OT: Part 107

CTMike

Anyone have a commercial drone license? I just passed the exam today, and am wondering what others might be doing for paying gigs?

lkapigian

Congratulations! Still in the middle of mine, was your an online Procter or in person ? 

CTMike

lkapigian said:

Congratulations! Still in the middle of mine, was your an online Procter or in person ? 

I took an online course through Pilot Institute - well worth the $149 cost. My understanding is that the exam can only be taken at an FAA approved testing center (PSI in my case). The exam is computer based, you have to lock up everything you bring in with you in a locked bag, you keep the bag, they keep the key till you’re done. 

You can bring a magnifying glass to help read the charts, they will provide the supplemental handbook, calculator, scratch paper, etc. 

Easiest just to leave cell phone and smart watch in the car. 

If you haven’t already you need to go to IACRA.FAA.GOV and set up an account, verify your email, and then you can schedule the exam. Was $175 exam fee, you get 2 hours for 60 questions. 

Good luck. 

lousubcap

I have a friend that is doing it as a side gig and the big market here in the land of KY jelly is catastrophic weather/flood damage which is hit or miss.  Insurance companies are all over it.  FWIW-
Edit: lawn maintenance companies use it for service bids if google maps or Zillow aren't accurate/detailed enough.
Good luck-

lkapigian

Thanks @CTMike , that is the same program I’m going through, props to you , that is a very difficult test 

fishlessman

Realtors here use them to sell lake side homes. Some one takes four season video of the lake and puts part of the package together. Sometimes it's the little things like a swann that's on the lake one week a year tht sells the house

Legume

 Ballot drop box monitoring?

CTMike

lkapigian said:

Thanks @CTMike , that is the same program I’m going through, props to you , that is a very difficult test 

Thanks, I ended up missing 3 out of the 60. The report says one of the missed questions was on icing, but I don’t remember an icing question on the exam. 

CTMike

fishlessman said:

Realtors here use them to sell lake side homes. Some one takes four season video of the lake and puts part of the package together. Sometimes it's the little things like a swann that's on the lake one week a year tht sells the house

I’m going to contact a couple local realtors that don’t seem to have aerial footage on their listings, but I’d eventually like to get in to thermography and LiDAR mapping. 

CTMike

lousubcap said:

I have a friend that is doing it as a side gig and the big market here in the land of KY jelly is catastrophic weather/flood damage which is hit or miss.  Insurance companies are all over it.  FWIW-
Edit: lawn maintenance companies use it for service bids if google maps or Zillow aren't accurate/detailed enough.
Good luck-

Thanks, I hadn’t thought of insurance or lawn companies. 

CTMike

Legume said:

 Ballot drop box monitoring?

I’m sure one side or the other would claim that it would be voter suppression. 

Legume

CTMike said:

Legume said:

 Ballot drop box monitoring?

I’m sure one side or the other would claim that it would be voter suppression. 

True.

Check with the Astros, they might have some creative ideas.

fishlessman

CTMike said:

fishlessman said:

Realtors here use them to sell lake side homes. Some one takes four season video of the lake and puts part of the package together. Sometimes it's the little things like a swann that's on the lake one week a year tht sells the house

I’m going to contact a couple local realtors that don’t seem to have aerial footage on their listings, but I’d eventually like to get in to thermography and LiDAR mapping. 

Becareful around fishing boats. Was harrassed a few years back. I can take one out now.  People have the balls to fly right in to see what you are doing and take gps readings. 

CTMike

fishlessman said:

CTMike said:

fishlessman said:

Realtors here use them to sell lake side homes. Some one takes four season video of the lake and puts part of the package together. Sometimes it's the little things like a swann that's on the lake one week a year tht sells the house

I’m going to contact a couple local realtors that don’t seem to have aerial footage on their listings, but I’d eventually like to get in to thermography and LiDAR mapping. 

