How to become a Drone Pilot

Last night I was watching an episode of Shark Tank where one of the entrepreneurs talked about how you can become a Commercial Drone Pilot the Commercial training company was called Dart Drones https://www.dartdrones.com. It sparked my interest and I decided to embark on a discovery of what it would take to actually become a commercial Drone Pilot with no experience at all and to also find out how lucrative would it be as a career? The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International has projected more than 100,000 new jobs in unmanned aircraft by 2025. Employers are already paying about $50 an hour, or over $100,000 a year for FAA licensed Drone pilots for jobs like aerial photography, insurance claims and delivery etc. Companies like UPS and Amazon are starting to look into So how do you get started? Well here is what I found out over the past weeks, keep in mind I have never touched a drone before so sharing my first experiences can save you some time and energy. Here was my Action Plan: 1- Lean to fly 2- Learn the rules 3- What Certifications do I need 4- What Drone is recommended for Professional use Step 1 - Learn to Fly:

 At first I tried the Cheerson drones they were low cost but tough to fly. I almost gave up at this point thinking this is a skill I can't acquire  when I decided to try a different Drone and purchased a refurbished one for around $59.00 on Amazon, it was called a Parrot Mambo. What a difference for the price tag. The first time I started it up the  could easily fly and learn the controls. I am also going to try out the 

Parrot Minidrone Swing with Flypad Controller it's a little more expensive about $99 but it probably fly's just as easy since parrot makes both of them. It also comes with a flypad which lets you fly the Drone and at more extended range 200' so it's worth the cost just for that.

I controlled it from my iPhone 6S Plus using a free app it connects through bluetooth and when you start it up, it hovers a few feet off the floor so you can get your bearings and start playing with the controls. The first thing you have to learn is that the left side makes the Drone go up and down and turn right and left. The right side of the controls makes the Drone go forward or back and side to side.

It has one button takeoff and landing, so it's pretty easy to learn the basics, it also has easy programmable tricks where flips around 360 degrees, and is easy to fly inside and outside because it's very stable in hover mode meaning if you release the controls it stays in one place.

Some cool features it has a grabber and a shooter so you can work on your precision.

If you want to learn the controls before you buy a Drone check out this free interactive website

http://www.amaflightschool.org.

Step 2 - Learn the rules

Now that I know how to fly and started to go higher and higher in altitude I realized that I could fly the Drone into someone or something and be sued. So I signed up for a membership with the AMA https://www.modelaircraft.org/joinrenew.aspx and I got these benefits for $75. Keep in mind this for recreational use only. If you become a commercial pilot you will need commercial insurance.

Benefits:

• $2,500,000 personal liability insurance coverage

• $25,000 Medical Coverage-AD&D Policy ($10,000 Death Benefit)

• $1,000 Fire, Theft, and Vandalism coverage

• Model Aviation monthly magazine

• Access to members only section of website

• Ability to fly at thousands of AMA chartered club sites with appropriate club membership

• Toll free customer service – 1-800-I-Fly-AMA (435-9262)

• Always comply with the AMA Safety Code.

Park Pilot Program *

Costs: 

• $75

* Aircraft must not exceed 2 pounds, 60 mph, and may not be powered with an internal combustion engine Step 3- What Certification do I need? Step 3- What Certifications do I need  You will need to pass an exam with the FAA if you want to fly commercially and faa commercial license will need to be obtained info below. https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/fly_for_work_business/becoming_a_pilot/ here is an app that will help you study for it https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/remote-pilot-faa-test-prep-uas-rating/id1126603111?mt=8 Step 4 - What Drone is recommended for Professional use Without Creaking the bank the most recommended one seems to be the DJI Phantom Pro 3 or DJI Phantom Pro 4 with a 4K camera they cost from $500 and up depending on your accessories. On the high end the DJI Inspire 2 is recommended. Phantom 3 Pro                 Phantom 4 Pro DJI Inspire 2 If you interested the Air force also has jobs for Drone pilots read about it here. https://www.thebalance.com/career-profile-air-force-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-operator-2356488

The most affordable and easy to use FPV Drone for Racing

So you want a new thrilling experience but you don't want to leave your comfy chair, boy do I have a tip for you. A few months back I bought a Mambo Parrot Drone I got it on Amazon for a steal only $50 refurbished and it was worth every penny. Out of all the cheap Drone's I had tried in the past and might add failed or broke, this one had the easiest controls for a newbie like me. Right out of the box I was able to fly it and do tricks, it was so easy and it really built up my confidence. I could fly it indoors with no trouble and outdoors at a reasonable distance and hight. I was surfing the net today and I spotted a new Mambo Parrot, but this one has FPV. For those of you who don't know what FPV is, it stands for First Person View and it lets you see what the drone sees as its flying. The FPV Parrot Mambo Drone is selling for about $149 on Amazon, which in my opinion is dead cheap considering what you get with it. It has the Parrot Cockpit glasses (FPV goggles) for an immersive flight experience, a camera (not very hi-res but good enough) and a Parrot Fly pad for ultra-precise piloting. It's a great deal, and I assume it will fly just easily as the one I have. This one is made for racing and you should be able to get the feel of the flight using your phone in the glasses and a free app from the app store called the FreeFlight Mini.

http://amzn.to/2DhRDI2