Today’s show is about the commercial viability of technical drone services like NDVI inspections and drone mapping. From a purely commercial perspective, are technical drone services more lucrative compared to creative drone services?

Our caller for today, Jun is a drone photographer and videographer from Los Angeles. In the wake of the pandemic, as opportunities in the creative field have dried up, Jun is wondering if providing technical drone services would benefit him commercially. Specifically, Jun is considering NDVI inspections and drone mapping/modeling.

How can Jun do an accurate cost-benefit analysis before he starts offering a new service? Sure. You might be able to charge what seems like an attractive rate. But, you will have to invest in expensive drone equipment, accessories, and training before you start taking these jobs.

Topics discussed in today’s show include pricing strategies, and how to protect and grow your drone business in the wake of the pandemic. Thanks for the great question, Jun. Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Get Your Biggest and Most Common Drone Certificate Questions Answered by Downloading this FREE Part 107 PDF

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If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

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Timestamps

• [01:27] Today’s question is about pricing technical drone services
• [03:24] How to do an accurate cost-benefit analysis before offering a new drone service
• [04:55] How to price technical drone services
• [10:30] Check out our Drone Business Course for some nuanced information guaranteed to help you and your business

Expert Tips for Using Your Drone to Measure the Height of a Building

Today’s show is about using your drone for measuring the height of a building. What is the easiest and most accurate way of doing so?

Our caller, Brendan is an architect who is using his Phantom 4 Pro to measure the height of a building. For this, Brendan is currently relying on the altitude displayed in the app. However, is the altitude displayed in your drone app accurate? Is it better to use drone mapping for making sure measurements?

For all this and much more, tune in to this short and informative show now. Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Get Your Biggest and Most Common Drone Certificate Questions Answered by Downloading this FREE Part 107 PDF

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

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Timestamps

• [01:14] Today’s question is about using your drone to measure the height of the building
• [04:10] Is the altitude displayed on your drone accurate?
• [06:02] Can you use drone mapping to get accurate Z-axis measurements and measure the height of the building?

Flying Your Drone Near Birds and Endangered Species

Today’s show is about flying near endangered species. Are there any drone laws that prevent you from doing so?

Our caller for today, John is trying to grab some picturesque shots near a tall building. However, the building’s website mentions that the building falls in a no-fly-zone due to residential falcons. The building authorities are referring a citation by DEC, a local organization.

So, can local organizations prevent you from flying over their property? Are drones a threat to birds and other endangered species? Can you use any tools so that you do not disturb the birds with your drone? For all this and much more, tune in to our latest show today!

We hope you enjoy this show!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Get Your Biggest and Most Common Drone Certificate Questions Answered by Downloading this FREE Part 107 PDF

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
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YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [02:12] Today’s question is about flying around endangered species
• [03:30] Does any drone law prevent flying around endangered species?
• [05:20] Who controls the airspace? Can local organizations prevent you from flying over their building?
• [09:20] Can you keep the birds away by fitting any tools to your drones?

Our first story this week is about the forthcoming drone conferences in 2020 and 2021. Taking into account the current situation, DJI has decided to go virtual with Airworks 2020. And drone pilots will be glad to learn that they won’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars to attend this conference. Now, you can attend this conference for just $35. It shall be interesting to see if other conferences like the FAA Symposium and CES shall follow suit by making these conferences more affordable in these trying times.

Next, we discuss how some irresponsible drone pilots have taken to skies to film protests being held in cities across the US. While we strongly condemn the sad death of George Floyd, flouting drone laws and flying recklessly is both dangerous and downright foolish. Listeners will learn how a drone flying over a protest came unnervingly close to an LAPD helicopter.

