Careers in the Drone Industry

Drone industry is developing at a rapid pace around the world, and even faster in United States since the FAA made it easier to obtain FAA Drone pilot license (Part 107 Certificate) in 2016. What’s more, drone hardware and software companies are continuously innovating to develop new tools, driving the demand for certified pilots in the industries that find them useful.   

The world is embracing drones because their value proposition is clear – they can accomplish many tasks faster, safer, and cheaper. Benefits of drone use differ for each industry. However, the common thread runs through all those industries: drones increase productivity, making operations more efficient. They also help with site visualization and digitization, benefits of which go far beyond productivity (internal communications, project planning and documentation, etc.). All these benefits are very attractive to not only corporations in various industries that are constantly looking to increase productivity (i.e. cut costs and increase profits), but also to companies looking to increase public safety and first responder safety (police and firefighters, disaster response, insurance, asset inspections, etc.).

Commercial drone use has increased dramatically especially in construction, agriculture, public safety, land surveying, insurance, real estate, land development, agriculture, military, and entertainment industries, to name a few.

Whether you are in high school or college, just starting your professional career or are retiring, it is never too early or late to enter the drone industry. The opportunity is enormous (the overall drone market is set to grow to $54.6 Billion according to Drone Industry Insights, although other sources cite figures even higher),  as the demand in all the drone industry segments and the industries that are using drones are growing. And there are many ways to participate in all of them. We will cover the major ones.

Drone Industry Sectors

There are 3 main segments in the drone industry: Drone Hardware, Drone Software and Drone Service Providers (DSPs). Drone Services occupies the largest share in the market (80%) due to so many industries embracing drone use, with Hardware and Software rounding out the rest.

Drone Manufacturing Companies (Drone Hardware)

The days of drone building in a garage (except for the FPV drones, maybe) are mostly gone, thanks to the extensive market offering of a wide range of drones at different price points and functions available within reach to both consumer and professional users.

Yes, there are still some opportunities for highly specialized drones to be made in smaller batches by startups or to be modified for specialized uses (like drones made for carrying and releasing specific payloads, power-washing, indoor industrial inspections or military uses, etc.), but at this point the world market has several established companies that produce commercial and recreational drones on a mass scale. Recently there have been some US regulations introduced that may change the market share of these companies (most notably DJI use ban by a government entity bill that has been introduced multiple times), but a lot of newcomers are not expected.

Here is a look at the market share of the main consumer and commercial drone manufacturers as of 2023. It is no surprise to see that DJI leads the pack with at least 70% share (although losing share YOY due to mostly political discourse), with Skydio and others following with much smaller shares, but growing vs. 2022.

While there are still new companies coming onto the market building drones, they tend to be for highly specialized industries and applications (agricultural spraying, military, drones for delivery, public safety, etc.).

If you are more of an engineer and builder/tinkerer you might find working for a drone manufacturer is up your alley, and you can investigate one of the companies that are in drone hardware manufacturing. The skills and education they look for range from aeronautical and aviation engineering to robotics, electronic, mechanical engineering, drone maintenance, test flying, software programming, and more. Here are a few sample jobs and published salaries.

Jobs and Salaries for Drone Hardware Manufacturers

1. Drone Engineer

• Main Skills: Engineering knowledge (electrical, mechanical, aerospace), programming (C++, Python), hardware design, systems integration, CAD software proficiency.

• Years of Experience: 3-5 years.

• Salary Range: $70,000 - $104,723 per year.

• Sample Job Link (if job is expired, search job boards for similar positions).

2. Drone Technician

• Main Skills: Technical proficiency, troubleshooting, soldering and assembly, knowledge of drone components, tool usage.

• Years of Experience: 1-3 years.

• Salary Range: $35,000 - $55,000 per year.

• Sample Job Link (if job is expired, search job boards for similar positions).

3. Drone Pilot

• Main Skills: Remote piloting, knowledge of regulations (FAA), photography/videography, situational awareness, mission planning.

• Advanced Skills: UAV systems knowledge, data collection and analysis, test flying.

• Years of Experience: 1-4 years.

• Salary Range: $40,000 - $120,000 per year.

• Search Job boards for multiple available positions

These ranges reflect typical salaries in the U.S. and can vary depending on factors such as location, company size, and specific job responsibilities

Drone Software Companies

Most drones are equipped with cameras that are designed to collect visual data in the form of aerial photographs and high-definition video that are valuable for many industries. The collected aerial data than is imported into 3rd party software to create outputs that were traditionally produced by the survey industry or produce new types of outputs for asset documentation, digital visualization and situational awareness: geo-referenced maps, 3D models of structures and current environments, geospatial insights, volumetric measurement, track site progress and inventory, crop mapping & yield analysis, agricultural disease detection, and more.

Drone Software companies that are most known and used in this space are Pix4D and Drone Deploy, with several less known and some with niche industry applications, such as Propeller Aero, Raptor Maps, Precision Hawk, Skycatch, Agisoft, AgEagle Aerial Sys, Trimble, Bentley Systems, Esri, and more.

