Income Generation

[agogodaddyo]

There are just a few companies in Southern California that fly HeliCams. I do not know of any that fly Multi Rotors such as Octos, which surprises me. Anyways, the HeliCams operators charge quite a substantial fee for their time. I was told by a friend that does lighting work on film that a recent 3 day stint from an out of state Quad operator paid $40,000, which is way out of the norm.

So, after searching for some income information online, I thought that I would ask the forum here about the subject.

1 - What are the most abundant jobs (not the highest paying)? Real estate? Wedding? Sports? Recreational? Event? Government contracts?
Of course it depends on the location where you live. I live in Los Angeles.

2 - Regarding income, what are people making? I know this can be a private subject, but there is some general knowledge of the industry. From what I can see from the few established "pilots" in my area, it seems quite possible to realize $80-100+k a year. It is less about the per hour income than the 40-50 hours a week of steady work.

I have worked very hard to save my "nest egg", and I am willing to spend all of my savings and the next 12 months learning "the biz", but I don't want to approach this blindly.

Thanks for the insight.

Jeff

 

[DDuncan]

Jeff,

Regarding an investment, like any, it all depends on a variety of factors. Just having a great rig and even perfect flying skills doesn't ensure success. Having an active and growing network, the right equipment, and a bit of luck is true for anyone in this business. I'm just getting into multirotor, and I'm obsessed already. But frankly, even if I had the best of everything, I still have to know the right person who is hiring for that fantastically overpaid gig. I've worked with a very wide variety of styles and clients in the television industry, and like many I know all too well that the size of the investment can mean very little if you don't know the right guy to talk too. In any creative business, who you know trumps what you know.

There are a few guys on this forum that do very well working multi's into their video/film pitch. A few even do all multirotor AV full-time (and I already envy such fun/success ) But I can imagine that being in the right place (a location that can support such a need on a weekly basis), knowing the right guy, and having the uber-skills to prove their place in this business is key. Plus a little luck.

I only say this based on my own experience, which I'm more than humble to say is wildly varied. I've worked superbowls for major networks (the last two), and on the same week done casket company spots. I'm lucky, I'm busy as hell and learning every day even as an not young guy. But before you invest that kind of capital you should most certainly know what you're getting into. Multi's are awesome, octos are awesome, and the people on this forum are up to standard indeed. But look before you leap.

That being said, I'm always available for hire as a consultant.... har har har.

 

[gtranquilla]

Those are very good questions that are on the mind of many here on this forum and some have been asked previously with some interesting answers...But sometimes it is like going down to the local dock to ask the fishermen where the best fishing spots are! Not likely you will get the best answer from those you may be competing against. Your speculations are good except for weddings..... due to safety and regulatory issues related to flying over crowds........

There are just a few companies in Southern California that fly HeliCams. I do not know of any that fly Multi Rotors such as Octos, which surprises me. Anyways, the HeliCams operators charge quite a substantial fee for their time. I was told by a friend that does lighting work on film that a recent 3 day stint from an out of state Quad operator paid $40,000, which is way out of the norm.

So, after searching for some income information online, I thought that I would ask the forum here about the subject.

1 - What are the most abundant jobs (not the highest paying)? Real estate? Wedding? Sports? Recreational? Event? Government contracts?
Of course it depends on the location where you live. I live in Los Angeles.

2 - Regarding income, what are people making? I know this can be a private subject, but there is some general knowledge of the industry. From what I can see from the few established "pilots" in my area, it seems quite possible to realize $80-100+k a year. It is less about the per hour income than the 40-50 hours a week of steady work.

I have worked very hard to save my "nest egg", and I am willing to spend all of my savings and the next 12 months learning "the biz", but I don't want to approach this blindly.

Thanks for the insight.

Jeff

 

[jcmonty]

Oh the pro MR guys do exisit - trust me on that. A lot of people don't blatantly advertise to everyone - and focus on advertising to potential clients. A lot of this is due to the ever polarizing topics opinion around in the media these days.

And making $100k a year in the industry is not as easy as picking up a RTF octo and flying a RED. Takes 1000s of hrs of prep, practice, tuning, and perfecting your craft. Plus you need to find the right clients. It's an interesting ride for sure.