Retired, Looking for Something Different

andrew124C41 · Oct 14, 2022

I am a retired physician also a GA pilot neither of which really generalize in terms of transferable skills to start a drone business.

I had to stop flying for medical reasons so to keep my hand in aviation, I joined a local club to learn to fly RC aircraft which I find much more difficult than flying a plane you are sitting in! I also picked up an E2P because we live near the DC SFRA and guys I know who also live outside but on the edge get locked out by DJI anyway. I digress.

Recently, I fell into a mapping mission project. My wife and I help out the Sisters who live in a Monastery on a large property not far from us. It turns out they needed an aireal view of part of their property in order to obtain a grant. So, I got a trial of Drone Deploy, shot the mission with the Explorer App and came up with a really nice map.

The long and short of it is that I am interested in starting a part time business. Not sure if mapping is the way to go because I don't have any background in surveying. Drone Deploy is very expensive for someone not doing a thriving business.

So, perhaps inspections... Not sure. I recently met someone has a photography business and uses his drone for real estate. I don't think that is the kind of thing I would like to do.

Therd is something about mapping and inspection type work that seems more interesting to me.

(I have this itch to take pics and video of a big construction project but it is within the DC SFRA and I can't imagine the construction company or the FAA giving me permission. There are 3 large cranes on the site and I just thought it would be interesting.)

Can you suggest any online courses. How about Drone Command? Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

dirkclod · Oct 14, 2022

Welcome to the forum

GFields · Oct 14, 2022

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum!

Florida Drone Supply · Oct 14, 2022

You may be interested in speaking to Andrew Terry. We work with a lot of contract pilots for a lot of different projects. The number is in our signature below.

BigAl07 · Oct 14, 2022

WELMOME to the forum.

I have a detailed list of what I suggest to start out a new UAS Venture at this link:

Newbe here

I'm looking into getting my FAA license for drone. I have had some cheap ones in the past but wanting to once licensed drone pilot and good at controlling the drone would like to start a small business now that I'm retired just doing something fun and getting paid to do it. So the big question...

commercialdronepilots.com

TreeLineView · Oct 14, 2022

Welcome Dr. Andrew. Never too late to get into the game.

Snowghost · Oct 14, 2022

You'll need to get your Part 107 if you're to do commercial work. Without one, what you did for the monastery is a no-no.

andrew124C41 · Oct 15, 2022

Snowghost said:
You'll need to get your Part 107 if you're to do commercial work. Without one, what you did for the monastery is a no-no.

Are you suggesting that a one time not for profit gift... is a violation? I thought only for profit. In any case, I plan on getting it anyway.

JimD · Oct 15, 2022

andrew124C41 said:
Are you suggesting that a one time not for profit gift... is a violation? I thought only for profit. In any case, I plan on getting it anyway.

Yes, he is because it’s true.
It’s not about whether you made money or not. It’s about whether it was recreational.
That was not recreational.

REStewart · Oct 15, 2022

Welcome to the forum Dr. A. I also got the itch after retirement. My profession was engineering that morphed into a slightly more lucrative position in upper management. I have been flying missions, mainly for DroneBase for the past couple of years. There's a lot of information out there about DroneBase, some of it not particularly complementary but I have found them to be a stable, and professional option if one does not want or desire to be a "marketeer". You will have to get your 107 and go through some training they provide which seem appropriate for where you are in the process. Good luck in your venture. From God's frozen people in Michigan....

P.S. I appear a nubie on this forum but have been active on the Phantom and Mavic forums for quite a whiile.

GFields · Oct 15, 2022

andrew124C41 said:
Are you suggesting that a one time not for profit gift... is a violation? I thought only for profit. In any case, I plan on getting it anyway.

Click this -> link. It is a great resource

Snowghost · Oct 15, 2022

I don't see a tool, but if you're going to do your Part 107, there are some excellent online courses. I used remotepilot101.com, others on the forum like Pilot Institute. With 101's courses and practice tests I only missed 2 questions. Ample buffer to pass. Good luck.

GFields · Oct 15, 2022

Snowghost said:
I don't see a tool, but if you're going to do your Part 107, there are some excellent online courses. I used remotepilot101.com, others on the forum like Pilot Institute. With 101's courses and practice tests I only missed 2 questions. Ample buffer to pass. Good luck.

Click the link

andrew124C41 · Oct 18, 2022

BigAl07 said:
WELMOME to the forum.

I have a detailed list of what I suggest to start out a new UAS Venture at this link:

Newbe here

I'm looking into getting my FAA license for drone. I have had some cheap ones in the past but wanting to once licensed drone pilot and good at controlling the drone would like to start a small business now that I'm retired just doing something fun and getting paid to do it. So the big question...

commercialdronepilots.com

The only thing I saw here was the need to form a business plan, something I certainly agree with. But, I have not even decided exactly what kind of drone work I want to do. I suspect it will need to be part time. (I am 70 and already worked very hard in medicine.

andrew124C41 · Oct 18, 2022

JimD said:
Yes, he is because it’s true.
It’s not about whether you made money or not. It’s about whether it was recreational.
That was not recreational.

Good to know. Thanks

andrew124C41 · Oct 18, 2022

REStewart said:
Welcome to the forum Dr. A. I also got the itch after retirement. My profession was engineering that morphed into a slightly more lucrative position in upper management. I have been flying missions, mainly for DroneBase for the past couple of years. There's a lot of information out there about DroneBase, some of it not particularly complementary but I have found them to be a stable, and professional option if one does not want or desire to be a "marketeer". You will have to get your 107 and go through some training they provide which seem appropriate for where you are in the process. Good luck in your venture. From God's frozen people in Michigan....

P.S. I appear a nubie on this forum but have been active on the Phantom and Mavic forums for quite a whiile.

Jim, thanks for this. As I am retired and not interested in a full-time burnout kind of thing, this might make sense.

What kind of work do you do with them? Approximately how much do they pay? Do you get enough work? I have taken a couple of practice tests and have scored 90 percent much of the time so I guess I remember much of my VFR and IFR training. Anyway, I will still brush up and take the test.

thinking-of-droning · Nov 9, 2022

You might look into a local community college. I'm here in San Diego and our local community college offers Drone Flight School, Cinematography and Mapping. Basically for free. The link is here: Course Offerings

I'm retired too (Engineering) and I'm thinking of taking these classes to launch a new career. Best of luck to you.