Drone-related jobs in these companies outside of administrative and sales jobs are directly related to programming and testing the software, uncovering and developing new “uses” with drone users in various industries. So, software programming, engineering, product design and implementation, various programming languages, test flying, drone technician skills are the ones that these companies look for the most. Below you will find some job descriptions and salaries for jobs in this sector.

Sample Job Titles for Drone Software Manufacturers

1. Drone Software Engineer

2. Embedded Systems Developer

3. UAV/Drone Software Developer

Most desired programming languages: Python, C/C++, Java, MATLAB, Rust

Most desired degrees: Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Mathematics and Physics

Drone Software Companies Sample Job Descriptions, Skills, and Pay Ranges

• Drone Software Engineer

Main Skills: Proficiency in software development languages (C++, Python, Java), experience with drone communication protocols, understanding of UAV hardware integration, knowledge of robotics and AI.

Typical Experience: 3-5 years in software development, with a focus on robotics or aerospace.

Salary Range: $90,000 - $130,000 per year.

Search Jobs Boards for Drone Software Engineer Jobs

• Embedded Systems Developer

• Main Skills: Expertise in embedded systems, low-level programming, real-time operating systems (RTOS), microcontroller programming, and sensor integration.

• Typical Experience: 2-4 years in embedded software development.

• Salary Range: $80,000 - $120,000 per year.

• Search Job Boards for Embedded Systems Developer

• UAV/Drone Software Developer

Main Skills: Software engineering principles, software development for autonomous systems, cloud computing for drones, drone data processing, machine learning, knowledge of flight control algorithms, and more.

Typical Experience: 3-7 years in UAV/drone software development or a related field.

Salary Range: $85,000 - $150,000 per year.

Sample Real Job (if job is expired, search job boards for similar positions).)

Drone Services Sector

This sector is the most versatile one, since you can be self-employed, work for one of the companies in the industries that are using drones, or work for one of the emerging drone services companies that provide drone services for a variety of industries. This sector of the drone industry is also the biggest and is poised to grow the most because this is where the drone industry is expected to bring the most value: providing services that make the workflows faster, more productive, safer, and other added value that is unlocked by this technology.

The jobs in the drone services sector can still use all the skills from the job requirements for drone manufacturing and programming companies (i.e. engineering, programming, test flying, etc.) if you are interested in those functions. However, since the services are so specialized for each sectors, there are many more skills and qualifications that are needed here, such as Drone Piloting, Drone Repair, Drone Videography, Photography and Editing, GIS applications using drones (performing aerial surveys and producing GIS data such as topographic maps, etc.), 3D Modeling, Data Analytics, etc.  

Drone Service Companies Sample Job Descriptions, Skills, and Pay Ranges

1. Drone Pilot / UAV Operator

Description: Operates drones for photography, surveying, inspections, and deliveries, ensuring compliance with FAA regulations.

Qualifications: FAA Part 107 certification, experience with drones, knowledge of airspace and regulations.

Salary Range: $50,000 - $80,000 per year.

Search Job Boards for Drone Pilot Jobs

2. Drone Cinematographer / Videographer

Description: Captures aerial footage for films, commercials, real estate, and events using drones. Plans and executes creative shots, collaborating with directors to ensure high-quality visuals.

Qualifications:

• FAA Part 107 Certificate, Experience in Drone Operations and Videography, Knowledge of Cinematography and Editing Software, Creative and Technical Skills

Salary Range: $50,000 - $100,000 per year.

Search Job Boards for Drone Cinematographer Jobs

3. Aerial Surveyor

Description: Uses drones for mapping, surveying, and 3D modeling, collaborating with land surveyors and engineers.

Qualifications: FAA Part 107 certification, background in surveying or GIS, experience with photogrammetry software, LIDAR, CAD, surveyor degree and license for higher paying jobs

Salary Range: $60,000 - $150,000 per year.

Search Job Boards for Aerial/Drone Surveyor Jobs

4. Drone Technician

Description: Maintains and repairs drones, diagnoses technical issues, and performs routine inspections and updates.

Qualifications: Technical background in electronics or mechanics, experience with drone repair, FAA Part 107 preferred.

Salary Range: $40,000 - $70,000 per year.

Search Job Boards for Drone Technician Jobs

5. Drone Data Analyst

Description: Analyzes drone-captured data for industries like agriculture and construction, processes data, and prepares reports.

Qualifications: Analytical skills, experience with GIS or photogrammetry platforms and apps, relevant field background, bachelor or advanced degree in sciences or information technology for higher paying jobs

Salary Range: $50,000 - $85,000 per year.

Search Job Boards for Drone Data Analyst Jobs

6. Drone/UAS Project Manager

Description: Manages drone pilots teams and drone operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, coordinating with clients, and delivering results on time and within budget.

Qualifications: Part 107 Certification, project management experience (PMP certification is a big plus), drone technology work experience, bachelor or master’s degree is a plus, familiarity with drone platforms and analytical software systems (like Pix4D, DroneDeploy, etc.), team management and communication, problem-solving.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $140,000 per year.

Search Job Boards for Drone Project Manager jobs

Drone Industry Jobs Qualifications

There are some basic requirements that many of these jobs have in common, and some highly specialized skills you may want to develop to make yourself more marketable.

