Webinar Replay: How to Tackle Problems Arising in Drone Systems and Accessories & Pricing Strategies for a Sustainable Drone Business

April 1, 2018 by narinder

Originally Aired: Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 7 pm EST
In this 3-29-18 Member’s Q & A Webinar, Paul tackles various topics such as drone systems, drone accessories, and pricing strategies. Which has been Paul most lucrative project to date? Are all airports going to be covered under LAANC? What are the ideal gimbal settings for the Inspire 2?
Watch and learn as Paul answers these and many more interesting questions. You can also learn about the forthcoming Drone U Fly-in and our in-person mapping classes. Tune in to this fun filled and informative episode. Fly safe!

Timestamps

[02:04] Paul shares details of the forthcoming Drone U Fly-in
[03:57] I am from Australia. If I come to US, do I need any qualification apart from Part 107?
[04:10] Did I miss the Fly-in announcement?
[06:03] What is the best way to charge batteries while on a boat?
[08:24] Do I need to upgrade from the Inspire and X3 camera to do a mapping video? Would you keep the X5 and keep the I1 and upgrade to P4P?
[09:31] How are you doing it? You can’t use Pix4D and you can’t use MapsMadeEasy
[09:58] Any chance of a semi-annually Fly-in?
[11:44] When is the Drone-U channel coming out on Roku?
[12:42] How do I access the video for authorizations?
[13:10] Is it really worthwhile to go over authorizations with LAANC coming out?
[14:35] What is the greatest ROI you have ever received on a project?
[14:44] Are all airports included in LAANC?
[17:06] Will Drone U ever create a job board of any kind?
[17:55] What are your gimbal settings for your Inspire2?
[18:02] Is the Panono for shooting 360 degree videos? I am using Litchi.
[18:48] I need some outreach tips
[21:13] Which is the only drone that you want but do not have?
[21:26] Are you using your Osmo Gimbals at all?
[21:35] Do you change your settings in I2 when tracking flights?
[22:20] Do you have a different approach for small and large construction projects for pricing and process?
[22:44] Do you change your settings for subject tracking?
[22:55] I am doing roof inspections for companies who works for insurance companies. I am getting poor rates. Any advice?
[24:02] If you hack the Mavic in Atti Mode, do you use sport mode?
[24:48] Do you need Ground Control Points (GCP’s) for volume?
[24:58] How valuable do you think the Crystal Sky is for your business?
[25:58] Paul shares information about Drone U’s forthcoming courses
[27:03] Is the Pix4D allowed on the CrystalSky monitor?
[28:08] When is the next Drone U mapping class?

BONUS EPISODE: RMUS Joins Us to Discuss DJI Releasing the XT2 Thermal Camera, Skyport and PSDK

April 1, 2018 by narinder

Today’s show focuses on the new enterprise and public safety equipment released by DJI. We discuss the XT2, Slantrange, Skyport and PSDK solutions with Jon Mcbride from RMUS. Jon outlines the real world expectations and limitations with this new equipment. What drone will these new accessories work on? Today we give you the nitty gritty details of what you need to know. Fly safe!

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Timestamps

[00:22] Paul introduces Jon McBride to listeners
[01:28] Jon discusses why the announcement of the forthcoming XT2 is so significant
[03:10] What are the ideal applications for a RGB sensors?
[04:27] Jon explains how FLIR has developed cameras over years
[06:30] Discussing the different capabilities of the Duo Pro R
[07:41] What is the difference between a radiometric and non radiometric camera?
[09:20] Do you need a radiometric thermal camera to create an accurate thermal model?
[11:44] When can we expect these new DJI sensors to come out?
[12:39] Which drones will be able to handle the XT2?
[14:00] Which drones will work with the Skyport? And, what are its capabilities?
[16:23] Discussing how DJI is recognizing the need for specialized sensors as far as the Matrice series is concerned
[19:21] Discussing the various capabilities of DJI’s new searchlight
[21:01] Does the Skyport only work with M200 and M210, but not M600?
[21:22] What is the Dropbox? What are the various practical challenges of putting this Box on a drone?
[24:48] What is the payload capacity of the M210?
[26:16] How long do you think the M210 will remain relevant?
[28:03] Is the Inspire 1 a better bird than the Inspire 2?
[28:36] Which is the best drone for public safety?
[31:11] How does Real Time Kinematics (RTK) work?
[34:45] Are you building a separate M600 with a separate IMU and compass that works with specific cameras?
[36:15] When can you expect these DJI products to hit the market?
[38:03] Jon shares his contact information

Tags: DJI, drone, FAA, Inspire 1, inspire 2, M200, M210, m600, matrice, multirotor, p4p, PSDK, quadcopter, Skyport, Slantrange, uav, XT2

ADU 0771: Drone Applications | Can You Open Multiple Applications While Flying?

