Show Me The 'REAL' Money...:-)!!!

[vic2rose]

Hey everybody! Hope it's a good day for flying wherever you are...

I have a question...I have searched this site diligently, but haven't found a discussion about innovative ways to monetize drone flights. I HAVE found several threads lamenting the "race-to-the-bottom" in the Real Estate Aerial Photography sector. I agree that this is a really tough way to try and monetize flight times, but is there a thread that talks about other, perhaps innovative ways, to make a buck with our birds?

Sorry in advance if I didn't find a thread that's already here. Just point me toward it and I'll check it out. If not, are there any forum veterans who are making a reasonable profit using drones in different ways? I, for one, would love to hear about it, and would add anything I eventually do to the thread. I actually DO make some decent $$$ in the Aerial Photog sector from time to time, mostly because I am good friends with several excellent RE agents and Agency owners.

Money or no money, I'll be in the air, but it would be nice to find some $$$ sometimes, lol. Any ideas out there? Safe Landings! K

 

[samtheparrot]

I'll second this post...thanks for starting it...I also am looking for ways to generate revenue. I have followed all the rules, part 107 licensed, insured, operating an Inspire 2. I have talked to realtors, construction companies, environmental engineering firms, ETC. Most are intrigued with all the possibilities, but get businesses to pay up...good luck. It also seems realtors aren't aware of the rules regarding drone use...I have been told the following theory "I can buy a drone for $300.00 and take my own pictures". I then explain the rules, and that seems to have little effect. When you read the projected drone business growth in the next few years, it think those numbers might be money in Frank Wangs pocket from drone sales!

 

[William Gaddy]

I've done OK doing specialized jobs other than straight photography. For example, I did a railroad bridge inspection and mapping job a month or so ago, that paid well (I had to be certified in railroad safety and procedures to perform it, though). Also having mapping/measurement capabilities to offer (such as with DroneDeploy or Pix4D) get you out of the real-estate ghetto. Most of all, have a specialty. Mine is the ability to do 360 VR (both stereoscopic 3D and mono) on our Inspires. FLIR is another great capability to add for roof inspection and SAR. If you're in the Southwest, get your FEMA training and red-card, you could be hired to do wildfire fireline inspection. Point is, any schmuck can put up a drone 100 feet AGL and snap a photo, there's not a whole lot of value in that -- it's too easy and commoditized now.

 

[William Gaddy]

I also rent out my fleet when it's not being used. (I do the same with photography, cinematography, lighting, and grip equipment)

 

[vic2rose]

I've done OK doing specialized jobs other than straight photography. For example, I did a railroad bridge inspection and mapping job a month or so ago, that paid well (I had to be certified in railroad safety and procedures to perform it, though). Also having mapping/measurement capabilities to offer (such as with DroneDeploy or Pix4D) get you out of the real-estate ghetto. Most of all, have a specialty. Mine is the ability to do 360 VR (both stereoscopic 3D and mono) on our Inspires. FLIR is another great capability to add for roof inspection and SAR. If you're in the Southwest, get your FEMA training and red-card, you could be hired to do wildfire fireline inspection. Point is, any schmuck can put up a drone 100 feet AGL and snap a photo, there's not a whole lot of value in that -- it's too easy and commoditized now.

WG, I am thinking the same thing. Find something that the average drone pilot will not be into, and major on it. Still, I think it may be hard to do some things. For example, I talked to a couple of farmers in my area today. I explained the possibility of savings in the long run using DroneDeploy to find trouble spots in crop fields. They both were long time farmers in their 60s, so I took this into consideration. Their take on it was that they had been successful farming for 40 some-odd years, why did they need any newfangled processes, lol. I would think commercial farms, and younger farmers might see the benefits, but there aren't that many of either around where I live. I really think, as you mentioned, that FLIR (SAR/Firelines, etc.) and possibly commercial inspections might be a good path, although I imagine it will be hard to break into the company from the outside with those services.

 

[William Gaddy]

WG, I am thinking the same thing. Find something that the average drone pilot will not be into, and major on it. Still, I think it may be hard to do some things. For example, I talked to a couple of farmers in my area today. I explained the possibility of savings in the long run using DroneDeploy to find trouble spots in crop fields. They both were long time farmers in their 60s, so I took this into consideration. Their take on it was that they had been successful farming for 40 some-odd years, why did they need any newfangled processes, lol. I would think commercial farms, and younger farmers might see the benefits, but there aren't that many of either around where I live. I really think, as you mentioned, that FLIR (SAR/Firelines, etc.) and possibly commercial inspections might be a good path, although I imagine it will be hard to break into the company from the outside with those services.

You definitely want to be talking to the medium size industrial scale ag operators (the really big ones like Incobrasa already field and deploy their own drone fleets for this stuff). From a sales/marketing standpoint, you can probably qualify any leads by simply asking "Do you use GPS in your ag operation?" If the answer is "no" or "What is GPS?" move on. My first step would be to pay a visit to the local ag extension office, and hang out a shingle there...

 

[William Gaddy]

...Also find out who the local Monsanto sales rep covering your area is and make Really Good Friends with them...