Basic drone certifications and skills for most drone industry jobs

1. Drone Pilot License

Any company that is associated with the drone industry will most likely want you to be familiar with drone regulations and operations. You can prepare for that by becoming a licensed drone pilot – obtaining your Part 107 license that enables you to fly drones commercially, which signals that you know the FAA regulations that govern drone operations. You can read about how to earn your drone license in our Drone Pilot License blog post.

You should find Part 107 Prep Course that best suits your learning style, as there is a variety available out there. If you learn in-person better and need a quick immersion course that will let you study and get your license quickly, check out our 2-day in person Part 107 Drone License Prep Course that takes place every couple of months in Cleveland, Ohio, on our Drone Training page. Taught by a professional airline and drone pilot, V1DroneMedia classes get rave reviews from its students, and have trained hundreds of drone pilots across a variety of industries.  

2. Drone Flying Experience

Of course, getting the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate will not automatically make you a pilot, you will also need to get skilled in flying your drone. For this you will need to get out there and practice! If you don’t feel confident you can get started on your own, we have recently started offering 1:1 and small group flight skill sessions to help you do just that. Check out our Hands-On Drone Flight Training for more details.

While with these basics you will be well on your way to lay a path for yourself in the drone industry, there is other specialized training that may be required to get most lucrative jobs. Some of these jobs will also require college degrees, as outlined before, depending on the field. Below are ranges for most lucrative drone service market jobs.

Most Lucrative Drone Services Jobs Pay Ranges

Specialized training

Engineering

If you are looking to get into an engineering position or company, then you will most likely need to earn an engineering degree (software, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, etc.) at an accredited college or university.

Surveying

If you are looking to get into surveying, you will most likely need additional training, certification or a degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), with specialized drone mapping courses that focus on capturing and processing data via available software platforms.

Photography/Cinematography

If you are looking to become a drone pilot that has excellent video production skills that can be applied across many industries and lead to high-paying cinematography jobs, you should take specialized aerial photography training that focuses on teaching how to get a variety of shots, and how to edit photos and videos, along with learning at least one editing software platform if you want to go beyond just capturing imagery.

Agriculture

Agriculture drone jobs are growing rapidly, and there are specialized training courses available depending on your interest in the industry and the drone you are operating (such as drone spraying, remote imaging and sensing, precision agriculture applications, etc.).

Emergency Response

If you are a police officer or a firefighter, work or want to work for one of the emergency/disaster response agencies, you may want to add drone flight skills to your list of skills.

Fire and police departments are currently actively pursuing adding drones as one of the tools to use in their operations, which means getting your drone pilot license will give you better career prospects at any first responder job, including at disaster response agencies that often contract pilots from outside law enforcement.

There is specialized public safety training available that includes but goes beyond getting a drone pilot license and hands on drone flight experience. This specialized training may involve learning how to use thermal imaging cameras on a drone to assist in search and rescue missions, learn how to fly and use FPV drones in standoff situations, how to analyze an accident scene with measurements obtained through photogrammetry software using drone cameras, etc.

All in all, there are abundant career opportunities in the drone industry, and it is up to an individual where they want to start and finish, depending on their goals.

If you are interested in getting your drone pilot license or get hands-on flight experience, check out our drone training page for regularly scheduled classes, subscribe to drone training newsletter, or contact us with any questions.

Façade Inspections in Cleveland by Drone

Why Building Façade Inspection is Needed

A municipal ordinance was passed in 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio, to require façade inspections for buildings of certain age and height to be completed every 5 years – see the detailed ordinance here. Since this ordinance was passed in Cleveland, 2 other major Ohio cities, Columbus, and Cincinnati followed with passing similar ordinances the same year.

As with most ordinances, Cleveland's ordinance passing was a direct consequence of an accident: a parapet wall of an 1890s-era building in downtown Cleveland crumbled, releasing several bricks onto the sidewalk and the road, thankfully without human casualties this time (a parked minivan without passengers was damaged).

The ordinance that was passed requires buildings that are at least 5 stories or 75 feet in height above grade and are of a certain age (between 30-50 years old), to be initially inspected and re-inspected every 5 years.

How was the building façade inspections performed in the past

In the past, this type of inspection was done by inspectors needing to get close to the walls to visually inspect them and document the conditions, which meant erecting and installing the scaffolding, or elevating them by another method, which gets the person close to the source of inspection, but it is not very efficient:

1.   It takes time for them to move within the scaffolding, or be elevated by a crane platform to every spot that needs to be inspected and documented

2.   It is not the safest for the person involved (a falling accident is a possibility)

3.   It can be expensive with the time and equipment involved, plus the addition of insurance costs when performing this work at dangerous elevations.

These types of inspections can be costly to complete when using traditional methods. Facade inspections can run into $10K-$20K, depending on the size of the building. The cost is usually made up by using large equipment or erecting scaffolding structures, inspectors' time that is necessary to visually inspect and document the conditions of the asset, and the report write-up within the guidelines of such inspection.

As one can see, a large proportion of the cost of such inspection is driven up by the resource and time used to visually inspect and document current conditions effectively. The use of autonomous inspection tools that don't require the investment of such resources can cut costs drastically. Drones do just that for such use cases as facade inspections.

