Would like some pricing suggestions on a project

[merk]

Hi all,

I was contacted by a civil engineering firm. They want video footage of the traffic going through several intersections. At a minimum it'll be 2 hours of footage per intersection since they want coverage of peak morning and peak evening traffic - maybe more depending on how busy a particular intersection is.

The tricky bit is they dont want any gaps in the video coverage - they want a complete clip that will show all the traffic in the given time frame. They are however ok with taking multiple overlapping clips and stitching them together. So I would basically need to fly 2 drones for this, and keep swapping them as batteries run down. Since the drone just has to basically hover in place, I think I can manage working two drones at the same time.

There is potential that some intersections might require 4 hours of footage total. As of right now, I have a mavic 2 pro and the older mavic pro, 4 batteries for each of them which should safely give me over 2 hours of footage total before i need to recharge all batteries. But i can always pick up a few more batteries.

I still need to find out if they want me to edit the clips or if they just want the raw clips and what format they want the clips in.

I'm thinking $1000 per intersection would be a minimum starting price.

Any suggestions/feedback/advice?

Oh and just for some background - i've been flying drones commercially for about 2 years now, licensed/insured. I typically just get requests from realtors or construction companies to get some shots of a property they are selling/building etc.

 

[AH-1G]

You're going to need another pilot to help you.

14 CFR § 107.35 - Operation of multiple small unmanned aircraft.

www.law.cornell.edu

107.35 Operation of multiple small unmanned aircraft.

A person may not operate or act as a remote pilot in command or visual observer in the operation of more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Hi all,

I was contacted by a civil engineering firm. They want video footage of the traffic going through several intersections. At a minimum it'll be 2 hours of footage per intersection since they want coverage of peak morning and peak evening traffic - maybe more depending on how busy a particular intersection is.

The tricky bit is they dont want any gaps in the video coverage - they want a complete clip that will show all the traffic in the given time frame. They are however ok with taking multiple overlapping clips and stitching them together. So I would basically need to fly 2 drones for this, and keep swapping them as batteries run down. Since the drone just has to basically hover in place, I think I can manage working two drones at the same time.

There is potential that some intersections might require 4 hours of footage total. As of right now, I have a mavic 2 pro and the older mavic pro, 4 batteries for each of them which should safely give me over 2 hours of footage total before i need to recharge all batteries. But i can always pick up a few more batteries.

I still need to find out if they want me to edit the clips or if they just want the raw clips and what format they want the clips in.

I'm thinking $1000 per intersection would be a minimum starting price.

Any suggestions/feedback/advice?

Oh and just for some background - i've been flying drones commercially for about 2 years now, licensed/insured. I typically just get requests from realtors or construction companies to get some shots of a property they are selling/building etc.

Big job, definitely not a one-man job. You'll need help (any other operators in your area you feel comfortable working with?). Lots of 107 potential issues involved. And more crew = higher cost for you. Can you post the location? A thousand per may be too high...or too low. It depends on the parameters of the job.

 

[merk]

Big job, definitely not a one-man job. You'll need help (any other operators in your area you feel comfortable working with?). Lots of 107 potential issues involved. And more crew = higher cost for you. Can you post the location? A thousand per may be too high...or too low. It depends on the parameters of the job.

I don't know any other drone operators. This is going to be around Flint MI, about an hour or so away from detroit.

 

[merk]

You're going to need another pilot to help you.

14 CFR § 107.35 - Operation of multiple small unmanned aircraft.

www.law.cornell.edu

107.35 Operation of multiple small unmanned aircraft.

A person may not operate or act as a remote pilot in command or visual observer in the operation of more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.

Yeah I'm aware of that...but I was basically going to ignore that since I won't really need to fly the drones around. They are just going to go straight up and down and hover in place.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Well, you'll need another pilot, no way to get around 107.35 (w/o a waiver).
And perhaps VOs to keep things safe, hard to tell w/o knowing the environment. Looks life most of Flint is Class C airspace. Any airspace issues?



".but I was basically going to ignore that since I won't really need to fly the drones around " I would never type that in a public forum.

 

[BigAl07]

Yeah I'm aware of that...but I was basically going to ignore that since I won't really need to fly the drones around. They are just going to go straight up and down and hover in place.

Flying is flying and ILLEGAL is illegal. We don't get to pick and chose, as professionals, when to obey the law and when to go rogue.

This might not be the right group to announce that you're going to intentionally "ignore" FAA laws.

Also keep in mind you can't fly directly over people or traffic. That's another one I wouldn't suggest "ignoring".

 

[AH-1G]

Tells me a lot about this guys integrity. ?

 

[R.P..R]

Yeah I'm aware of that...but I was basically going to ignore that since I won't really need to fly the drones around. They are just going to go straight up and down and hover in place.

Just use common sense, I am pretty sure that you will do it in a safe manner and within the regulation, because we are not looking so good out there, especially with all of this bad publicity.
Report back, and post awesome footage!

 

[Grumpy]

I'm gonna drop a dime on this guy

 

[merk]

Flying is flying and ILLEGAL is illegal. We don't get to pick and chose, as professionals, when to obey the law and when to go rogue.

This might not be the right group to announce that you're going to intentionally "ignore" FAA laws.

Also keep in mind you can't fly directly over people or traffic. That's another one I wouldn't suggest "ignoring".

So you're telling me you NEVER jaywalk? you NEVER go over the speed limit when driving? You always report any items you buy online that you dont get charged sales tax?

Maybe I am being arrogant, but I have faith in my ability to operate a drone in a safe and reasonable manner, even if that might conflict with regulations. I do not see any safety issue with having one drone hovering in place, and then putting a 2nd drone up and letting it hover while I land the first one. If i had to actually maneuver the drones around (aside from going straight up and down) then yes, I would not do that on my own.

