When To Consider An Inspire?

[Pelagic One]

Hello! I’m newly107-certified, well-versed in flying Mavics, and writing my business plan now. At what point would I consider stepping up to an Inspire? Are there particular job requirements that would rule out being performed with a Mavic 2 Pro?

I‘m still learning about CinemaDNG and ProRes licenses, so I would imagine a job with one of those being required would necessitate an Inspire with appropriate license(s).

Or are Inspires generally best left to broadcasters and the motion picture industry, and that I should be okay with my Mavics for now?

 

[Deltadave]

I believe you should buy the best you can afford. That rule applies to all my other activities as well.
The more experience you get, the more you realize what a piece of junk you bought, and you won't grow a boneyard of useless crap that is already obsolete and unsellable.
I grew this outlook while tournament bass fishing, that the better I got, the more I realized what a piece of crap I was using as a tool. And my boneyard became free supplies for kids.
So, investing in the best I can afford has made my job easier while increasing the qualities of the outcome.

 

[Pelagic One]

I believe you should buy the best you can afford.

Thank you. I’ve always had that outlook, and my wife has always enjoyed my budgeting style, but I’m still trying to convince her that this is getting beyond the hobby:

• My Wife — “How do you know it’s beyond the hobby?”
• Me — “It‘s all about the intent, now.”

 

[aerialimagery]

Have you gotten enough work from your Mavics to put aside funds to make the step up to an Inspire?

 

[BigAl07]

Does your current equipment not provide the service you need/intend to provide?

What type of "work" are you planning to do primarily? Build the business model first and let that dictate what equipment you need. It's important to differentiate Need vs Want. Especially starting out we suggest not getting the Best of the Best until you get into business and find out what you really need. It's so tempting to start the business with the flashy new model of everything, get the car/truck wrapped, show up to the job site ready to IMPRESS but that can lead to a business failing before it has time to create a solid foundation.

Remember most of your clients don't have a clue what equipment you're using or do they care. They are primarily interested in the PRODUCT you can provide. When was the last time a photographer was asked which cameras they are using when the client was trying to pick their photographer? The aircraft is just one of the tools of the trade.

With the above comment... for total transparency.... when we are doing flight demonstrations for new clients on a large construction project we usually show-off with the H520 (6 motors, large, bright orange and impressive to watch fly) because it's an attention getter for the Construction Industry. Our flyer shows the H520 and the Mavic Platinum but our flight demo is with H520.

We started our UAS business in... ~2013 with a Blade 350QX and it served our company well for a good while. I upgraded the unit to the QX2 and later QX3 through hardware/software upgrades but for over a year we were "In Business" with a very minimal (to today's standards) aircraft. Then in 2014 we went to the dark side... DJI... to the Phantom3Pro. We used the Phantom3Pro to shoot for clients such as The Travel Channel and The Disney Co. and we were asked to NOT shoot in 4K meaning we weren't even shooting with that aircraft's FULL potential.

Fast forward to 2020.... we are still in business and doing everything we need to with either a Mavic Pro Platinum or a Yuneec H520 (Primarily for large construction projects or Emergency Services work). We use a Phantom4Pro+ as our backup rig (seems backwards I know LOL) only because we have so many batteries and chargers etc for the Mavic and it does a great job. The P4Pro+ is also our Demo aircraft for Emergency Services type of work and the "Showpiece" for that industry. The H520 is the Work Horse able to lift/drop items at great distances.

We did (4) large jobs with the Mavic Platinum yesterday and she performed flawlessly. With this setup (several batteries, spare Tx, multiple chargers , built in inverter in car etc) we can, in theory, fly nonstop 24hrs. This helps to be able to tackle larger multi-battery projects and be able to knock several out in a single day.

Do I want a larger more complex/capable platform? Maybe.... we had an Inspire 1 V2 we used for a while but I found myself only flying it for fun and rarely then so I sold that whole setup to a Sheriff's Dept who needed it to replace a crashed unit. By not spending $$ on equipment we didn't need (Notice I didn't say WANT) we became a profitable company in just 30 days and have remained profitable for years now. We have the most $$ in our bank account than we've ever had and hope to keep building it.

When buying equipment for your business don't think about just the "primary" aircraft. Think about all the accessories you'll need to get the primary set up and then think about BACKUP equipment. These items include:
Durable Case, Spare components (props, batteries, chargers etc), filters, cables, tablet holder, memory cards, memory card wallet and possibly many other items. Every time you change the aircraft you potentially have to buy "most" of these items again so keep changing aircraft a rarity.