March 30, 2018 by narinder

Will you encounter glitches if you open multiple drone applications?

Today’s question is about drone applications. Can you open multiple applications while flying your drone? Is it a good idea to open a secondary drone application along with DJI Go 4?

Because some secondary Apps might be prone to glitching, you might need to have DJI Go 4 open at the same time. Will opening multiple drone applications while flying cause any problems? How does DJI Go 4 interact with these secondary applications? Does DJI Go 4 override these secondary applications? Paul also suggests a great hack for completing your mission in case you have airspace authorization from FAA, but not from DJI. How? Tune in to find out. Thanks to the caller for the question. Fly safe!

Make sure to get yourself a Drone U landing pad!

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

Get your copy of “Livin’ the Drone Life” – //amzn.to/2nalUDH
Get your copy of our Part 107 Study Guide – //amzn.to/2omQatT

Timestamps

[02:01] Today’s question is about having multiple drone applications open during a mapping mission
[02:52] Why do drone pilots need to have multiple apps open?
[03:04] Will DJI Go 4 override settings of other secondary drone applications?
[04:45] Should you run DJI Go 4 if your secondary app is glitching?
[05:30] Can you fly with airspace authorization from FAA but not from DJI?

Tags: applications, apps, DJI Go 4, drone, drone application, FAA, multirotor, quadcopter, Safety, uav

ADU 0770: How Do I Apply for a Daytime Waiver to Fly at Night?

March 30, 2018 by narinder

Today’s question is about daytime waivers. What are the chances of getting daylight operations waived so that you can fly at night? Does FAA have a system for reviewing your waiver application?

Our caller, Cody wishes to fly at night in Class G airspace. He needs to fly over multiple locations which are spread over a couple of counties. How can he increase the probability of his application being accepted? Should he make a single application or multiple applications?

We decide to dig deep and share statistics of various waiver applications and their rejection rates. Apart from the daytime waivers, we discuss acceptance rates of the following waivers: BVLOS, flying over people, operations from a moving vehicle, minimum flight visibility and more. Is the FAA planning on coming up with a system to review your waiver application? Will this lead to more waiver applications being accepted? Tune in to find out. Thanks to Cody for the question. Fly safe!

Make sure to get yourself a Drone U landing pad!

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

Get your copy of “Livin’ the Drone Life” – //amzn.to/2nalUDH
Get your copy of our Part 107 Study Guide – //amzn.to/2omQatT
Rejection rates for Part 107 Waivers – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xHN_ATMI7kVJKBBQX4CWDFS6stHdkrKN/view

Timestamps

[06:07] How do I get a daytime waiver to fly at night?
[08:15] Some tips and tricks to obtain a daytime waiver
[10:43] What are your chances of getting a daytime waiver?
[12:04] We share approval rates and rejection rates for all Part 107 waivers
[17:30] We discuss the absence of a system to review and grant Part 107 waivers

Tags: BVLOS, daytime waiver, drone, FAA, flying over people, multirotor, part 107, quadcopter, Safety, uav, waiver, waiver application

Webinar Replay: How To Build Trust With Prospective Clients, Sell Your Services & Develop Lasting Relationships In Your Drone Business

March 29, 2018 by narinder

Originally Aired: Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 7 pm EST

In this 3-27-18 Sales webinar, Paul provides insights which will help drone pilots exponentially ramp up sales. Paul discusses various sales strategies such as connecting with influencers, using storytelling and leveraging FOMO.
How should you behave once a client displays interest in your services? Should you go into an overdrive about your past projects and achievements? Is it okay to belittle your competition while making your sales pitch? Paul also shares his own AH-HA moment which helped him become a more confident salesman. In the later part of this informative webinar, we field various questions on this topic. So, tune in and discover some great tips and tricks which will help you become a true sales champion.