 

[vic2rose]

You definitely want to be talking to the medium size industrial scale ag operators (the really big ones like Incobrasa already field and deploy their own drone fleets for this stuff). From a sales/marketing standpoint, you can probably qualify any leads by simply asking "Do you use GPS in your ag operation?" If the answer is "no" or "What is GPS?" move on. My first step would be to pay a visit to the local ag extension office, and hang out a shingle there...

WG, you should really write a blog on this. Sounds like you have some experience in the area. I have been thinking the same thing, but the GPS question really is a great opener. By nature, I seem to be able to sell, and have always owned my own business (or businesses). Made decent profits. I just thought this would be a great way for some extra cash for the kids, etc. not coming out of my "other" budget lines, lol. I think there WILL be a few pilots who actually do well with monetizing. Those will be professional, and probably experiences in both sales and customer relations to a large degree. Many local Texas farmers are unique in their "processes". I think commercial is where it's at mostly. Great insight.

 

[vic2rose]

Okay, I just got a return call from one of the farmers I talked to the other day. I thought of a way to use my drone equipment to serve almost ALL farmers and ranchers in the Southern U.S. He has offered me $500 for a day to do the job. I have not of this heard being done with a drone, but I can do the job with my equipment.

I don't want to pre-fire it, so let me do this job, and see if the idea ACTUALLY works. If it does, I'll post the idea it here or in a new post. There may be some spin-off ideas from it as well. I don't mind sharing. However, I sincerely hope that if it does work, it doesn't start a "race-to-the-bottom" in service pricing, lol. Stay tuned...

DISCLAIMER: It may already be a service in some areas, but apparently not in this area...so if it's not "new" forgive me. I just haven't found it on any major discussion forums, etc.

 

[vic2rose]

UPDATE: I started the $500 job this afternoon. Used up all 4 batteries, lol. Got paid half. The other half tomorrow. So this may be an "old" idea, but where I am in Texas, it MIGHT make some fun $$$.

In Texas, we have a problem with feral hogs. Almost every farmer, rancher, or rural property owner of any size close to tall grass or wooded areas has to (5+ acres) has to deal with them. I was raised in Texas farmlands, and know a lot about this issue. A sow hog with young has no problem attacking a human in "defense" of her offspring. They are dangerous, and seriously destructive! They run in packs usually and can cause literally several thousand dollars in property damage in a very short time.

The law in Texas right now allows rural property owners to harvest (no bag limit) these animals in order to control population and to minimize property destruction. Hog hunting is literally a sport hunt in most areas of Texas. Guys use 4-wheelers, and automatic rifles to harvest the hogs. Many people process and eat the meat. There's only one problem with hog hunting. The hogs like to take cover in deep thickets and under tree canopies when they are hunted. They are both hard to find and dangerous to track into the brush....

Enter the FLIR capable drone...

I found those hogs time and again today without the farmer having to go into the brush to look for them. Knowing where the hogs are allows one of the hunters to get on one side and make a lot of noise, driving the game to the waiting hunters. There are several other ways to flush them out, but finding them reduces the possibility of an all day "hunt" with nothing to show for it at the end of the day. The farmer was really happy, and invited a couple of his farmer friends over to see how it all works. Who knows, maybe I can make enough to recoup my FLIR Vue Pro, lol.

I know that this also takes a knowledge of feral hog habits, but hey, it seems to work. Anyway, that's my "out of the box" idea for making a little $$$. I wanted to share it with those who might be interested.

Fly on! K

PS: We used my Kubota UTV to station close to the known areas the hogs were in. I launched/landed out of the dump bed of the UAV. Worked fine for me. Cheers! K

 

[inspireAl]

@vic2rose That's pretty awesome

 

[William Gaddy]

@vic2rose A pretty great idea! $500 a day in rural Texas is a pretty honest living. I've hung a FLIR on my drone just for fun to do "varmint hunting" at dusk and at night, so this makes a lot of sense, especially for a Texas ranch, which usually means a LOT of area to cover. Good luck, and thanks for the update!

 

[vic2rose]

@vic2rose A pretty great idea! $500 a day in rural Texas is a pretty honest living. I've hung a FLIR on my drone just for fun to do "varmint hunting" at dusk and at night, so this makes a lot of sense, especially for a Texas ranch, which usually means a LOT of area to cover. Good luck, and thanks for the update!

GemVR,

Just finished the job. I have another tomorrow for a small (60 acre) cattleman's ranch for an hour just to locate. $100, but I'm only gonna fly about 30 mins of that time and the ranch is literally 2 mins from my house.

I hope others find ways to monetize these amazing craft and post here as well.

K

 

[Dejan Smaic]

Monetization of drones? You've touched on some ways to make money. Aerial platforms used to shoot video is a supplement to video shot from ground level. 20 second B-clips are good for marketing departments, editorial needs. Stills, depends on the market. The energy industry loves stills with various appearances...just a start. Sell your self (your creative side) and your services, and don't shoot for the bottom on pricing. SNOT ALERT: don't let amateurs dictate professional media pricing. Separate professionals from amateurs looking for beer money and as to WHY you should be hired beyond just taking a picture. There is a difference between a picture vs a photography. Professionals take photos.

