Looks like Dronebase has STOPPED paying...

rmp5s · Jul 8, 2017

Can you relate?

Dejan Smaic · Jul 8, 2017

$20 per mission? Ouch! Talk about keeping the industry in the gutter.

licensed pilot · Jul 8, 2017

rmp5s said:
Can you relate?

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Need a long diatribe on a video to say this? One sentence would suffice.Everyone wants to be in the movies.

rmp5s · Jul 8, 2017

Dejan Smaic said:
$20 per mission? Ouch! Talk about keeping the industry in the gutter.

I think it's fair. When I was selling 40-ish percent, I'd go out and fly 8-10 of them and it was a nice little bit of coin for flying around for a couple hours.

Now, though...not so much.

rmp5s · Jul 8, 2017

licensed pilot said:
Need a long diatribe on a video to say this? One sentence would suffice.Everyone wants to be in the movies.

...or maybe I just like making videos...

Steve@AerialImagesPro · Jul 8, 2017

OMG $20??????? It's not even worth getting your Remote Pilot cert for 5x that.... And how would you ever prove the pictures you took are yours? And that they don't just sell them and not tell you? I mean $20??? Really!!!???

Please tell me you don't have your remote pilot cert at least that way I can chalk it up to a hobby photographer.

rmp5s · Jul 8, 2017

I am Part 107 certified, yes and I've made enough off Dronebase missions to pay for the cert multiple times over...

You guys know that you can fly as many missions as you want, right? I usually fly 8 of them when I go out. Even selling only 40%, that's still 60 bucks-ish. This is TOTALLY not what the video was about, but what's wrong with a fun way to make a little spare change doing what you love?

Steve@AerialImagesPro said:
OMG $20??????? It's not even worth getting your Remote Pilot cert for 5x that.... And how would you ever prove the pictures you took are yours? And that they don't just sell them and not tell you? I mean $20??? Really!!!???

Please tell me you don't have your remote pilot cert at least that way I can chalk it up to a hobby photographer.

Steve@AerialImagesPro · Jul 9, 2017

Nothing wrong with doing it as a hobby, but it dilutes the market and makes it impossible for people to make any money at it. You're essentially taking a loss.

It's not worth the time or trouble for a pro, and the realtors won't pay anymore than that because someone WILL do it for that.

That's why I don't even bother with that type of thing.

William Gaddy · Jul 10, 2017

The answer to the OP is quite simple. The real estate agencies are getting wise to these DroneBase shenanigans and are figuring out they can just hire the 13 year old kid down the street with a Phantom 3 they got for Xmas and get the same thing for $15 under the table -- "hey kid, psst, you got a drone? Good. See that house over there? Wanna make some quick money?", and they don't know (and even if they DO, they don't care... name ONE real estate agency that's been fined for using an unlicensed operator!) about Part 107. Homeowners are reluctant to even spend $250 on STAGING even though it generally reduces time on market by a significant amount. Look at it this way. If I'm a sellers agent, or a seller getting a menu list of marketing options like 1. $250, staging and 2. $100, bitchin' aerial photo of your messy yard, sorry I'm doing 1. instead of 2.

Dronebase realized the lowball dynamic of residential real-estate which is why they focused on commercial panoramas. But even that market has a Very Low Barrier to Entry. Some schmuck like me with an Inspire and a 360fly VR camera can do 40 or those jobs a day, and who needs Dronebase? No stitching. Immediate delivery. 4K 360 photos. No 25-50% vig.

Highrpm955 · Jul 15, 2017

I wouldn't even fire up the motors for $20..... and I love this business.

William Gaddy · Jul 16, 2017

Highrpm955 said:
I wouldn't even fire up the motors for $20..... and I love this business.

Hell, I wouldn't just DRIVE 10 minutes to a job site and back for $20. F that with a cactus.

rmp5s · Jul 22, 2017

You guys don't get it. You guys seem to think I get up, pack up the car, drive across town, fly for ten minutes, come all the way back home, spend the time uploading the pics, then wait for my $19...

