Jobs for P3S??

[Gary M]

So apparently I had a few too many beers and it was quite late when I posted this last night. I don't think I put down what I was trying to do in a way that made sense. Here's version 2 of this post...

Ok, we all know that the drone industry is set to explode because of the FAA (Finally! ) changing the rules from the ridiculous 333/needing a pilots license junk to the waaaay better 107 cert. There are a ton of new fields that will be opening for drones, but many of these, of course, require gear many of us current "Recreational pilots" don't have and most likely cannot yet afford. So a P3 Standard with a plain 1080 camera will not be doing NDVI type work or assisting firefighters by finding hot spots. So a quick query of ideas here. What could people who have very basic drones like a P3 Standard do professionally with their existing equipment? Isn't there SOME kinds of imaging that is created by just plain video footage? I'll start with an obvious one....Real Estate.

 

[DRR]

Ok, we all know that the drone industry is set to explode. So a quick query of ideas here. What could people who have very basic drones like a P3 Standard do professionally with their existing equipment? I'll start with an obvious one....Real Estate.

You need a license and you need to be able to use the camera. The drone is just a way of getting a camera off the ground to get some good images.

 

[DRR]

Unfortunately to do almost any commercial work right now you need to get a section 333 but that is soon changing Other ideas besides real estate would include doing inspections for homes roofs and factory roofs etc. Another thing that is just starting to come out is 3-D modeling and mapping. There is an app out now that allows you to fly your drone and create a Google maps type map of the location.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

I have good reasons to believe the new relaxed laws will be knocked back in Australia. It might be different where you are. We dont need any more idiots in this country with no respect for the rules.

 

[Gary M]

You need a license and you need to be able to use the camera. The drone is just a way of getting a camera off the ground to get some good images.

Please re-read my post, I just edited it.

 

[Nuno Barreto]

I have read about agricultural applications and I'm not sure if 1080p is a limitation or not for those types of applications. Also note that the P3S can actually do 2.7k.

But one thing I would like to note is that, other than the more limited range, I find that the image quality of the P3S is very comparable, if not exactly the same as the one from the P3A/P3P or even the P4 so, the camera itself, in my opinion isn't the limitation. For video production work, as long as you can shoot some interesting shots, angles and then edit/produce the video to tell a compelling story, it really doesn't matter which drone you have.

I would argue that, as long as you have enough batteries for a given location, that you can do any of the following:

1) Video production work (events, weddings, travel, tourism boards, real-estate etc.)
2) Structural Inspections (construction, aviation, etc.)
3) Mapping (3D, others) with apps like DroneDeploy or similar
4) Aerial Photography

I'm also trying to figure out if I want to explore pursuing commercial work with my drone, my main question is whether it is a sustainable business (i.e., enough flow of business to justify doing something like this fulltime). Currently I'm going to start experimenting on an opportunity-by-opportunity basis and see where it leads.

 

[IronReel]

I have read about agricultural applications and I'm not sure if 1080p is a limitation or not for those types of applications. Also note that the P3S can actually do 2.7k.

But one thing I would like to note is that, other than the more limited range, I find that the image quality of the P3S is very comparable, if not exactly the same as the one from the P3A/P3P or even the P4 so, the camera itself, in my opinion isn't the limitation. For video production work, as long as you can shoot some interesting shots, angles and then edit/produce the video to tell a compelling story, it really doesn't matter which drone you have.

I would argue that, as long as you have enough batteries for a given location, that you can do any of the following:

1) Video production work (events, weddings, travel, tourism boards, real-estate etc.)
2) Structural Inspections (construction, aviation, etc.)
3) Mapping (3D, others) with apps like DroneDeploy or similar
4) Aerial Photography

I'm also trying to figure out if I want to explore pursuing commercial work with my drone, my main question is whether it is a sustainable business (i.e., enough flow of business to justify doing something like this fulltime). Currently I'm going to start experimenting on an opportunity-by-opportunity basis and see where it leads.

That bolded comment is one to think about. Nothing will bring you wealth or long-term cash-flow if you don't give it your all, especially in the beginning. Yes you can build a sustainable business you might not even need to be part of the day to day, but you gotta make that decision earlier than later. If this industry is about to explode end of August, beginning September I'd think that's the time at which you want to be drone work hungry!

 

[Nuno Barreto]

That bolded comment is one to think about. Nothing will bring you wealth or long-term cash-flow if you don't give it your all, especially in the beginning. Yes you can build a sustainable business you might not even need to be part of the day to day, but you gotta make that decision earlier than later. If this industry is about to explode end of August, beginning September I'd think that's the time at which you want to be drone work hungry!

Indeed. I currently have a full time job that is not related at all to this industry, but the pull to do more creative work is strong , so I need to balance jumping ship and losing all my current revenue and starting to sense the market for these types of services and seeing where it leads.

BTW, can you share how you currently market your services (I see you have a website). Mostly through word-of-mouth, online advertising, social media, etc. ?

Thanks!

 

[Gary M]

I have read about agricultural applications and I'm not sure if 1080p is a limitation or not for those types of applications. Also note that the P3S can actually do 2.7k.

But one thing I would like to note is that, other than the more limited range, I find that the image quality of the P3S is very comparable, if not exactly the same as the one from the P3A/P3P or even the P4 so, the camera itself, in my opinion isn't the limitation. For video production work, as long as you can shoot some interesting shots, angles and then edit/produce the video to tell a compelling story, it really doesn't matter which drone you have.

I would argue that, as long as you have enough batteries for a given location, that you can do any of the following:

1) Video production work (events, weddings, travel, tourism boards, real-estate etc.)
2) Structural Inspections (construction, aviation, etc.)
3) Mapping (3D, others) with apps like DroneDeploy or similar
4) Aerial Photography

I'm also trying to figure out if I want to explore pursuing commercial work with my drone, my main question is whether it is a sustainable business (i.e., enough flow of business to justify doing something like this fulltime). Currently I'm going to start experimenting on an opportunity-by-opportunity basis and see where it leads.

Going commercial was part of my plan when I bought my drone. I'm changing jobs/careers right now anyway and it will hopefully give me some time in between to pursue the drone work. I'm just going to throw it out there and see what happens. Getting my website and social media sites together and I am taking the FAA 107/UAS Operator exam on August 29, the very first day it is going online. I feel like I've learned a lot since I got into this and think I can get some work done, but the above mentioned preparations kinda have me in panic mode hoping to have everything ready as close to THE DAY these new regs go active as possible. Right now, I know that there are 3 or four 333 Certified operators within 50 miles of me. When I spoke to the people who will be doing the FAA testing, they said that they already have 8 people scheduled to take it that day, and are expecting a bunch more as August 29 grows closer.

 

[Steve Warren]

I think insurance inspections of roofs after big storms. It would be way safer, faster and cheaper than sending someone out with a ladder to inspect every roof.