Another point: professionals have liability insurance. Crash your drone into someone else's property, you're liable for damages. Worse, if someone is injured or killed. Just sayin.

 

[Skydog]

Monetization of drones? You've touched on some ways to make money. Aerial platforms used to shoot video is a supplement to video shot from ground level. 20 second B-clips are good for marketing departments, editorial needs. Stills, depends on the market. The energy industry loves stills with various appearances...just a start. Sell your self (your creative side) and your services, and don't shoot for the bottom on pricing. SNOT ALERT: don't let amateurs dictate professional media pricing. Separate professionals from amateurs looking for beer money and as to WHY you should be hired beyond just taking a picture. There is a difference between a picture vs a photography. Professionals take photos.

Another point: professionals have liability insurance. Crash your drone into someone else's property, you're liable for damages. Worse, if someone is injured or killed. Just sayin.

Dejan pretty much nailed it. And I would add that some of us have been around since the medium of choice for producing was film. Then when the digital format advanced enough to be a viable alternative, and was much cheaper to use, the wannabees came swarming in calling themselves "professionals" and the "race to the bottom" syndrome kicked in. Same thing with either photography or moving pictures. That's not to say there aren't some super talented people in the wannabee group - there are for sure - but they are the exception.
That is what is happening now with drone related technology, although with a few subtle differences, but it will pan out the same results ultimately. And then technology will sprout another industry that everyone and their brother will jump on and the cycle continues.

 

[William Gaddy]

Dejan pretty much nailed it. And I would add that some of us have been around since the medium of choice for producing was film. Then when the digital format advanced enough to be a viable alternative, and was much cheaper to use, the wannabees came swarming in calling themselves "professionals" and the "race to the bottom" syndrome kicked in. Same thing with either photography or moving pictures. That's not to say there aren't some super talented people in the wannabee group - there are for sure - but they are the exception.
That is what is happening now with drone related technology, although with a few subtle differences, but it will pan out the same results ultimately. And then technology will sprout another industry that everyone and their brother will jump on and the cycle continues.

Well this just goes to the importance of specialization. Drones with cameras and sensors can do so much more than just take pretty pictures (I'm a grizzled old film guy too -- used to work for Arri, turned video guy, turned computer vision guy/VR). Agriculture, mapping, mining, inspection, the list goes on. Find a niche that suits your skillset that can differentiate you from every other kid down the block who got a Phantom for Christmas and knows how to snap a photo with it. Network, network and then when you're done with that, network some more. Local chamber of commerce. Trade associations, meetups. If you're cut out for it, cold-call. I did that for mapping and inspection, and it's gotten me jobs -- good paying ones. Of course, having insurance is a must. One pain in the *** is some of these require you to have (corporately) a $3m workers comp policy, and $5m general liability. These aren't inexpensive overhead items...

 

[William Gaddy]

I'll add one other point. Monetizing your drone is less like "hey I have this neat toy I play with anyway, can I make money with it?" -- it's a business decision to start a new business. And the overhead (insurance, admin, travel, T&C) eat into the money very quickly. Like starting any other business, it's like diving off a cliff. Sometimes you gracefully plunge into the water but 90% of the time you end up as a grease stain on the rocks next to the water.

 

[Simi Valley6]

Hey everybody! Hope it's a good day for flying wherever you are...

I have a question...I have searched this site diligently, but haven't found a discussion about innovative ways to monetize drone flights. I HAVE found several threads lamenting the "race-to-the-bottom" in the Real Estate Aerial Photography sector. I agree that this is a really tough way to try and monetize flight times, but is there a thread that talks about other, perhaps innovative ways, to make a buck with our birds?

Sorry in advance if I didn't find a thread that's already here. Just point me toward it and I'll check it out. If not, are there any forum veterans who are making a reasonable profit using drones in different ways? I, for one, would love to hear about it, and would add anything I eventually do to the thread. I actually DO make some decent $$$ in the Aerial Photog sector from time to time, mostly because I am good friends with several excellent RE agents and Agency owners.

Money or no money, I'll be in the air, but it would be nice to find some $$$ sometimes, lol. Any ideas out there? Safe Landings! K

 

[Simi Valley6]

Greetings all, I am a Veteran Service Officer helping disabled vets - through Vocational Rehab _ Chapter ??? I know of one company the VA has approved at To train disabled veterans - Drone University USA out of California - a great place for vets to get paid for drone training. I know nothing about the company - this is not a solicitation. I am 107 and I can help any veteran - nation wide - if anyone knows of other companies - please let me know.

If DJI needs a Veteran's section, I'm happy to volunteer as the the guy.


I have P3P/ P4P and Inspire 2 - and work regularly but I'm not in the black yet.

Best of luck, Marc

 

[Steve Reid]

GemVR,

Just finished the job. I have another tomorrow for a small (60 acre) cattleman's ranch for an hour just to locate. $100, but I'm only gonna fly about 30 mins of that time and the ranch is literally 2 mins from my house.

I hope others find ways to monetize these amazing craft and post here as well.

K

I wouldn't advertise it because someone will do it for 25!!