Why Use Drone For Building Façade Inspection

A drone allows for the faster and safer acquisition of the visual inspection and documentation data of the current conditions of the façades. Equipment and personnel need is reduced to a drone capable of shooting hi-res photography, and a drone pilot who is qualified to fly safely and legally and can produce such photography.

This photographic output generated by a drone can then be viewed by a qualified design professional on their computer (engineer or architect), certified in the inspection of the specific elements that make up the façade of the structure, and licensed by the State of Ohio, or an inspection agency that is qualified under the Ohio Building Code for Special Inspectors (as per the ordinance).

In addition to basic aerial photography, drone imagery can be set up to be acquired with certain parameters (automated flight path and special photography settings) with an intent of being processed through software to generate point clouds and 3D models, that help capture the building condition overall. Such models allow the inspector to zoom in at any point for a closer look during the inspection, and even produce measurements between points for needed calculations. These models can be stored digitally and updated with a new model at any point in time.

Looking to hire a drone company for a façade inspection in Cleveland?

If a company considers hiring a drone pilot to perform a façade inspection data capture (whether the building facilities management, an inspector or agency), it will need to do its due diligence - see our article Hiring a Drone Pilot for details on how to do that, or contact us to provide you with the quote to perform façade inspection data capture by one of our skilled drone pilots.

If you want to train someone within your organization to fly drones to capture such data, check out our drone training page for drone training classes offered in Cleveland, and contact us to schedule, or sign up for our drone class notification list.

Ohio Drone Laws

As a commercial drone services provider located in Cleveland, Ohio, we know a thing or two about flying in this state. One of the questions we get asked often is whether you can fly at a specific location in Cleveland. See our blog post Where to Fly Drones in Cleveland for that information.

Drone flights in Ohio are subject to FAA regulations for operating in the national airspace. Some municipalities are enacting their own ordinances for drone use, but these should only apply to launching and landing locations, as local municipalities don't control airspace. We recommend checking your city/county for any such drone restrictions.

FAA Part 107 Regulations

Under FAA regulations you must have either a TRUST Test Certificate (for hobbyists) or a Part 107 Drone License Certificate (for commercial drone pilots) to fly drones in Ohio. We offer Part 107 Prep classes locally as a 2-day in-person class that prepares anyone to take and pass the test. See our event schedule for the next available class and read our student testimonials (over 95% of students pass the Part 107 Test after taking our classes!).

Are There Drone Flight Restrictions in Ohio?

It all depends on what type of airspace you intend to fly in (Class B, C, D, E). You may have to apply for FAA authorization to fly your drone in a certain area, see our blog post Where Can I Fly My Drone for more detailed information and tutorial on how to do this through LAANC.

In addition, you cannot fly over moving traffic, over people, or during any sporting event where there is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place.  A TFR is typically active for all open-air stadium NFL and MLB games from one hour prior to the game start to one hour after the game ends. These rules do get enforced, see this article about drone pilots pleading guilty to illegal Ohio stadium flights in 2023.

Can You Fly a Drone in Ohio State Parks and Cleveland Metroparks?

As a rule of thumb, national parks do not allow drone use on their properties. Some Metroparks have enacted the same ordinance, so you should check with the specific Metropark system. There are several designated areas where you can fly your drone in the Cleveland Metroparks, see details in their Drone Policy.

Municipal parks don't have the same restrictions usually but check with the specific park and municipality before flying your drone.

Drone Registration

If you want to fly your drone in Ohio (and anywhere else in the United States), you are required to register your drone if it is 0.55 lbs or larger if you fly as a hobbyist, and all drones (regardless of weight) if you operate commercially (under Part 107). You can register your drone on the FAA DroneZone website. The cost for registration is $5 and is valid for three years.

So, if you have checked off all necessary registrations, FAA Airspace Authorizations, and hold an appropriate FAA certificate, you are ready to fly. Now to the fun part, where can you fly your drone in Ohio? We've compiled some of our favorite locations in Cleveland where we frequently fly, see them in the Where to Fly Your Drone in Cleveland blog post.

Where you can get trained to fly drones in Cleveland, Ohio

V1DroneMedia gets frequent questions and inquiries about getting certified to fly drones or learning how to fly them proficiently. We’ve also met quite a few people who fly drones illegally around Cleveland (aka without FAA Part 107 Drone License), or not flying them in compliance with the FAA Drone Regulations.

We know that demand for consumer and commercial drones is soaring, as is the drone use in many industries, but few people know where to turn for credible information and training. So, we’ve put together this guide on available Drone Training in Cleveland, Ohio.

There are several options in the Cleveland area for drone training, both in-person and hands-on drone flight training,  available for those interested to learn to fly drones proficiently, getting their drone FAA Part 107 certification that enables them to fly commercially, and learning about innovative drone technology applications in various industries.

Accredited degree programs in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) in Cleveland, Ohio

If you are looking for a traditional undergraduate program, Kent State University is known for its aviation programs, and it offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics with the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Operations concentration. Kent State also offers an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Minor for those enrolled in its undergraduate program.

