Drone rule changes make microdrones most valuable

Microdrones might be the most valuable drone to date, as the FAA opens up a world of creative possibilities thanks to the changes in Part 107 and flight over people.

With the recent changes to Part 107, the FAA just boosted the value of microdrones exponentially.  The world of creative possibilities expands astronomically when microdrones can fly over people, and other drones need permission.

Everyone wants the most valuable drone for today and for the future. Drones should be able to capture incredible video, high resolution photos and even map.  The aircraft becomes a platform, able to solve numerous problems, similar to applications on a phone.

The most valuable drones today offer pilots the ability to take extremely smooth video, digitize the world and take incredibly colorful photos.  What is the most valuable drone for the money today?  Many would argue there are different platforms for the best drone for the money.  Frankly, we would argue that the Inspire 2 offers the most bang for the buck.  The Inspire 2 offers dual pilot functionality, super 35 mm full frame camera, autonomous capability and safety redundancy.  Albeit, traveling with the Inspire 2 isn't for the weak, but GPC Cases has always had a solution to this problem.

Why argue for the I2 over all the other aircraft? The drone opens up the most opportunities to drone pilots. No, we're not talking about filming real estate, but sure, you could do that too.  The Inspire 2's various payloads take videography to the next level. Shooting with the X7 in 2.44:1 offers the ability for pilots to work on set.  Drone pilots can serve the production houses, and movie sets.

While the Inspire 2 opens up high level production to pilots, this drone also allows pilots to take advantage of many technical jobs as well.  While the Phantom drone is a more economical option for technical jobs, the Inspire 2 offers more flexibility.  The large camera sensor also opens up a world of advanced 3d modeling jobs.  Historical preservation, high end 3D modeling and VFX production is much more practical with a full frame sensor.

Part 107 Update changes the value proposition for drones.

With the new updates to Part 107, the world of drone possibilities expands rapidly.  Come 2023, the most valuable drone will be some sort of microdrone.  The ability to fly over people, without FAA permission, will open up a world of creative possibilities.  With a low price point, these creative opportunities are available to a wide array of drone pilots.

As a drone pilot, it is nearly impossible to count how many times I've been asked to film a concert, parade, protest and even processions.  While it is possible to film all of these venues right now, it is extremely difficult to legally fly over people and get amazing shots.

The most valuable drone of the future will be the drone you can pick up from the local electronics store, and go fly and film over people.   We all know drones are incredibly safe.  The FAA just acknowledged this fact, by allowing micro drones to fly over people come March 2023.  That's right, think of a drone like the Mini 2 with prop cages... Now those amazing low level shots we see internationally...will be legal state side.

What does the future hold for the Mini 2?  The ability to fly over people, capture events and expand the creative possibilities.  The number of potential shots from the air skyrockets.  The ability to serve clients in events....opens up new possibilities.

Micro drones while small and portable are also very affordable.  The barrier to entry to becoming a creative drone pilot just went down significantly.  With the new Part 107 rule changes, a $500 drone can now fly over people with prop cages.  This means that news teams around the USA will most likely just fly Mini 2 drones and use the footage for broll, transitions and establishing shots. Journalists are already taking advantage of these micro drones in other countries.  Micro drones have already become the most valuable drones, as they circumnavigate regulation around the world.

Journalists, Creatives and Bloggers creating the Micro drone trend.

Journalists will love micro drones and the ability to capture incredibly engaging shots. Yet, we won't have to wait until 2023 to get extreme value from Micro drones.  Let's give the example of Canada.  Canadian journalists are buying up micro drones at a record rate.  Why?  Simple, they're able to avoid most of the red tape of drone regulation.

Canada has a micro drone rule that simplifies the environment of flight. Drone pilots do not need to register their drone. Drone pilots in Canada do not need a drone pilot certificate to fly a micro drone.  If you're a traveling journalist who works abroad and at home, the value of a micro drone is undeniable.

Ultimate Drone of the Future.

Drone manufacturers have already pushed the boundaries of highly compact drones. DJI is far ahead of any other manufacturer.  DJI already produces the Mini 2 drone.  The drone offers reliable video transmission, is easy to fly and captures great 4k video.  The Mini 2 drone has Occusync 2.0, which was the remote control system that was used to demonstrate RID to the FAA, via DJI.  While the Occusync system isn't technically RID capable right now, we believe by 2023, the drone would be RID compatible.

Let's imagine it is 2023, and some drone manufacturer gives us the "perfect" micro drone.  The perfect micro drone would offer:

1. Large enough sensor for decent photos (1" CMOS)
2. Ultra-wide video (2.35:1 or 2.44:1)
3. Raw capability
4. Built in prop cages

This perfect drone would now be able to:

1. Capture video over crowds, opening up a vast array of new engaging media.
2. Be able to travel to other countries and avoid regulatory scrutiny
3. Offer portability and keep 1 or 2 drones in your camera bag
4. Be able to film broadcast video, live stream

We who are participants in this industry continue to be excited by these new products and developments.  Microdrones will continue to expand the drone market, and might just become the most popular drones on the market.  Let us know how you plan on taking advantage of these opportunities.