professionally crafted, the Alta AC... Alta8 is impressive both in design & operation capabilities. On top of that it's American designed. Couldn't agree more with the majority of the highlights and the various qualities of the large scale optional configurations: payloads, bottom / top gimbals, LED panels, smooth flight, etc.

In my Sr years and building up a sUAV business for my 2nd life prior to calling it retirement; and while employed elsewhere to cover the costs of business startup. I agree, these UAV's are tools... as in Ag, Construction, Paving... it's not the need of the "new" products, it's more the lifespan of the assets, the tools. I'm not concerned my inventory will age, as long as it meets the needs for future projects and the platform's popularity provides for several years parts availability. My view of "Professional grade" is not associated to the size, it's associated to the ability to provide long term ROI. If the sUAV business format was associated to massive quick profit, then a short ROI is justified... but I don't think that applies to the majority of sUAV shops.

That carries over to the investment of the business and all the operational costs & profits. That begins with the cost of the products (hardware, software, lenses, licenses, etc) in comparison to the scope of the intended work. The Alta8 is a wonderful platform, as noted it's flexibility of platform is one of the top for it's scale; it's associated price tag is at the top too.

In a brief comparison... the Alta8 is 4-5x the price of a M600Pro that shares payload and operations. Not the intention to introduce other brands or platforms, but my point is a much lower cost for similar (plus / minus) functionality is available. Lg Cameras mounted, Lindar, RTK or various SAR payloads are available on both. I fully agree, the software is more open with the Alta, although via SDK kits now openly provided by manufacturers several 3rd party developers write their own kernels adding additional features within a platform that used to be considered tightly closed software.

For a limited budget, able to spread funds over all products and not consumed on 1 platform is more acceptable and more accepted by Finance Business Mgmt that may be needed to fund a startup. My perspective is small business, not large or enterprise. With the cost of various supportive tools: software, 3D modeling, lenses, cameras, GPS RTK units, etc. The output of work: video, photos, or data would be the measure of the Professional Product and "professional product" includes lenses, sensors or off site post production software... dependent on AC platform providing acceptable data collection.

How many drones does a business need? For some that's one or 2 of the same low cost model. For others, it depends on the scope of the intended work: 2 small, 2 fast, 1-4 mid, 1- 4 large might be the inventory for other shops. Like the military SOG analogy... the arsenal is wide from small 22 cal up to 50 cal, plus various tube busters; what's taken down range depends on the mission. Taking a 50 through a building shake down isn't ideal and a 556 up ridge wouldn't be ideal.

The Cinema events I've been able to witness, the big platforms that carry large format media has been mixed... I've seen Alta and others... the Alta hasn't been the majority of the large platform. Often cinema requires agility and speed while carrying a top notch camera, that appears to be met by the X7S with light carbon lenses due to speed of the I2 platform.

Construction site survey, the city may not desire a large platform and apply pressure to company to use smaller platform that provides basically identical data collection. Roof & Insurance normally use small highly portable hardware. Ag & multisprectrum cameras tend to be fixed wing or smaller drone units. Bridge, Towers or Wind Generator inspections, there are other models providing upper gimbal mount options with RTK with very accurate stable zoom cameras at a much lower cost.

The Alta is an example of a top notch craft no doubt, and it's strengths shine... I'd like to have a few too, not in my budget and not justified for work intended.
I'll take a Jeep over a Land Rover for multiple reasons if it meets my needs... cost being one.
 
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I'm sure glad I'm only in it for the fun of the hobby. I only have to please me. ROI is not my concern, only play value, and I have hit the big time there!:cool:

However, if you're like me (and I know I am) you are your own worst critic. Sure glad I don't have to please anyone else, I have my hands full answering to myself!:rolleyes:
I'm with you. I'm in it for the fun and taking photographs for myself. I enjoy seeing landscape images from angels I could never achieve before. A Typhoon H and DJI P3S are working great for me! :)
 
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