We also have some interesting news to share about the current state of the drone industry. As US-China tensions reach an all-time high, certain factions in the government are discouraging the use of DJI drones. But, can any industry incumbents really match DJI in terms of production capabilities and affordability? When the Skydio 2 came out, many in the industry (including us) were hopeful that Skydio would be able to fill DJI’s rather large shoes. However, as per the latest industry reports, Skydio is finding it

Other topics discussed in today’s show include Airmap’s California offices being burnt down, Zipline’s drone delivery operations in North Carolina, new Parrot Anafi drone with dual camera in summer 2020, and much, much more…

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
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Today’s question is about calibrating your drone camera before a mapping mission.

Our caller, Gaurav, a long-time Drone U member has come up with a great question that has not been asked on ADU before. Gaurav’s question is about drone mapping. Specifically, do you need to calibrate your drone camera before a mapping mission?

Along with your IMU and compass, will calibrating your drone camera help you as well? Tune in to find out. Thanks for the great question, Gaurav. Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
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YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [05:50] Today’s question is about calibrating your drone camera
• [07:15] Do I need to calibrate my drone camera before a mapping mission?
• [08:30] What is the benefit of calibrating your IMU? How often should you calibrate your IMU?
• [09:13] Expert tips for compass calibration

Today’s show is about the Phantom 4 RTK. What are some main issues that you are likely to encounter with the P4P RTK?

Our caller for today, Chris from Charlotte is a Phantom 4 RTK user. Chris is running into some glitches with his P4P RTK remote, and thinking of switching over to a SDK remote. Is this a good idea? Does a P4P SDK remote work seamlessly with third party apps?

To answer Chris’s questions, we reveal the pros and cons of the Phantom 4 RTK in great detail. There are many professional mappers who prefer using the Phantom 4 Pro V2 over the pricier Phantom 4 RTK. Hasn’t the P4P RTK resulted in a compressed and more efficient mapping workflow? What are some of the issues that you are likely to encounter with the Phantom 4 RTK?

Apart from the remote, other topics discussed in today’s show include using GCP’s with the P4P RTK, connecting to a NTrip network, and using GPS equipment. We hope you enjoy this show! Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
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YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [05:04] Today’s question is about the Phantom 4 RTK
• [06:08] Will you end up implementing a cumbersome workflow when you use the Phantom 4 RTK? Is the Phantom 4 Pro V2 far simpler to use?
• [06:40] What are some of the issues with the Phantom 4 RTK remote?
• [07:52] Should you buy a SDK remote? Are you less likely to run into glitches?
• [09:30] Can you write images only when your P4P?
• [10:16] Do you need GPS equipment if you are using the Phantom 4 RTK? Can you map without GCP’s with the P 4 RTK?
• [12:45] Do you need to connect to a NTrip network?

Today’s show is a special one as we are joined by drone pilot, Cam Sale who reveals some expert tips and tricks to protect and grow your drone business in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cam was recently awarded a large 16-month job that will help him significantly scale up his drone business operations.

While there are many drone pilots who are short of work due to the pandemic, how are pilots like Cam continuing to grow their business to the next level? What are some of the things that Cam is doing that is helping him consistently beat the competition? If you are a drone pilot worried about the impact of the virus outbreak on your business, this show will surely interest you. Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
Site – https://thedroneu.com/
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Twitter – https://twitter.com/thedroneu
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [00:38] Paul welcomes Cam to the show
• [01:56] How tenacity and passion can help you tide over difficult times
• [03:15] Some more crucial attributes for finding success as a drone pilot
• [06:35] Cam shares how he snagged a large. 16-month project recently…in the midst of the virus outbreak
• [07:28] Are you working with the RIGHT clients?
• [09:03] What is the ONE THING that can help you find success in your drone business?
• [11:08] Cam reveals his all-time favorite job
• [12:08] Some parting advice from Cam

Zipline to Commence Drone Delivery Operations from North Carolina, Flash Forest Uses Autonomous Drones for Reforestation, Is 2020 the Year of Drones?, Wing Aviation Grows at 500%

Our main story today is about drone deliveries. The US has been lagging behind countries like Australia and even Africa due to archaic laws that make it incredibly difficult to use drones for making deliveries. So, far, delivery providers have been choosing to fly under Part 135 since making drone deliveries under Part 107 was thought to be nearly impossible.