Timestamps

[06:10] The importance of networking with influential connectors
[06:58] Discussing how doing something really well is the best way to market yourself
[07:52] Should you opt for the old way of prospecting new clients?
[08:48] We talk about the importance of building relationships in sales
[09:26] What are some of the sales rules that you need to be aware of?
[10:53] Why talking trash about your competitors is a bad sales idea?
[12:34] How should you behave once you have an interested client?
[14:30] We talk about the importance of creating an emotional experience
[15:30] Why should you always avoid talking about yourself too much? We discuss the importance of letting the client take the lead
[15:52] Discussing the importance of weaving storytelling into your drone business
[16:42] What is the one crucial factor for achieving sales success?
[18:38] We talk about the importance of having confidence
[20:20] Paul’s AH-HA movement: Learn how Paul realized the true value of his work
[22:48] We talk about the importance of NEVER giving up on sales?
[25:19] Were you fibbing when you said that you had another customer on the line?
[25:32] Do I need to become a Drone U member to have more of my sales questions answered?
[26:38] When is the business course coming out?
[27:38] What do you think is the future of the drone business? There are many big groups going in house right now.
[28:58] Do you have pricing information for this new level of membership?
[29:33] When is the replay going to be available? And when are you going to do more business related content?
[29:52] Is this new level starting August as well?
[30:52] Are you going to be doing a lot of business related courses as a part of the Fly-in?
[31:03] When should the webinar be available?
[31:11] How do you reach out to the more technical companies
[31:50] How can you leverage FOMO (Fear of Missing out) to your advantage?
[32:27] I just signed up for membership. Which courses do you recommend that I check out?
[33:21] Does Inspire 2 come with a FLIR camera?
[33:40] Is DJI coming out with a new Phantom
[33:48] I am not going to be able to make it to the subject tracking class this year
[34:10] Which Part 107 course should you really have a look at?
[35:01] It seems like the Inspire 2 is focused on cinematography. If you need to use the FLIR, you need to used the M210. Am I throwing away some money?
[36:10] I am limited to the X7 right now. I use my X4S.
[36:20] I have been on the fence for a while. I went ahead and took the offer. I look forward to the info.
[36:42] I am planning on purchasing a $15,000 bird for mapping.
[37:00] Which email do I use if I want to order?
[37:30] Do you need to keep a surveyor on staff in order to build models?
[38:20] How do you plan on dealing with repeat clients in real estate? They want to buy their own drone and do not want to pay you everytime to do the same thing.
[39:16] Is the X5S good for mapping?
[39:18] Is LAANC really coming to South Central US end of April?
[40:10] Any chance of a reunion in Cali or AZ for the upcoming recency exam?
[40:15] What is new with Yuneec H520?
[41:07] Do clients take you seriously if you have the letters DJI or Yuneec on it?

ADU 0769: Can You Ruin Your Drone Batteries If You Don’t Fly for a Long Time?

March 28, 2018 by narinder

Today’s question is about battery maintenance. What are some best practices for ensuring long drone battery life? Can you damage your drone batteries if you are not flying for a long duration?

Our caller cannot fly for two months at a stretch due to harsh weather conditions. He is wondering if this period of inactivity affects drone battery life. How often do you need to fly to ensure that your drone battery is not damaged? Tune in to this short but informative episode to find out. Fly safe!

Make sure to get yourself a Drone U landing pad!

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

Get your copy of “Livin’ the Drone Life” – //amzn.to/2nalUDH
Get your copy of our Part 107 Study Guide – //amzn.to/2omQatT

Timestamps

[01:37] Today’s question is about drone batteries
[02:42] Can you fly your drone in cold weather?
[03:16] Can you ruin your drone batteries if you don’t fly for a long duration?
[03:52] How often should you fly to ensure that your drone batteries are not damaged?

Tags: battery care, Battery Life, drone, FAA, lipo, maintenance, multirotor, quadcopter, Safety, uav

ADU 0768: Drones Building Inspections – How do You Do Them?

March 27, 2018 by narinder

Today, we talk about using drone building inspection. How can you build an accurate building model using a drone? Which software can you use for making great client deliverables? Are there any disadvantages to using cloud based software for processing drone footage?

Because, folks in the construction industry are used to working with models, they have extremely specific requirements. And, your data acquisition technique is ultimately dependent on client’s requirements. What are some tips and tricks to accurately acquire data? Can drones be used by insurance companies to accurately assess damages?

We also talk about client deliverables. Learn how Pix4D model, an online portal compares to DroneDeploy. You can always join our in-person mapping class where these concepts are covered in great detail. Stay tuned and fly safe!

Make sure to get yourself a Drone U landing pad!

