Today, the sky above Australia looks more crowded than ever before. Whether it is agricultural mapping in remote Australian Outback or real estate photography in the buzzing Sydney, commercial drones are changing the way businesses function. However, to earn a decent income from drone flying, one needs to do far more than just pressing remote buttons.
Being a commercial drone pilot involves developing a highly specialised set of competences including technical skills, knowledge of legalities, and some degree of entrepreneurial mindset. In case you are thinking about building a prosperous drone-based company, the list of necessary competences below may be useful.
Technical Skills
High Level of Piloting Competence
To become a commercial drone pilot, one has to be highly skilled at piloting. One should feel completely confident while flying in either manual or automated mode. While automated flights are used to complete a majority of complex mapping missions, manual flying is an important skill when GPS signal drops or when an unexpected obstacle appears on the route.
Mastery of Flight Planning and Equipment
One of the must-haves for a commercial drone pilot is having a good knowledge of their own equipment. Specifically, an understanding of how certain payload affects the battery’s longevity under specific weather conditions is essential. Besides, to make your flights more effective, one needs to know how to plan them properly with the help of special software.
Advanced Data Processing Techniques
Taking pictures is only a small part of the job. Usually, commercial drone pilots have some level of specialisation in advanced data acquisition techniques such as photogrammetry and thermography. Thus, processing raw data obtained during the flights and creating valuable images such as 3D models with special software is another important part of being a successful commercial drone operator.
Basic Maintenance and Troubleshooting Skills
Drone flying is rather risky, and commercial drones undergo a lot of wear and tear. Basic maintenance skills help one avoid unnecessary damage and downtime. Also, learning how to quickly replace propellers, calibrate compasses, and update drone’s firmware during the flight is another thing one should focus on when training.
Complying with Australian Regulations
Australian Rules of Flight
In order to fly a drone commercially, one has to follow a number of important rules dictated by Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The most popular option for the commercial drone pilots is obtaining a Remote Pilot License (RePL) and then operating in accordance with Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (ReOC). They demonstrate one’s knowledge of the main rules of safe flight.
Knowledge of Airspace Classification
Even after commercial drone pilot training in Brisbane, it is very important to be able to navigate through aeronautical maps or CASA apps to see whether there are any airspace restrictions near your planned route. Otherwise, there is a risk to get fined and potentially crash into a controlled aircraft which could end fatally for everybody around.
Respect for Privacy Laws and Guidelines
Flying a drone implies filming everything in a given area. To comply with privacy rules, you should be aware of relevant laws and adhere to ethical recommendations while flying. You should inform passersby of what you’re doing, avoid filming private property and handle clients’ information securely.
Starting a Prosperous Drone Company
Effective Communication
You should possess the ability to effectively communicate with clients in order to find out their specific requirements and needs. In addition, it is very important to set clients’ expectations concerning the possibility of weather-related delays in terms of both flight scheduling and data delivery.
Strong Project Management Skills
Once the goals are clarified, one has to develop the ability to organise projects, track expenses, and deliver quality products according to schedule. This competence attracts loyal customers.
Comprehensive Safety Management
When working in the aerospace industry, the key to success is taking all possible safety measures. Therefore, developing safety assessment schemes and procedures before each flight is important to attract lucrative contracts from large companies.
Public Liability Insurance
Flying in public airspace is accompanied by great responsibility. To mitigate any legal risk connected with operating a commercial drone, one has to obtain appropriate insurance.
Business Marketing and Development
Obviously, to launch any company, you need clients. Developing marketing strategies to attract them includes gathering visual material and attending local networking events. It is also important to target specific industries.
Starting Your Career as a Commercial Drone Pilot
In order to start a profitable career in the commercial drone industry in Australia, one needs to possess a combination of technical, legal, and business competences. It starts from passing RePL test.
