Everything You Need To Know About Becoming A Commercial Drone Operator! Part 1

As a commercial drone operator, there is a lot of potential to be able earn a full-time income whilst doing something you enjoy. That’s the dream, right? Drone Safe Register offers all of the tools and support to help make this dream a reality. 

But what are my first steps in this journey? What equipment do I need? How do I network myself?

Find Out All You Need To Know Now! 

Equipment, Services, Specialities:

As a commercial drone operator, you need to imagine your drone as a tool for work. Think about it like this: a carpenter has a van full of equipment, ready to complete a wide range of works, is that not the same as a drone operator?. A drone operator with a van full of equipment would have thought out exactly what types of drones and equipment they have to ensure they meet the client's needs and demands. With the right drone and an understanding of jobs, it would be possible for a drone company to be earning in excess of £100,000 with the right tools and skills for the job. Drone Safe Store offers a variety of drones for all skill levels and offers the expertise to guide you on your drone journey. 

As you progress, keep an eye on the FPV Drone from DJI. Get involved with this impressive technology before it blows up! In the next few years, FPV is going to go from strength to strength and be really exciting in terms of job opportunities due to the unique way they can capture footage. 

Drone Safe recommends the DJI Mini 2 as the ultimate starter drone. 

 

Developing an understanding of the variety of services drones provide is a vital first step in your commercial drone journey. As a future commercial drone operator, it is vital to not only provide a service but understand the needs and requirements of a service. In some sectors, there is only so much you can charge per job and this depends heavily on the type of equipment you are using and your experience with flying. One thing is for sure: the higher end the equipment you have, the more services you can provide. However, it’s not just about your equipment, it’s about the person behind the controller. If you have the skills, training and knowledge at your fingertips, you can use the drone industry to become extremely profitable. 

When researching job services, put yourself in the shoes of someone who would need to hire a professional drone operator. The list of industries is endless and services can range from marketing to filming, inspections to tours and much much more. Carving out a niche is important, but not vital to success. 

Other than flying, learning the fundamentals of cameras is of utmost importance. All top-earning industry professionals know their equipment inside and out and cameras play an important role.  For most drone-related jobs, people hire them because they want expert imagery with a clear and distinct quality. 

With Drone Safe Register, you can also advertise a number of additional specialized services related to the drone industry. Services include professional ground photography and video as well as specializations in time-lapsing and cable-cam operations. 

Networking:

Another big aspect of becoming a commercial drone operator is building contacts and networking. Whilst this doesn't happen overnight - which can be the same for any industry - building relationships with clients and other pilots sets you on course for success. It’s taken us 5 years to build up a network of safe and legal drone operators and we now provide thousands of jobs each year to our members and hundreds of networking opportunities in our closed groups. 

Our exclusive closed network group offers excellent support and is great for working together on projects and sharing work and skills. But when it comes to networking with potential clients, other tactics need to be employed. Joining the networking platform LinkedIn provides you with an excellent opportunity to network with potential employers and develop long term relationships with industry professionals. Remember - you can be a jack-of-all-trades whilst also offering specialized niche work, it’s all about finding the right balance. 

If you are taking the time to talk to the right people day in and day out, using social media and networking tools whilst building an SEO friendly website you are doing everything right. and you are using your drone as much as possible for people with businesses, this is where the interest comes in. People are intrigued and excited about what you are doing, and the amount of work that can be created simply by doing this is amazing. You must invest in yourself, as well as your equipment to be successful. 

What Do I Do Next?

Now if you have come this far, and you think that joining the drone industry is easy and you think you can leave a well paid Monday to Friday job and become successful overnight, this industry is definitely not for you. Rome wasn’t built in a day! 

Provided you do a great job, your clients will become very loyal and appreciative of the work you do. Build a good relationship with them and you will find that they hire you again and again. It only takes one opportunity and your business will be well on it’s way to success within the drone industry!

Drone Safe Register provides you with all the tools you need to successfully start a drone business and allows you to connect and network with other industry professionals. We also provide a deep members dashboard with estimator tools and live drone maps as well as exclusive discounts at Coverdrone and DJI drones and accessories. Our profile system provides you with in-depth statistics on jobs and instant quotes as well as boosting your SEO efforts with our impressive and massively indexed website. 

Things take time to build and it’s normally the people who do not market themselves correctly and do not have the drive or networking opportunities who are the ones who leave the industry. Thousands of people have joined the drone industry, gotten qualified, invested in kit and set up their website but they sit at home and the phone doesn't ring. As a drone company, you must take an active role in all aspects of the business - flying the drone is only 5% of what the job entails. 

Becoming a commercial drone operator isn’t easy money - you have to work hard and have your fingers in a lot of pies. However, when you are successful, you get paid (sometimes substantial amounts of money!) to do what you love! 

The next step in this journey is getting qualified/permissions and having a deeper understanding of drone laws, rules and regulations as well as upping your flying capabilities.

The legalities behind commercial operations can be tricky to understand - more on that next time!

From everyone here at Drone Safe - Good luck on your Drone Journey!