A Day in the Life of a (moderately successful) Drone Pilot

It's the first day of Summer here in Sydney and 6 months to the day since this little-business-that-could became my full-time occupation. Part of me feels like the time has passed in the blink of an eye, yet the other part knows that at times it has been a long, stressful and much more difficult road to travel than I ever could have expected.

Don't get me wrong, this is an incredible industry. The rewards far outweigh the risks and the freedom of working for myself is even better than I had ever imagined, however when you're working for yourself the buck stops with you (literally) and it's the getting of these bucks that can and will make you or break you. DISCLAIMER: I am under no illusion that 6 months of trade gives me the ability to preach, teach or beseech my newfound wisdom upon anyone, so Instead of a list of tips or tricks I offer you this - A Day in the Life of a (moderately successful) Drone Pilot.

4 AM - The familiar buzz of the alarm stirs me from a dreamless sleep. I fumble in the dark for my phone and look at several weather apps to see if the weather has changed overnight - This industry lives and dies on good weather. It's looking good!!

4.30 - 5 AM - I attempt to reanimate myself with strong coffee, a shower and clean clothes - I am moderately successful. I check the gear before packing the car. This check is one of many that will be done today, but the only one I can do before leaving, so I take my time and ensure batteries, controllers, iPads and laptop are fully charged. I also inspect the drone and propellers and ensure every piece of equipment is present, working and clean - There's nothing worse than arriving to a location only to find you're missing something vital. Gear is accounted for and packed in the car (Tetris style).

6.30 AM - I arrive at the location just as the dawn light breaks above the horizon. Golden hour (see previous posts) is just about to begin, but before I can start flying/filming there are several important tasks to complete. NOTE: In the days (sometimes even weeks) leading up to this shoot, I have conducted airspace clearance checks, safety checks, launch and dump location scouting, mission briefings (to anyone involved) and shot planning sessions. The client's brief has been thoroughly discussed and amended to meet safe practices.

Now I am on location it is critical that all of these checks look and feel right. Everything is in order and I have my trusty side-kick and duel-camera operator Dallas double check the gear.

6.45 AM - I commence the Pre-Flight Checklist. This checklist is possibly the most important tool on the job ( I will pop a copy of this in here shortly), it is a detailed breakdown of each critical element and until every item on the list is checked, we will not be able to fly. Every item is checked and the motors are now hot.....Lift off!!

7 AM - This is what I live for.....from the air, even the ugliest corners of the earth are beautiful. Today's client is a construction company who are wanting one of their buildings photographed. The site is right on the coast and the building glows under the warm dawn light. Along with capturing the building itself in the best possible light, we also need to place it within its gorgeous context. All of the shots have been pre-planned so we methodically work through the list taking several shots from slightly different heights and angles.

Once the pre-planned shots have been captured, we get to have a little fun. No matter how well planned things are from the ground, it isn't until you're in the air that you can see all of the angles and features that a drones-eye-view affords. We use this opportunity to capture some great images outside of the brief in hope that the client will enjoy the different perspective.

7.45 AM - Landing. Every time I land the drone and shut the motors down I exhale long and loud. Flying requires a lot of concentration and it isn't until the quad is safely on the ground that I notice how taxing it can be. Before packing anything up it is time to do the Post Flight Checklist, similar to the pre-flight list this is a critical step. Everything is fine and any significant details are noted in my flight-logs (Batteries used, time in air, distance/height etc.)

8.30 AM - The gear is back in the car and I'm heading back to the home office. Traffic at this time is a nightmare, but I rest easy in the knowledge that as most of these people are heading into work, I am on my way to the comforts of home. 9 AM - I'm home! I unpack the car, place everything on charge and charge myself with another strong coffee. Now I finally get to see the fruits of my labour - I remove the micro SD card from the drone's camera and load it into the laptop. I sip my coffee and review all of today's images. They look great (if I do say so myself). I will rarely process or enhance images straight away (often the next day). I have found that it is best to review and consider the raw footage and pics for a while before deciding which images are worth keeping.

10 AM - Emails.... NOTE: Have I mentioned that 90% of this job is planning and only 10% is flying/filming? Well it is, but that isn't such a bad thing. Like any tradesman will attest - Measure twice and cut once. It is the same for us drone pilots. Planning is everything and until you can visualise every detail of your flight/shot plan, you shouldn't be in the air. Email is my bread and butter. It is my primary marketing tool along with my primary communication channel and without it, none of this would be possible. I use the next few hours to check my inbox, reply to any enquiries and to chase up outstanding invoices.

I get a lot of tire-kickers throughout the day....people who are curious about my services, but not necessarily interested in booking them. Rather than begrudge these probes I tend to embrace them- This is a new industry and a lot of my role as a member of this community is to educate people on its capabilities and limitations. They may not be paying customers today, but a friendly response can become one in the future.

1 PM - Back in the car. A potential client has asked to meet to discuss their requirements. This job has the potential to be ongoing and lucrative so I need to bring my A-game. I always travel with an iPad loaded with my portfolio, a price-list, a planner, draft contracts and a host of apps that display airspace charts, weather forecasts and technical specs. Customers are buying peace of mind as much as their buying your services. Look the part, be prepared and do your research before meeting.

2.30 PM - The meeting is a success and we pencil in a date to shoot (and a back-up date in case the weather is unsuitable). I leave the meeting and head straight to the location to conduct a preliminary safety plan. This plan outlines any hazards, issues and notes I'll need to prepare for. This job will not require any special permissions so I head back to the office to begin drafting a flight/shot and safety plan.

3 PM - I am home and I am exhausted. The 4 AM start has taken its toll and I find my mind wandering. I send the new client the draft plan for their review along with a quote for my services and take another look at this morning's images (Still great!). I decide to hold off editing them until tomorrow morning when I am well rested and my concentration is back.

4 PM - I make and take a few more calls/emails before shutting down for the day. I always keep my phone on and laptop open, but generally take it easy in the afternoons of days where I've been on location. Today has been great and although I'm tired, I know that everything is on track for tomorrow and beyond.

So there you go! A Day in the Life of a Drone Pilot....Make of it what you will, but I wouldn't swap it for anything.

Happy Flying! Josh

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