And the drone wouldn't be directly over people/traffic.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

So you're telling me you NEVER jaywalk? you NEVER go over the speed limit when driving? You always report any items you buy online that you dont get charged sales tax?

Maybe I am being arrogant, but I have faith in my ability to operate a drone in a safe and reasonable manner, even if that might conflict with regulations. I do not see any safety issue with having one drone hovering in place, and then putting a 2nd drone up and letting it hover while I land the first one. If i had to actually maneuver the drones around (aside from going straight up and down) then yes, I would not do that on my own.

And the drone wouldn't be directly over people/traffic.

"So you're telling me you NEVER jaywalk? you NEVER go over the speed limit when driving? You always report any items you buy online that you dont get charged sales tax?"
Disrespect towards an experienced administrator of the forum is not smart, nor nice.

The FAA does not care if you "see any issue." The 107 rules are for everyone. We see a lot of folks arrive on this forum with their minds already made up to break a few rules, they are just looking for confirmation and support. Since this is a PROFESSIONAL COMMERCIAL REMOTE PILOTS forum, you will not find it here.

May I suggest a hobbyist forum? They seem to be a bit more laissez-faire about those pesky FAA regulations.

"Maybe I am being arrogant"...well, you said it

 

[PatR]

I’m sure you have performed numerous lengthy frequency conflict assessments of the affected area using industry recognized analysis equipment. From that you’ve determined that at no time will there be any possibility of a frequency conflict generated by a passing vehicle that could interfere with the operation of your aircraft.

I’m sure you have practiced flying multiple drones simultaneously hundreds of times and never encountered any issues. A large portion of those practice flights took place adjacent to busy automobile intersections.

I’m certain you’ve considered this operation would be conducted in a high visibility environment, one the FAA would view as requiring considerable mitigation for the safety of the public. You’ve considered that many passing through the intersection will see the drone and some will react negatively and notify law enforcement of your activities. Being next to an intersection, you anticipate law enforcement will respond to investigate quickly.

Someone mentioned integrity earlier. It’s obvious your only thoughts concern making a quick buck with no concern for anything except completing an assignment.

Yes, many exceed the speed limit a small amount, consistently. They are also generally keeping up with traffic instead of impeding it and do it safely. However, what you propose to do, having one person flying two drones simultaneously, has no possibility of mitigating safety risks in any way.

If you have 107 certification and employ this kind of justification to accomplish missions you are a threat to all those that operate legally, keeping public safety in mind at all times. Your reasoning violates just about all the principles a commercial certificate, manned or unmanned, is founded on. First and foremost is assuring public safety. The commercial pilot certificate came about because some pilots would do any and everything to get the job done, killing themselves and others in the process. The rules governing the 107 are an extension of that.

 

[R.Perry]

Merk, you are getting hammered because most of us here want to live by the rules. It's kind of like sports, you either play by the rules or get kicked out of the game.
First you need to check your airspace.
Find another 107 pilot, and I would recommend an observer.
What is the environment like on these intersections? Can you fly without overflying people?
It sounds like an interesting job, I would think that a thousand isn't enough for two pilots and an observer.

 

[R.Perry]

So you're telling me you NEVER jaywalk? you NEVER go over the speed limit when driving? You always report any items you buy online that you dont get charged sales tax?

Maybe I am being arrogant, but I have faith in my ability to operate a drone in a safe and reasonable manner, even if that might conflict with regulations. I do not see any safety issue with having one drone hovering in place, and then putting a 2nd drone up and letting it hover while I land the first one. If i had to actually maneuver the drones around (aside from going straight up and down) then yes, I would not do that on my own.

And the drone wouldn't be directly over people/traffic.

Run your idea by your local FAA guys and see how accommodating they are. Yes you do sound arrogant, but I have been accused of the same thing. There is a big difference between minor infractions and doing something that would be considered stupid, you are leaning towards the stupid side.

 

[Tgleason]

I work for a engineering company. Charging 1000 dollars a day isnt much trust me. Especially considering why it costs so much. Because you need two drones. Two pilots. You may need to shut down sidewalks. Notify law enforcement. Fillout permits. Etc etc. We pay tons of money for stuff all the time. We take time to do permits. Plan. Account for safety etc. We just pass the cost to our client. Doing it right is why it costs so much.

Remember if you dont follow the rules and an accident happens. Insurance will not pay and you will be on your own. Plus your setting yourself up for a potential law suit.

Doing it right will increase your ability to get contracts in the future.

 

[AH-1G]

Merk never mentioned if he has a 107 certification??
My guess he's going to flying this gig regardless.
If there were to be some type of incident, not only will Merk be held responsible, but Lawyers will attach the guilt on the civil eng. company.

 

[Tgleason]

Merk never mentioned if he has a 107 certification?[emoji848]
My guess he's going to flying this gig regardless.
If there were to be some type of incident, not only will Merk be held responsible, but Lawyers will attach the guilt on the civil eng. company.

He did mention in first post he is licensed and insured and has 2 years experience.

But Doing this could mean loss of licensw

 

[PatR]

If this was a California gig (I am aware it’s not) he would have to submit an application for permit to CalTrans and pay the cost for a CalTrans rep to remain on site for the duration of the shoot monitoring traffic conditions and safety.

I’m actually more than a little surprised any legitimate engineering firm would initiate any kind of project without first establishing precisely how it would be done, along with establishing various risk factors. Company insurance carriers are very big at eliminating any activity that could incur financial liability. Public relations departments can be equally restrictive when it comes to preserving a company reputation.

 

[AH-1G]

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
― Benjamin Franklin