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

Get your copy of “Livin’ the Drone Life” – //amzn.to/2nalUDH
Get your copy of our Part 107 Study Guide – //amzn.to/2omQatT
Registration Link for our FREE webinar on 3/27 – https://events.genndi.com/register/169105139238437930/f1b0fbf32a

Timestamps

[01:06] Paul shares details about the forthcoming Drone U Fly-in
[04:14] Today’s question is about drone building inspection and client deliverables
[05:22] Discussing the best way for making client deliverables for a drone building inspection
[05:51] How does Pix4D model compare to DroneDeploy?
[07:43] What are the limitations of using cloud processing software for processing drone footage?
[08:25] Can you get more accurate data if you are using manual tie points? Can you apply manual tie points using cloud processing software?
[09:08] What is the best way to do a drone building inspection? Is creating mapping models the only alternative?
[10:19] Can you use drones to process insurance claims?
[11:27] How can participating in Drone U’s in-person mapping class help you?
[12:32] Discussing how your acquisition strategy depends on your application
[13:20] Learn how we will be incorporating real life scenarios in the upcoming Drone U Fly-in
[14:37] How can you make volumetric measurements using Pix4D for settling insurance claims?
[16:43] Where can Drone U members access the 2018 FAA Symposium talks?

Tags: building inspection, claims, drone, dronedeploy, FAA, Insurance, mapping, model, multirotor, pix4d, quadcopter, Safety, uav

ADU 0767: How Can You Claim Drone Insurance If You Are Flying Someone Else’s Drone?

March 26, 2018 by narinder

Today’s question is about drone insurance. Can you get insurance if you are flying someone else’s drone? Which insurance providers can you consider in this scenario?

Our caller, Ignacio wishes to fly his friend’s drone. How can he receive proper coverage? In event of a crash, can Ignacio claim damages using his friend’s policy? Or, does he need to buy a separate drone insurance policy?

We also talk about different insurance providers. Is on-demand insurance by Verifly a good option? Which are some good alternatives in this situation? Should you consider purchasing insurance from an agent? Tune in to find out. Thanks to the caller for the question. Fly safe!

Also, the folks over at Energen are offering a special discount on their amazing portable chargers for all Drone U members. Use one the following promo codes at checkout, depending on which battery you buy, to get a great deal on a killer battery:

Energen A40 Model: DRONEUA40

Energen M10 Model: DRONEU M10

Energen P40 Mode: DRONEU P40

Make sure to get yourself a Drone U landing pad!

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

Timestamps

[03:26] Today’s question is about claiming drone insurance if you are flying someone else’s drone
[04:30] Do you need to have a FAA registration number in order to claim insurance?
[05:04] Should you consider getting your drone insurance from a good agent?
[05:30] Ways to claim insurance when flying someone else’s drone
[06:00] Should you consider getting drone insurance from Verifly?

Tags: coverage, drone, FAA, Insurance, multirotor, quadcopter, Safety, uav, verifly

Webinar Replay: Start to Finish Workflow for Creating Beautiful Mapping Models

March 26, 2018 by narinder

Originally Aired: Wednesday, March 19, 2018 at 7 pm EST

This 03.19.18 webinar is all about streamlining your workflow in order to create appealing mapping models. Paul and Doug lay out strategies for acquisition, processing and post processing. Should you use RTK-GPS for laying out your GCP’s? Is Pix4D still the gold standard for mapping applications? How do other tools such as MapsMadeEasy and DroneDeploy compare to Pix4D? We also discuss the best way to do a façade clean up in SketchFab. Paul shares his SketchFab models and demonstrates how you can do just that.

Apart from mapping apps, we discuss flight paths, RTK-GPS systems, drone systems, cameras and much more. Also, watch out for information about our forthcoming in-person training’s and online courses. Fly safe!

