How are you doing commercial work without a pilot license?

[John Locke]

I love the Inspire too, although I don't have one yet, coming soon. However, the Phantom is very impressive, beyond any other drone in this price category, not to mention the portability. For fun I will likely always reach for my Phantom because it's easy to carry around in a backpack.

I'd really like to know how you guys are doing commercial work today without the pilot license. Maybe I should just say screw it and start working in areas I have market connections and hope the FAA "Air Police" don't find me, long enough to get my 107 cert. I'm usually Johnny legal, everything by the book, but this FAA fiasco is so unjust and slow to get corrected. Ridiculous.

 

[Petr Hejl]

I love the Inspire too, although I don't have one yet, coming soon. However, the Phantom is very impressive, beyond any other drone in this price category, not to mention the portability. For fun I will likely always reach for my Phantom because it's easy to carry around in a backpack.

I'd really like to know how you guys are doing commercial work today without the pilot license. Maybe I should just say screw it and start working in areas I have market connections and hope the FAA "Air Police" don't find me, long enough to get my 107 cert. I'm usually Johnny legal, everything by the book, but this FAA fiasco is so unjust and slow to get corrected. Ridiculous.

Actually, it is not really about the FAA, more about the clients. Many of them now ask for the operators to be licensed, so maybe look into getting one, learning to fly small planes is fun. Some of my friends even got into a balloon flying lessons. I prefer airplanes

 

[John Locke]

Ok, so if the client asks if you have a pilot license you walk away, but if they don't specifically ask, you go ahead and bid the job.

Do you require prepayment? I see a scenario where a customer gets some great video shots from me, then refuse payment. Even though I have the 333, I have no pilot license, and they know I wouldn't sue, knowing I would lose. They could use this situation to legally get a free video shoot. Maybe I'm too paranoid.

I don't have the time or desire to get a pilot license. It's just not in the cards.

 

[Petr Hejl]

Ok, so if the client asks if you have a pilot license you walk away, but if they don't specifically ask, you go ahead and bid the job.

Do you require prepayment? I see a scenario where a customer gets some great video shots from me, then refuse payment. Even though I have the 333, I have no pilot license, and they know I wouldn't sue, knowing I would lose. They could use this situation to legally get a free video shoot. Maybe I'm too paranoid.

I don't have the time or desire to get a pilot license. It's just not in the cards.

I hear you, many people in a similar situation. I am for a UAS pilot certification of some sort, just to show you can safely coordinate and properly communicate with the air traffic, but having to learn how to fly an airplane just to be able to fly a drone is plain extortion ( I did actually bite the bullet and learned how to fly an airplane, so I do get to say that. This new micro-UAS proposed bill is exactly what is needed. In my opinion it's about two years too late, but I sure hope it passes as proposed:
http://www.dronevibes.com/2016/02/1...olds-great-promise-for-drone-business-owners/

 

[John Locke]

I hear you, many people in a similar situation. I am for a UAS pilot certification of some sort, just to show you can safely coordinate and properly communicate with the air traffic, but having to learn how to fly an airplane just to be able to fly a drone is plain extortion ( I did actually bite the bullet and learned how to fly an airplane, so I do get to say that. This new micro-UAS proposed bill is exactly what is needed. In my opinion it's about two years too late, but I sure hope it passes as proposed:
http://www.dronevibes.com/2016/02/1...olds-great-promise-for-drone-business-owners/

It's nice that something might be happening with new laws for commercial use of drones, however this bill you referenced is only good for drones 2kg and less, which excludes the Inspire X5R at 3.5kg. It would seem more logical to have a 5kg limit so all of the viable commercial drones could be included, assuming our government intends to regulate commercial use of drones.

 

[Petr Hejl]

It's nice that something might be happening with new laws for commercial use of drones, however this bill you referenced is only good for drones 2kg and less, which excludes the Inspire X5R at 3.5kg. It would seem more logical to have a 5kg limit so all of the viable commercial drones could be included, assuming our government intends to regulate commercial use of drones.

I think we'll take what we can get. The 2Kg or less category had no really good commercially viable machines until couple of years ago. Looking at that category now, I can definitely name a few. Are they good enough for professional motion picture production? Probably not, but they are a great add-on tool for established photographers who may need the occasional drone shot, but don't want to be bothered with having to go through Sec 333 exemption process or getting pilots license.
Once and if the micro UAS rule is in place, I do expect a steep drop in price of smaller jobs (Real Estate, etc.), but also a push amongst manufacturers to introduce some well-equipped machines in that category.

 

[masterbeatty]

Once the remote pilot certificate become available in August i will pursue that. I think i can use it to make a few extra bucks on the side. My town already see's the new technology as a alternate means of surveillance for events where they usually have extra volunteers to use as eyes. I am glad to see that the FAA see's drones as a means to open more jobs.