When it comes to business having only ONE is NONE and having TWO units is ONE. Don't show up on a job without a backup system just in case. We learned this the HARD way. Always take some type of backup aircraft with you even if it's just across town. Having an onsite failure looks back to your client and costs you time & reputation. Speaking from FIRST HAND account on that one.

It's a lot easier (and less painful) to add to your fleet as needed and hopefully you can purchase with CASH later on without adding to your dept with higher loans.

 

[Pelagic One]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. Before taking any plunge, I’m creating a business plan first, while reading as much as possible from this forum. While creating an annual budget, I wondered what would necessitate an aircraft upgrade, so I posted my question. I’m also gleaning advice from local commercial operators from our local drone Meet-Up group.

Because of other successful, unrelated business ventures, I’ve got the capital to fill a service van with drones, but I need to forecast what factors would need to happen.

Alan — From reading on MavicPilots, I knew you we’re one of the most knowledgeable people in the field, but it’s great to see it put to practical use with your tremendous success. Your detailed write-up is going to be a “sticky” to me, which I’ll read every time I find myself ”wanting” to fly a bigger model.

 

[BigAl07]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. Before taking any plunge, I’m creating a business plan first, while reading as much as possible from this forum. While creating an annual budget, I wondered what would necessitate an aircraft upgrade, so I posted my question. I’m also gleaning advice from local commercial operators from our local drone Meet-Up group.

Because of other successful, unrelated business ventures, I’ve got the capital to fill a service van with drones, but I need to forecast what factors would need to happen.

Alan — From reading on MavicPilots, I knew you we’re one of the most knowledgeable people in the field, but it’s great to see it put to practical use with your tremendous success. Your detailed write-up is going to be a “sticky” to me, which I’ll read every time I find myself ”wanting” to fly a bigger model.

Thank you for your kind words but I'm just more "vocal" than most so it seems like I may know a lot. I make it up as I go LOL!

As far as "wanting" a new model I get the same urges about 37X a year LOL!

This industry is currently in a "transition" due to regulations etc so keep that in mind when planning long-term purchases. We aren't sure what the new regulation requirements will be for Remote ID let alone which systems will be compliant. That's still at least 3 years away (crossing fingers) so it's possible anything you buy today will be replaced before 3 years but I'd purchase carefully because if taken care of they can last several years. I've got a P3P with many MANY hundreds of hours of use and it's still going strong. The only problem I have is keeping all the batteries HEALTHY because they are getting harder and harder to find.

Good luck with your new venture and KUDOS for doing a detailed business plan. It can make a LOT of difference in your business model and can save you a TON of $$ in mistakes. Well done

 

[R.Perry]

I'm a person that has used both, the Mavic, and Inspire 2. There is no comparison between the two in my opinion. First of all I hate the Mavic controller, won't go into reasons.
The Inspire 2 is professional grade, the camera and lenses are high quality and provide great flexibility. If you have a job requiring three or four hours of shooting, the Inspire controller will do the job where the Mavic won't.
Draw back it price, the Inspire is expensive as I'm sure you already know but if you have the clientele and can make it pay for itself I would definitely go with the Inspire.
I agree with BigA's post completely though.

 

[Recoveryone]

Without knowing where you are at currently (equipment) I would agree with BigA also, but my reason may differ a bit. Every drone can have its purpose, depending on the requirements of the task at hand. Just as BigA said you may find yourself only needing to shoot in 1080p vs 4-5k and beyond, the Inspire is a large drone that needs room to move around. They are great for cinematic outdoor shots, but I would not recommend using one in tight spaces with limited escape area. Another factor to consider is the maintenance on such an aircraft compared to a Mavic 2 pro, or even a Mavic Pro. I am debating (in my head) to move to an Inspire or just add a Phantom 4 Pro 2.0 to my crew. Cost/return on investment is the bottom line, do you have enough work lined up that 1. requires the level of output of an Inspire 2. Do you have the support (transportation/ multiple cameras) to provide the final output/desire of the client. As with any tool you may have in any business, you tout its abilities as one of your selling points and clients only hear the what they want and not the cost of getting such results.

 

[R.Perry]

Reconveryone and I shot a video inside a cafeteria, I would have never attempted that with the Inspire, and the Mavic was perfect for the job. I guess it's the old saying, "use the right tool for the job at hand"
Wish you the best of luck.

 

[BigAl07]

Reconveryone and I shot a video inside a cafeteria, I would have never attempted that with the Inspire, and the Mavic was perfect for the job. I guess it's the old saying, "use the right tool for the job at hand"
Wish you the best of luck.