However, you don’t need to get a degree in drones to fly drones (especially if you already have a degree and are just looking to get your drone license). Flying drones is a skill that can be learned if you invest some time into learning to fly while studying the FAA rules and regulations so you are doing it safely and responsibly, and then schedule and pass the Part 107 Drone License Test (see our blog post Drone Pilot License for more details on that). There are several drone training options in the Cleveland area as well if you are looking for an in-person class where you can acquire drone skills.

Non-degree Drone Training Courses in Cleveland, Ohio

There are several in-person training options for the Part 107 drone license in the Cleveland, Ohio, area.

Kent State has a UAV Training and Part 107 Testing course that does just that. It is scheduled throughout the year and doesn’t appear to always be available, so you must keep an eye out when it opens up.

Cuyahoga County Community College (Tri-C) offers FAA Part 107 drone training for law enforcement and other first responders at its Drone Academy, also offered throughout the year, where our Chief Pilot Jason Damman is the lead instructor on the FAA Part 107 Rules and Regulations and National Airspace.

V1DroneMedia also offers a variety of Drone Training Courses in the Cleveland area, with in-person courses offered through a partnership with Lorain County Community College, and custom-scheduled courses for organizations and individuals. V1DroneMedia also offers educational content through video resources on our Resources page and YouTube channel Drone Education playlist. Our Chief Pilot and Drone Instructor, Jason Damman, is a Certified Flight Instructor with an extensive commercial airline, flight, and drone training, and drone flying background (see About to learn more).

For starters, if you are curious about what you can do with a drone, watch our Free Drone Business Information Webinar outlining major drone use cases, industries that use them, and opportunities for growth in this field.

If you are ready to learn more about what it takes to get started in this field, schedule with us an Introduction to Drones Class geared toward drone hobbyists or aspiring commercial drone pilots. Or, if you are more serious and ready to try out a career in the field, take the Part 107 Drone Certificate Prep Course preparing anyone to take the Part 107 Test to earn a commercial drone pilot license.

V1DroneMedia Drone License Prep Class is a 2-day in-person class that takes place in a classroom. It covers everything one needs to learn to pass the FAA Part 107 test, including practice tests, access to class materials and additional resources, in-person connection with the instructor, and a private Facebook group community to stay in touch with the class participants and the instructor. The Part 107 Prep Class costs $499 (the fee does not include the test fee payable to one of the FAA-authorized testing centers where you schedule to take your test).

The benefit of taking the in-person class is that the instructor has simplified the complex and lengthy aviation lingo-heavy Part 107 study guide into easy-to-understand digestible content. This class has been taught before to many Cleveland-area students who successfully passed the Part 107 Test.

V1DroneMedia is also available to teach its custom FAA Part 107 Drone License training courses based on the curriculum we developed, can conduct group or 1:1 Flight Training sessions, and provide consultations on all drone-related matters, including setting up an internal Drone Operations Program for a business that is looking to build one.

We recently also started offering individual and small group Drone Operations Classes and Hands-On Drone Flight Training sessions geared toward those who want to get started flying their drones with professional guidance or learn advanced flight skills.

If you are thinking about getting trained, but are not sure when you will be able to do it, Sign Up for an e-mail notification list to stay informed about V1DRoneMedia classes as they get scheduled

Online Drone Training

If you are good at following a self-paced YouTube, or another online course tool, there are many options out there. Google them, and you will find many, but it may take some time for you to make a decision on the one that’s right for you.

However, if you decide to go in this direction, you will still have to study the materials and take the test. The upside here can be lower cost (although not always), but the downside is that more often than none there isn’t any person to ask any questions for more information and clarification, and many of those programs can be very dense and full of aviator lingo (that we strip out in our courses, which give you only the essentials you need to know to fly and pass the test).

You can also access official FAA Study materials on the FAA website (very comprehensive, but hard to digest if you are a non-aviator).

What about the FAA Trust Test?

FAA recently released a mandatory Trust Test (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) for recreational drone pilots (hobbyists). It is much more basic than the FAA Part 107 Drone License Test, and most of the information is laid out by the online accredited testing centers (you can learn more about Trust Test in our Trust Test blog post and YouTube video on this topic).  

So if you are ready to embark on your drone hobby or a career, check out the Drone Classes we offer, Sign up for class notifications, and Contact Us if you are interested in a consultation or a custom class.

Best drones to buy in 2024

my drone story

I grew up flying RC (Remote Controlled) airplanes in the '90s, spent 20 years with a commercial airline company as a pilot, and have been a commercial drone services provider (DSP) in Cleveland, Ohio now for 8 years shooting everything from real estate, construction, building inspection to high-end TV and Film video production (you can read my story here), so I have developed some strong opinions about what drone is best to use for certain tasks.

While you will find that I am mostly recommending DJI products, that doesn't mean that other manufacturers' (Autel, Skydio, Parrot, etc.) drones are subpar (although everyone agrees DJI platform is the best in the market for commercial tasks currently),it's just that I adopted the DJI platform from the start and stuck with it because it works for me and I've learned the 'ins and outs' of their products. Investing in a new platform always takes time, so unless I am forced to quit DJI products with new regulations or there are clear advantages over existing DJI products, I am not keen on investing a lot of time and money to learn them. However, if I do find and try out new drones that provide a similar or better price/value ratio, I will update this blog post.

What is the Best Drone for Beginners and Best Small Drone?