However, recently, we published a detailed blog post revealing how operators can make deliveries under Part 107. Now, as per the latest industry reports, drone delivery provider, Zipline has been approved by the FAA to make deliveries in the US. And Zipline is planning on flying under Part 107. Zipline shall be delivering medical supplies and is planning to commence operations from North Carolina. All this and much more in this segment of the show.

Other topics discussed in today’s show include Wing Aviation registering a 500% rise in drone deliveries, how the virus outbreak has resulted in increased usage of drone technology, autonomous drones for reforestation, and much, much more…

We hope you enjoy this show.

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
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Instagram – https://instagram.com/thedroneu/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/thedroneu
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [01:10] – How to make drone deliveries under Part 107
• [01:34] – Zipline officially approved by the FAA to make drone deliveries; operations to commence in North Carolina
• [03:23] – Can you make drone deliveries by daisy chaining visual observers?
• [05:03] – Gartner reports predicts that a million drones will be used for retail deliveries by 2026
• [07:56] – Wing Aviation registers a 500% rise in drone deliveries in the wake of the coronavirus
• [10:15] – Has the pandemic forced us to increase usage of drone technology?
• [14:36] "]– Flash Forest, a Canadian-based start up starts using autonomous drones for reforestation

How to Deal With Illegal Drone Pilots

Today’s question is about illegal BLOVS flights.

Our caller for today, Mark has come up with a great question that has not been asked on ADU before. Mark recently saw a video where an Autel Evo 2 was flown more than a mile away. In yet another instance, another YouTuber took his Mavic Mini to 18,000 feet AGL. Have these YouTubers taken the necessary legal permission to fly these shots that are outside the rules of Part 107? If not, what is the likelihood of the FAA enforcing action against such illegal drone pilots?

Flying illegally certainly sets a bad precedent – more so, if you are a prominent YouTuber with millions of followers. Tune in to find out what you can do if you come across similar instances. Thanks for the great question, Mark. Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
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Twitter – https://twitter.com/thedroneu
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [01:43] Our sponsor for today are the Drone U Mini Landing Pads
• [02:40] Hone your drone skills in this downtime by taking the Drone U Virtual Flight Mastery
• [05:55] Today’s question is about BVLOS flights
• [07:41] How far away does the FAA allow to fly your drone?
• [10:30] Are YouTubers flying their drone thousands of feet away doing so in a legal manner?
• [16:30] Should you report illegal drone pilots?
• [19:52] How difficult is it to prove illegal drone activity? What is the likelihood of the FAA taking action against such pilots?

Workflow and Tips for Adding 3D Renderings to a Video

Today’s question is about adding 3D renderings to a video.

Our caller for today, Tom is not sure how he can add 3D renderings to a video. Doing so will certainly result in better engagement. But, how can he do that? Which software will allow Tom to add 3D renderings to a video?

We help Tom out in this short but informative show. Thanks for the great question! Fly Safe!

Hone your drone skills by signing up for one of our webinars or online classes – and make the most of this downtime! – https://www.thedroneu.com/droneu-events/

Recently crashed your drone? Unable to find trained technicians who can repair your drone quickly and at a reasonable rate? Don’t fret. The cool folks at Fortress UAV can help you get your drone back up in the air in as little as 7 days! Use Promo Code “DroneU” to get 25% off. Drone U Members get an extra 5% off on total repair costs. Check them out now!

Make sure to get yourself the all-new Drone U landing pad!

Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/.

If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you’re there, leave us a 5-star review, if you’re inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832.

Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community.

Follow us:
Site – https://thedroneu.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/droneu
Instagram – https://instagram.com/thedroneu/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/thedroneu
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu

Timestamps

• [02:20]  Today’s question is about adding 3D renderings to a video
• [04:18]  How can you create a video from a drone map or model?
• [06:14]  Can you add a 3D rendering to a video? Which tools can you use?