Very good point. We shot a video for a commercial inside a Fitness Center locally. We had to fly down corridors and through doorways and used a SPARK (yes I know I know). It behaved perfectly and the client loved what we created. Ironically it was my wife's SPARK we used and it was her idea LOL.

 

[Meta4]

At what point would I consider stepping up to an Inspire?

When you have a need for what the Inspire can do, that your existing equipment cannot.

Do you need to hang a larger camera or use interchangeable lenses?
Do you want a drone so big and heavy that you can't easily carry it far from the car?
Although the Inspire can do some things that smaller drones can't, there aren't many things you really need one for.

 

[R.Perry]

When you have a need for what the Inspire can do, that your existing equipment cannot.

Do you need to hang a larger camera or use interchangeable lenses?
Do you want a drone so big and heavy that you can't easily carry it far from the car?
Although the Inspire can do some things that smaller drones can't, there aren't many things you really need one for.

Now wait a minute, I'm almost 72 and I have carried the inspire 2 plus extra batteries all over the mountains, and all over UC Merced, it isn't that heavy. One feature that I do love about the Inspire is that by using two batteries if one should fail the drone doesn't come crashing down. About a year ago I did lose a battery while in flight, I was able to get the it back to home and all was well with new batteries.

It is true the Phantom 4, and Mavic will do a fine job in most cases and at a lot less cost.

 

[skiptv]

Dont buy an inspire, I have one, once I got my mavic 2, it never came out of storage.

 

[JimD]

I advise you to wait until you start having a cash flow before you invest that much money.
It’s all too easy to load up on stuff you don’t need.
If all the sudden you get a huge job where you need it Well then go buy it but I wouldn’t until that time comes.

 

[HAWK-i.us]

Just a quick add on -- I've had good success buying used drones via local sellers in Facebook Marketplace. Used equipment can be a decent decision for a startup company or for backup. Helps if you're an experienced flyer though so you'll have a good idea what to look for and ask about. Good luck............... Bob R.

 

[R.Perry]

I advise you to wait until you start having a cash flow before you invest that much money.
It’s all too easy to load up on stuff you don’t need.
If all the sudden you get a huge job where you need it Well then go buy it but I wouldn’t until that time comes.

What if you have a job that needs to be done in a couple of day but requires an Inspire 2 or equivalent? You make a good point and I partially agree as long as one doesn't lose a good paying job due to lack of the tools needed. Sometimes when someone starts a business, if they have done their homework, have a solid business plan, they just may need to dump a lot of startup money into it to get it off the ground.

 

[JimD]

What if you have a job that needs to be done in a couple of day but requires an Inspire 2 or equivalent? You make a good point and I partially agree as long as one doesn't lose a good paying job due to lack of the tools needed. Sometimes when someone starts a business, if they have done their homework, have a solid business plan, they just may need to dump a lot of startup money into it to get it off the ground.

What kind of job are you thinking of that would require and inspire on short notice?

Well anything is possible but that sounds pretty unlikely.If you’re already an experienced working videographer I could see that happening but short of that I doubt it.

But hey if you’re willing to take the risk go for it.
It sounds like you’re just trying to rationalize buying in inspire - nothing wrong with that

 

[R.Perry]

What kind of job are you thinking of that would require and inspire on short notice?

What I learned is sometimes appearance means a lot to a potential client. You show the client a Mavic, or Phantom and they may not be too impress, you pull out the Inspire 2 and it comes off right away looking professional. I'm not implying you can't get the job done with a Phantom or Mavic because in most cases you can.
Let's say to want fly a SAR, you have a pilot flying and a camera person, the Inspire can fly at full speed if need be while the camera is pointed in any direction you choose and the pilot still can see where he is going via the FPV camera on the Inspire.

Since I don't know the the business potential in his area, and what jobs may come his way I couldn't make a recommendation as to what to buy, I'm just throwing ideas out.

 

[Meta4]

What I learned is sometimes appearance means a lot to a potential client. You show the client a Mavic, or Phantom and they may not be too impress, you pull out the Inspire 2 and it comes off right away looking professional.

The appearance that most impressed my clients is the appearance of the finished product I presented to them.
It was very rare that the client was watching as I flew, but when they were, they were always also very impressed with the Phantom and its technology.
In my world, just like there are very few jobs that you couldn't do as well with the Phantom, there would be very few clients who would be more impressed by the bigger, more expensive Inspire.