 

[Eyewingsuit]

I think we'll take what we can get. The 2Kg or less category had no really good commercially viable machines until couple of years ago. Looking at that category now, I can definitely name a few. Are they good enough for professional motion picture production? Probably not, but they are a great add-on tool for established photographers who may need the occasional drone shot, but don't want to be bothered with having to go through Sec 333 exemption process or getting pilots license.
Once and if the micro UAS rule is in place, I do expect a steep drop in price of smaller jobs (Real Estate, etc.), but also a push amongst manufacturers to introduce some well-equipped machines in that category.

Michael Bay chose a small drone for production in 13 hours. He wanted a drone that was consumable in the event the explosives in the scene blew it off course. There are at least 3 minutes of 3DR solo and GoPro in the new movie.
As written on Facebook yesterday "For those who did not already know. SOLO was used to film several sequences in this film. I highly recommend everyone watch it and try to figure out which ones are SOLO and which are via the more typical cinematography methods. Secondly, this shows that SOLO and GoPro's are more than capable of filming high quality content for major motion picture production."

In other words, creatives use tools that allow them to be more creative. Don't for a second think that sUAS don't fit into large production.

 

[Old Man]

Once one understands the job that needs to be done, selecting the tools for that job gets pretty easy. Learning how to effectively use the tool can be much more difficult than selecting it, but someone that understands their tools becomes a craftsman. Anyone can cut with a saw but in comparison few can cut finish work.

 

[Old Man]

Ok, so if the client asks if you have a pilot license you walk away, but if they don't specifically ask, you go ahead and bid the job.

Do you require prepayment? I see a scenario where a customer gets some great video shots from me, then refuse payment. Even though I have the 333, I have no pilot license, and they know I wouldn't sue, knowing I would lose. They could use this situation to legally get a free video shoot. Maybe I'm too paranoid.

I don't have the time or desire to get a pilot license. It's just not in the cards.

If you have the 333 you can hire a pilot to fly for you.

 

[anthnson1]

Yeah!!! this situation is similar to many peoples. This situation totally depends on the person. If you allows working without a piolet license or they don't ask for an operator to be licensed so, they can fly plan for fun. http://bestdroneforthejob.com/

 

[FlyingV]

Hey Guys,

The 107 Certification is not hard to get! You don't have to log any time in a real plane, or actually with a sUAS either! It's simply a FAA test. I recommend purchasing the Gleim Study Guide/Practice Test. It's $55 on their website. If you have no knowledge of reading Aviation charts or weather, there are plenty of video courses you can use to help (YouTube actually has a ton of stuff for free...). If you are really "green", taking a ground school class wouldn't be a bad idea and can really help you understand the items the FAA really wants you to know.

You will have to take the actual test at an FAA certified testing facility, which costs about $120 and takes an hour or so. Once certified, you are able to be pilot in command (PIC) for yourself or you can be a spotter for someone else. Some companies will require that you are insured... This is not hard to get either, just chat with your current insurance agent and they can probably get you a quote...

The most important part (IMO) about the certification is understanding controlled and uncontrolled airspace. This added with the weather knowledge helps you understand what those real planes might be doing and helps you avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time....

V

 

[ChrisRL]

I think the FAA made it as easy as they could, while still remaining a somewhat meaningful hurdle to discourage people who just wanted to fly their aircraft in public airspace without regard to other fliers and their craft.

This isn't about car manufacturers pushing the local authorities to make driver's licenses easy to pass in order to sell more cars, it's about not crashing into people or property when the drone count goes from 65,000 to 650,000 in a very few number of years.

Think about the much-fabled "air car" and what kinds of disasters there would be if their drivers could simply apply for an endorsement on their regular driver's licenses to fly in the air above freeways etc. And the amount of lawsuits there would be arising from that. Think about 65,000 aircars on roads around the country. Now think about 650,000 aircars, flying around the same roads, self-policed.

Ever get cut by a drone's props? I guess they're trying to keep us aware so as not to make that same mistake once.

You can't just pull over if something goes wrong, in an aircraft.

 

[ChrisRL]

One image to take with you.

Imagine, if you will, a cork floating in the ocean, with a battery powered paddle.

On calm waters, that cork will do just fine. But if a swell builds, no amount of "but I have GPS!!! GLONASS!!! a 15-minute battery life!!! and live mapping... and RTH!!! Hey, lookit me, I'm paddling in sports mode!!!" will get that cork home. And if that cork gets into a shipping lane... well.

Better to study the swell of the ocean, and know where those shipping lanes are, before you put your cork out to sea.

107 is mainly the study of, and test of one's basic knowledge of, just that.