Earlier this year I decided I wanted to get more into drones and flying for commercial purposes. I have been flying recreationally for a while now but I wanted to up my game and take it to a new level. I knew there was a lot involved but after months of learning and studying and filling out all the forms and paperwork a few months ago, I finally got my remote pilot (part 107) license.
(License image is not mine as I don't want to post personal details.)
So what does this license mean and why is it important? Well in the United States if you want to fly a drone for commercial purposes i.e. make money in any manner you need to be licensed by the FAA to do so. It makes sense that if you're flying a drone or some form of aircraft the government wants to make sure you know the rule of the sky and what you are doing.
So I studies hard for a few months and took my test and passed it my first time with a 94%. The test is 60 questions and you have 4hrs to take it. Some of the knowledge you have to know covers air spaces, wind and weather patterns and conditions, radio communications, safety procedures, airports, and flight patterns. To say it's a lot to learn. Basically everything a commercial airline pilot learns minus how to fly a plane haha.
So where am I going from here and what's my goal? Well, I started out flying my DJI Mavic Air for fun and to learn and I did that for a long time. I had a small tablet and flew this little drone but the time came when I needed to upgrade.
This drone just isn't good enough for any type of real commercial work. It has a 12MP camera but the flight time is only about 15min in good wind conditions and even in a strong wind it's really hard to keep it steady and the flight time is more like 10 minutes. So I recently upgraded to an entry level professional drone!
My new drone is the Phantom 4 Pro!
With this new drone ill be able to fly longer (around 30 minutes) have a way better camera 20MP (1 Inch sensor) and be able to fly in way stronger winds.
I'm looking forward to working more in the drone field which can range from filming to instructions and surveying and more. I won't be quitting the film industry or stopping any of my other business ventures but adding this to my arsenal of tools and services I can offer. Ill share more and how things go in the future with you all as it happens.