Becareful around fishing boats. Was harrassed a few years back. I can take one out now.  People have the balls to fly right in to see what you are doing and take gps readings. 

By “take one out” do you happen to mean shooting down the drone? If so, that’s a federal offense that can carry the same weight as shooting at a manned aircraft. 

YMMV

fishlessman

Have had them close enough to cast a lure at fish with spider wire line with a fishing rod. , Twenty feet is too close to my boat

fishlessman

It was close enough to take out my lines, can you see 4 pound test line with drone photos if you are that close four miles from shore, how about if you hit my copper trolling line.  I'm not happy with drones flying that close

Kayak

Coworker uses one as part of his wedding videography side business. He's still upset the president was in the area recently and the venue fell under no fly regs.

JohnInCarolina

There's probably a market for scaring the bejesus out of people around Halloween, Mike.  Just an FYI for next year.

stlcharcoal

I have mine, but it was just an online form since I already held a commercial helicopter pilots certificate.  I still dabble in real estate and use it to photograph listings.  Had a few other agents offer me money to photograph their listings, but it's really not worth it since everybody has these things now.  5-10 yrs ago it was ok money, since it was 5-10x the cost to sent a helicopter.

fishlessman

Kayak said:

Coworker uses one as part of his wedding videography side business. He's still upset the president was in the area recently and the venue fell under no fly regs.

papa bush tied up on my buoy once fishing for stripers, these guys were there to back him up. didnt know presidents were above the law. thats a gun mount on the front, a very big gun

HeavyG

fishlessman said:

Kayak said:

Coworker uses one as part of his wedding videography side business. He's still upset the president was in the area recently and the venue fell under no fly regs.

papa bush tied up on my buoy once fishing for stripers, these guys were there to back him up. didnt know presidents were above the law. thats a gun mount on the front, a very big gun

Actually, I'd bet they mount a minigun.

fishlessman

HeavyG said:

fishlessman said:

Kayak said:

Coworker uses one as part of his wedding videography side business. He's still upset the president was in the area recently and the venue fell under no fly regs.

papa bush tied up on my buoy once fishing for stripers, these guys were there to back him up. didnt know presidents were above the law. thats a gun mount on the front, a very big gun

Actually, I'd bet they mount a minigun.

could be, its a scary looking gun.  when bush was in kennebunkport, they were dressed in black suits which it makes it more disturbing, gotta laugh though, BLACK suits, BLACK boat disguised with secret service written down the sides, SCORCHIN hot sunny day.......

Legume

What is scorchin’ on the coast of Maine?

fishlessman

Legume said:

What is scorchin’ on the coast of Maine?

anything over a hundred and the ambulance sirens are non stop. dressing in black and being on a black boat that you cant touch, well.....

Legume

Damn, I didn’t know it got that hot up there.

fishlessman

Legume said:

Damn, I didn’t know it got that hot up there.

its rare, but anything over 90 will kill here. we dont have ac or places that do seem to be nonworking.  i think its actually hotter inside the old beach house, second floor is brutal.

Langner91

fishlessman said:

Kayak said:

Coworker uses one as part of his wedding videography side business. He's still upset the president was in the area recently and the venue fell under no fly regs.

papa bush tied up on my buoy once fishing for stripers, these guys were there to back him up. didnt know presidents were above the law. thats a gun mount on the front, a very big gun

I am sure they are armed to the teeth.  I just hope they remember they are in an inflatable boat....

HeavyG

Langner91 said:

fishlessman said:

Kayak said:

Coworker uses one as part of his wedding videography side business. He's still upset the president was in the area recently and the venue fell under no fly regs.

papa bush tied up on my buoy once fishing for stripers, these guys were there to back him up. didnt know presidents were above the law. thats a gun mount on the front, a very big gun

I am sure they are armed to the teeth.  I just hope they remember they are in an inflatable boat....

I'm betting they use the same type of RIB that USN SEALS use that have the ArmorFlate system which makes the "I" part of the boat bulletproof.