If you are just starting with drones and are in the market for a compact drone with a camera that can produce great video and photos for you to take on the road, the DJI Mini series is your best bet as of 2024. It is highly portable with a compact folding design, easy to use with many beginner-friendly features such as autonomous flight modes like QuickShots that allow beginners to capture professional-quality footage without advanced flying skills. DJI Mini series drones (2, 3, 4 models) also have impressive image and video quality with at least 12MP for stills and up to 4K video, and come with a gimbal to ensure image and video stabilization (especially useful for beginners who may not yet have steady flying skills). All 3 DJI Mini models offer impressive flight times, ranging from 31 to 45 minutes (depending on the model and conditions), and come with standard safety features (GPS and vision sensors, and geofencing and altitude limits, preventing beginners from flying into restricted zones or too high).

What is the Best Drone for Kids and Beginners for under $200?

A few years ago I purchased the DJI Tello Drone so my wife and kids can join in on my passion for drones with this incredibly easy-to-use drone from the DJI platform. It is conveniently operated with the DJI Tello app from your smartphone touchscreen, has a camera for photos and video, and quite a few fun flying features to try out (like Bounce Mode, 8D flips, Up & Away, etc.).

My wife and kids had no problem flying and performing fun tricks with it within minutes, and if something does happen to it while they are flying it, it isn't a huge loss.

Another cost-effective and easy to use drone for beginners is Holy Stone HS175D, which has beginner-friendly controls, uses your smartphone monitor (same as Tello), has decent camera quality, GPS-assisted flight and return-to-home feature. It offers around 22 minutes of flight time (so at least 10 minutes less than DJI Tello), but comes with 2 batteries (vs. 1 with Tello). All in all it is a good choice for beginners as well.

Best Drone for Video and Cinematography

While I use the DJI Inspire 2 and DJI Mavic 3 Cine for many of my cinematography jobs, my vote for best video production drone will always go to DJI Inspire series, the most current of which on the market is Inspire 3. The Inspire series allows for using different lenses on the camera – something you can't do with the Mavic or any of the other DJI models. Couple that with the ability to shoot in Apple ProRes and CinemaDNG (aka, RAW), if you purchase DJI Inspire drone with a special license to do so, and the Inspire drone can capture video that looks far superior to the Mavic series drones.

One of the benefits of being able to shoot in ProRes or CinemaDNG is that it allows for matching the aerial shots to other cameras that are being used for filming by allowing much more flexibility in color correction and grading in drone video post-production (video editing) to get the right 'look' that they want to achieve. However, using the Inspire 2 comes with higher operational costs and therefore higher client pricing. If the client doesn't require it or doesn't want to pay for it, that is where the Mavic 2 Pro comes in.

For its small form factor, the Mavic 3 Pro can still 'pack a punch' when it comes to video. It allows for shooting in 4K, LOG (for color grading in post-production), or Normal color profiles, and has 10-bit color depth. If you know what you're doing, you can get some great imagery out of the Mavic 2 Pro.

DJI Air 3 is a great alternative to Mavic 3 Pro (and is also great for its compactness and good video quality), but I already owned a Mavic Pro series drone when Mavic Air series came out, so there is no need for me to have both.

You can check out my video portfolio here. They were all taken with one of the DJI drone series drones I am recommending here (Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic 2 and 3 Pro, Inspire 2).

Best Drone for Inspection, Mapping, Modeling, Surveying, and Construction Jobs

The workhorse of my fleet used to be DJI Phantom 4 Pro for some of these AEC industry tasks. I've owned several of its predecessors (Phantom 2 and 3 Pro) as well, so that used to be my 'go-to' drone for inspection, mapping, and 3D modeling type jobs. However since DJI came out with DJI Mavic Enterprise series, which are better suited for these purposes, I would recommend to use DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, the most current model on the market for inspection and drone photogrammetry used for mapping and 3D modeling. It is best suited for professionals needing a portable, high-precision drone for these tasks.

An upgrade from DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise would be DJI M30. While that is a much higher investment than Mavic 3 Enterprise, its main difference is that it has more advanced features, the most valuable of which is the ability to swap camera payloads with a variety of sensors for different tasks. It is built to handle itself better in a rugged, challenging environment vs. DJI Mavic Enterprise models, making it a better choice for certain industries and tasks.

What is the Best Drone for the Money?

There is no straightforward answer here. It all depends on what job you are using the drone for.

If you are looking for a drone that can perform a variety of tasks well (including photography, photogrammetry, and video), I would recommend the DJI Mavic 3 Pro (although if you are using specifically for photogrammetry, then Mavic 3E - Enterprise series, see above).

If you are interested in finding the best photography and videography drone, the Mavic 3 PRO or Mavic Air 3 would be my choice.

If you do end up buying a drone, be sure to read my Beginner Guide to Drones and Drone Pilot License blog posts to learn more about operating your drone in a safe and legal manner.

Contact me if you are looking for a drone consultation, quote for your business, or are interested in drone flight and FAA Part 107 Certificate training. Follow me on social media to see our work and drone advice and tutorials - links are at the bottom of the website pages. Good luck and happy flying!

FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot License

Do You Need a License (Certificate) to Fly a Drone?