Timestamps

[04:33] How do you typically deliver content to clients?
[05:39] What are the two important aspects of mapping?
[07:10] What is the agenda for today’s webinar?
[08:16] Will the screenplay be available later on for viewing?
[08:52] What is the workflow for creating mapping models?
[09:50] Step by step description of the Acquisition process
[11:33] Why are manual tie points so important?
[12:20] Should you use RTK-GPS for placing GCP’s?
[13:10] We talk about the different flight paths that you can use while mapping data; we start off by talking about Nadir flight path
[13:14] Learn why Minimum Operating Clearance Altitude (MOCA) is so important
[13:17] Sharing how you can fly a Crosshatch flight path
[15:50] Ways to get correct Obliques and Orbitals
[16:10] How lowest is too low when capturing data?
[16:28] Does Aeropoints need 90 minutes to calibrate location of path?
[16:57] Tips and tricks to processing imagery using Pix4D
[18:06] We talk about image post production; learn why image clean-up is so important
[19:33] What are the KPI’s for point cloud clean up?
[20:14] Why is Pix4D the preferred tool for cleaning up point clouds?
[21:29] Paul displays a post clean-up final image
[26:50] How do you get rid of wall mold and do a facade clean up?
[31:56] Paul shares information about the forthcoming Drone U seminar in Houston
[32:28] Is it normal for the buildings to appear pixelated?
[32:48] Is the Inspire 2 and X5S okay for mapping? Is the X4S better?
[33:02] Which App do you normally use for correction?
[33:20] Are you doing a mapping class out West?
[34:52] Learn why you should upload an FBX file to Sketch instead of OBJ or PLY file
[35:42] Correcting a model in SketchFab sharpness and adding annotations
[40:00] Do you have subscription to Pix4DMapper or Pix4DModel?
[40:11] Is it possible to get survey grade models with photogrammetry?
[40:31] When is the Drone U conference?
[40:44] Is P4P still the standard? Or, have you moved to a new drone?
[41:01] When can expect an advanced mapping class for Drone U members?
[41:41] Are you doing a mapping classs in Denver?
[41:58] Which is your opinion about Drone2Map and ArcGIS?
[42:47] Do surveyors mostly use Autocad?
[43:06] Is my Yuneec H520 with E90 good for this weekend?
[43:27] What is the difference between mapper and modeler in Pix4D?
[43:45] Is there another program that we can use apart from Pix4D?
[44:38] Why is the Inspire 2 more accurate?
[44:54] What is the reason for using Pix4D instead of DroneDeploy?
[45:37] Can you customize using a free account in SketchFab?
[46:16] Does anyone contract post processing services?
[46:45] Should you consider using a QNAP system?
[47:47] Is DroneDeploy good for stockpile calculations?
[47:56] Is MapsMadeEasy really bad? I have good results with it
[48:25] What about UGCS?
[49:40] When you get an OBJ export to upload from SketchFab, can you rezip the files to make them smaller?
[49:47] Another software that has my interest is Inpho by Trimble. Have your tried it yet?
[50:09] What is Pro membership?
[50:44] Is SketchFab the gold standard for marketing models? We discuss pros and cons
[51:23] Is the Matrice 210 equipped with the X4S good for mapping? I use it for inspections but I haven’t tried mapping
[51:44] We will love to have Drone U come to Charlotte, North Carolina
[52:23] You mentioned surveying and real estate on the podcast. What was that all about?
[53:05] Can you go over models for progression mapping?
[53:16] I produced a great model with Skycatch this week. But, there are some obvious limitations. Thoughts?
[53:43] In the intermediate course, I am not sure where the data is used to create an interactive map. Pix4D or SketchFab after uploading the model?
[54:24] When you did the Mavic Air review, you said that something is coming that is going to change the industry
[55:10] I am a VR developer and I use Unity game engine
[55:51] We would definitely like to hear your thoughts on SkyCatch
[56:38] Can you run Pix4D on a grid clustered server?
[56:54] Which flight app do you prefer strictly for acquisition?
[57:43] Is the Phantom 5 coming?
[57:53] What is your opinion about the Matrice RTK 210 during modelling?
[58:21] Does Pix4D still conflict with DJI Go4?
[58:24] Can Pix4D stitch thermal images from FLIR?
[59:30] How do you acquire mapped data on a side of a hill?
[59:41] How many acres should you map at the most on each model?
[60:17] What do you like for agriculture?
[60:37] Is the intermediate class enough to keep me going?

ADU 0766: Do You Need a COA or a COW If You Have Permission from ATC?

March 23, 2018 by narinder

Today’s question is about getting your COA or COW. If you have prior permission from Air Traffic Control, do you still need to get your COA or COW? What does the FAA say about this issue?

Our caller, Igancio is wondering about the authority exerted by Air Traffic Control (ATC). Paul reads out excerpts from the Drone Pilot Field Kit which helps clear any confusion relating to this issue. Tune in to this short but extremely informative episode. We thank our caller for the question. Fly safe!

Make sure to get yourself a Drone U landing pad!

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

Get your copy of “Livin’ the Drone Life” – //amzn.to/2nalUDH
Get your copy of our Part 107 Study Guide – //amzn.to/2omQatT
Sign up for our FREE webinar on 3/26 – //bit.ly/2u2XHEE

Timestamps

[02:26] Today’s question is about getting your COA or COW
[02:58] Do you need a COA or COW in spite of having prior ATC permission?
[03:09] Paul reads out what FAA says about this issue by referencing the Drone Pilot Field Kit