No.

A - I always drove an electric car. No gas expenditure and I would usually charge at a Nissan dealer for free if I stopped to charge at all.
B - I would do between 8 and 10 missions in a trip.
C - I would plan my trip so it was all done as efficiently as possible.

I wasn't going out for 19 bucks. I was going out for 60-80 bucks. Massive amount of money? Nope...not bad for a fun hour-ish of flying though.

William Gaddy · Jul 23, 2017

rmp5s said:
You guys don't get it. You guys seem to think I get up, pack up the car, drive across town, fly for ten minutes, come all the way back home, spend the time uploading the pics, then wait for my $19...

No.

A - I always drove an electric car. No gas expenditure and I would usually charge at a Nissan dealer for free if I stopped to charge at all.
B - I would do between 8 and 10 missions in a trip.
C - I would plan my trip so it was all done as efficiently as possible.

I wasn't going out for 19 bucks. I was going out for 60-80 bucks. Massive amount of money? Nope...not bad for a fun hour-ish of flying though.

I'm going to guess if I asked you what insurance you have, you will say "what insurance"?

And if I asked you if any of your jobs were in controlled airspace, you will say "what is controlled airspace"?

And I won't even bother asking if you're 107.

The Editor · Jul 23, 2017

William Gaddy said:
I'm going to guess if I asked you what insurance you have, you will say "what insurance"?

And if I asked you if any of your jobs were in controlled airspace, you will say "what is controlled airspace"?

And I won't even bother asking if you're 107.

Please do a search before casting accusations!
USA - Excellent resources!!

Skydog · Jul 23, 2017

Classic case of casting your pearls before swine. No insult intended - but really? $20 bucks??

I've been doing high end real estate shoots for 30+years. Even when I started out I didn't work that cheap. I do not understand how you can survive on that. Even if you are not insured and have no overhead, just the basic cost of living isn't covered. Unless you live at home with the folks and get free meals. Electric car? They cost money too don't they?
Best of luck, but man, take some friendly advice - raise your standards. You might be pleasantly surprised.

rmp5s · Jul 23, 2017

Bunch of rich mo-fos on these boards!! 20 bucks is 20 bucks...flying a mission isn't THAT much work, it's fun and I never go out and do just one...

This isn't my sole means of income...not even close, nor is this the only thing I use my Inspire for.

And yes, as The Editor mentioned, I am Part 107 certified...nice condescending, belittling, assuming post though, William.

Skydog · Jul 23, 2017

As I said, no insult was intended. Sorry you are taking it that way.
And no I'm not rich.

William Gaddy · Jul 24, 2017

The Editor said:
Please do a search before casting accusations!
USA - Excellent resources!!

Questions (with a shard of supposition), but not accusations. However, I've a-priori seen jobs completed by Dronebase pilots in restricted airspace (no idea if they have waivers or not, but I highly doubt anything on IFR approach to EWR runway 22L or 22R is actually legit).

William Gaddy · Jul 24, 2017

rmp5s said:
Bunch of rich mo-fos on these boards!! 20 bucks is 20 bucks...flying a mission isn't THAT much work, it's fun and I never go out and do just one...

This isn't my sole means of income...not even close, nor is this the only thing I use my Inspire for.

And yes, as The Editor mentioned, I am Part 107 certified...nice condescending, belittling, assuming post though, William.

My apologies if you took my post as a series of accusations. The condescention, however, was intentional but I apologize for it anyway. I really wasn't trying to be a buzzsaw. I think, however, I'm not alone when I express frustration at the seeming willingness of those of us who have invested the time and money to be safe operators to engage in a race-to-the-bottom.

Hammer_155 · Jul 27, 2017

$20 ? Are you guys crazy? Do t you have insurance and so on to pay for? I wouldn't even fly for my friends for $20. Don't use a company that is probably selling "your" photos to someone else.