Yes, you will need to get a drone license (FAA Part 107 Certificate) if you intend to become a commercial drone operator (sell drone services or any media (photos, videos) you take while flying your drone, or flying the drone for your job at an organization your work).

There is some ignorance about drone rules and regulations out there, including the responsibilities one has when launching the drone into the air. This is perfectly understandable if you do not have an aviation background and haven't spent a lot of time scouring the internet looking for answers. We hope to clear this up for you.

Do I need to have a drone license if I am a hobbyist?

No, you don't need to have a drone license if you are flying as a hobbyist. However, in June of 2021, the FAA made it mandatory to pass the TRUST Test (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) for hobbyist pilots. They are also required to carry evidence of passing the test when they are flying their drone.

The TRUST Test gives an overview of the FAA regulations regarding drone registration and the basic rules of safe drone operations which every drone pilot (hobbyist or commercial) should know and comply with. You can read our detailed TRUST Test Blog Post or watch our Trust Test Vlog on YouTube (below):

You can also read more details on the registration and the flight rules in our Top 10 Things You Need To Know Before Flying Your New Drone post.

How do I get a drone license (FAA Part 107 Certificate)?

You can become an FAA-certified drone pilot by passing an aeronautical knowledge test (aka Part 107 Remote Pilot Test). You must be at least 16 years old to take the test, and you will need to study the materials that cover the topic areas that you will be tested on. They include regulations relating to small unmanned aircraft, airspace classifications, flight restrictions, aviation weather theory, emergency procedures, crew resource management, radio communication procedures, aeronautical decision-making, airport operations, maintenance, and preflight inspection procedures, among others.

Is there a drone school or a drone training program I can attend in the Cleveland, Ohio area?

There are several options for an in-person program in Cleveland to get your drone license or get an accredited degree in remote aviation. Check out our blog post A Guide To Drone Training In Cleveland, Ohio for more detailed information. V1DroneMedia also offers in-person regularly scheduled or on-demand custom drone instruction, you can check out our Drone Training page for more information and Sign-up for our Drone Training Newsletter with class announcements.

Where do I register and take the drone license test?

You can schedule your test online here, as well as obtain practice exams.

how much does a drone license cost?

It costs $175 to take the test and $5 to register each drone. This doesn’t count the investment of time into studying for the drone license test via taking an online or an in-person drone license prep class, and as we all know, time is money.

How do I become a drone pilot?

Whether you are going to apply for a drone license or not, becoming a drone pilot goes a lot further than simply having a drone license or a drone. The trick to any profession is mastery, and you will need to practice flying your drone to become a real pilot. So, practice, practice, practice!

If you are in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, I am available for 1:1 and small group in-person Hands-On Drone Flight Training sessions. I also teach FAA Pat 107 Drone License Prep Courses, which are regularly scheduled and can be found on Events or Drone Training pages. Sign up to be notified about new drone training classes as they get scheduled!

Contact me if you have an interest in kicking off your flight career with a professional airline and drone pilot with 25+ years of aviation experience. You can read more about me here. Good luck!

The Anatomy of the Drone Service Providers (DSP) Market

The Good – drones bring value and opportunities

Drone technology can bring a lot of value to businesses: innovative and cost-effective ways to complete tasks that were performed by humans that took a lot longer, potentially dangerous, and more expensive to accomplish (ex. inspections of hard to reach places, surveying, substitute for old/expensive solutions for aerial filming/photography, having ‘eyes in the sky’ for documenting work, etc.).

Several industries realized the value right away and have fully embraced this solution, spurring a flurry of DSP (drone service providers) entrepreneurs and startups to provide these services. And as drones get solid traction and more use cases with many industries, the drone industry is projected to grow to $43 Billion by 2024, according to COMPTIA report, with a compound growth rate (CAGR) of 20.5%, greatly outpacing growth rates of many industries, including IT. So with such an opportunity, the Drone Service Provider (DSP) market is growing rapidly.

In short, drones are bringing a lot of growth opportunities and economic value for enterprises and entrepreneurs. But, because the industry is so new, regulations and standards (FAA, industry, state and federal, etc.) are largely still developing and changing rapidly, as are enterprise use cases, it can be hard to understand the landscape of the drone service providers (DSPs) if you are a business owner or a manager looking to hire them.

The Bad - Hiring a drone company or a pilot is like gambling

Let’s imagine this scenario: you are a business owner or a manager in construction, engineering, video production, marketing, etc. (in short, any industry that could use drones) and decided you want to hire a drone pilot to do a job for you. This job could be anything from flying a drone to document the progress of a construction site or proof of work, inspect an oil rig, showcase commercial real estate, shoot aerials for a video you are making, etc.

Finding someone you can trust your project to can be a challenge unless you have a vetted and proven drone company/pilot you employ or you have contracted with before. Most likely you will do a web search for a drone pilot or a specific drone service you are looking for, and then you will get numerous paid ads and search results offering those services.

And here is what you need to know about the drone services providers (DSP) market in the United States: the market is very new and fragmented, and it can be hard to navigate. There are only a handful of national enterprises that operate in this industry, the rest are either small regional and niche companies specializing in a certain service or industry (ex. oil, gas, AEC industries, aerial cinematography/video, real estate etc.), entrepreneurs (aka drone pilots that can cover several industries), or ‘uber for drone pilots’ drone pilot network platforms (such as Drone Base, Drone Hive, Drone Up, etc.). These companies all need qualified drone pilots operating for them in the specific location required by clients to complete the task, regardless of the industry.

Some of these companies grew out of drone pilots starting their own companies (so they are operated by them), but many grew out of a recognized market opportunity, so they need to find pilots to fly for them. This isn’t easy to do, as finding a good pilot is like looking for a needle in a haystack of people self-proclaiming as qualified drone pilots.

The truth is, it is easy to get into the industry and call yourself a drone pilot or a drone services provider company.  Commercial drones are within reach to purchase for under $2K nowadays. Anyone who wants to invest their time and some grit can study, pass and receive an FAA Part 107 commercial drone operator certificate, and put up a website to advertise their services. And voila, they have a drone services business presence that makes it look like they are legit!

In reality, this may be a company that doesn't have their own pilots, or is operated by a self-proclaimed pilot that has hardly flown before, who may not have a commercial drone pilot license, or insurance, and very possibly has never done the type of job you want to have completed. See our blog post Things to Consider Before Hiring A Drone Pilot for more details on this topic.

So, you are really gambling as you are trying to find someone you can trust in your specific location to do the job you require – the market of drone services providers is still new and is a bit like the Wild West right now.

Some companies out there (especially national companies serving oil/gas, telecom, and energy markets) are starting to employ and train their own drone pilots. These industries require specialized skills and services performed at a regular cadence. It is also easier to ensure that their customers will get quality service consistently when hiring and investing in proper pilot training. These companies train pilots to fly proficiently and execute specific tasks they require (video/photo, aerial inspections, surveying, and photogrammetry).

However, most companies do not employ their own pilots, so when you submit a request for your service through a drone pilot network company that doesn’t employ their own pilots, you will be dealing with a ‘middleman’ company that will connect you with a drone pilot, whether from their existing contacts in the area (someone they’ve hired before for another client) or from another area that will have to travel to your location (and therefore charging more, most likely). And if the job at hand is rather simple, not requiring specialized skills in flying, shooting high-quality video/photo, or gathering data in a specific way, it may be an effective solution for you.

But you should be aware that many of these drone pilot network companies do not vet their subcontractors properly, and in many cases, these pilots get paid low wages (the middleman takes a cut, of course). You will not get the best-qualified pilots to perform your task and will most likely have limited direct communication with them to prevent those pilots from acquiring you as their own client.

And while this business model of drone pilot network serves well as a marketplace to connect clients with pilots, these pilots may not be highly skilled and use the middleman service to gain proficiency (using this as paid training) before branching out on their own or being employed as drone pilots full-time for a company that has its own drone program.

The Ugly - You Take on Risks

So, if you have contracted with a company that doesn’t employ its own pilots or doesn’t vet them properly, what are the risks?

Here are the top 4:

1)      Fines. If you have hired a drone pilot who doesn’t hold an FAA Part 107 license or is operating outside of the FAA Part 107 guidelines (including not registering drones, flying without additional airspace authorizations when required, etc.), you are opening your company to potential FAA fines.

Recently the FAA fined a drone pilot $182K for repeated violations, as detailed in this Forbes article. While this may be an extreme example, you don’t want to get in ‘hot water’ with FAA or local law enforcement, let alone get your business dragged through the bad PR a drone incident could generate. Drones are still a new and sometimes controversial technology, so drone incidents tend to make TV, front page, and social media news.

2)   Damage liability. If you don't ensure that the drone pilot you hire has drone business insurance or puts your company as an 'additional insured' as an additional way to defer potential liability away from the client, there is always a potential that your company may be liable if something goes wrong. Drones do crash, can cause property damage and personal injury, and that cause could be anything from weather-related, technology failure, or pilot error, regardless of their skill and qualifications.

3)   Wasted resources (time and $). If you don’t have a way to communicate your requirements to the pilot directly, or don’t know their experience with the type of job and data output you require, that money you just spent may have been wasted – you may not get the output you need, or the quality of the output may not be up to your standards.

4)  Reputation. If you are the business owner and the drone pilot you hired didn’t work out in some way, you will learn your lesson and move on. But, if you are a manager within a company that oversees outsourcing these jobs, your career and reputation in the company and industry may be at stake.

To sum up, if you want to hire a drone pilot consider coming up with requirements to vet them, and/or ensure that the companies you hire vet the pilots according to your specifications. These requirements should include the basics and go beyond them, especially if you have a complex technical deliverable that will need to integrate into your workflows or you expect video of certain quality and professional photography output.

V1DroneMedia is owned and operated by its Chief Pilot Jason Damman, a professional airline turned drone pilot, with 25+ years’ experience in remote-controlled aviation, 20+ years in commercial airlines, and 5+ years in commercial drone operations. Jason is a drone and aviation practitioner and educator, performing complex drone jobs in various industries (see our Portfolio and YouTube channel for examples of our work), and is also a certified flight instructor, including training drone pilots.

Contact us for a consultation today. V1DroneMedia can help you complete a drone job, train your pilots, or help you to set up a drone operation of your own!