Drone Piloting For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Drone piloting is for fun . . . and profit, if you want to go that route! It can start out as a hobby and become a side hustle or even a full-time job in a particular industry. From giving you tips about buying a drone, to flying it safely, to taking the Part 107 exam, to cranking up a freelance business, this cheat sheet can help you get your drone piloting goals off the ground.

Buying a new drone

If you’re about to buy your first drone, or maybe your fifth, the process never gets easier. You encounter too many options, too many opinions, and too much marketing. You discover so many drone makes and models, and then off-shoots of those models, that it makes your head spin.

But here are a few tips for shopping for a drone:

• Decide on your drone’s main purpose. Different makes and models of drones are good at different things. What do you really want to do with the drone? Don’t spend your money on features that you don’t plan to use.
• Know your budget. There’s no point looking at drones that cost $15,000 if your budget is $5,000. It’s a time-waster and makes the shopping process more confusing. Plan a budget and stick to it so that you can narrow down your options.
• Check out reviews. Start reading reviews from a variety of sources, and as you read the reviews, look for the “middle of the road” pattern among them. Forget both the glowing reviews and the one-star reviews. Look for the middle ground where you see potential negatives but also what people say consistently about the positives.
• Think about insurance and warranties. A drone can be a big purchase, which merits considering the warranty that comes with it and possibly getting an extended warranty. You may also want to insure the drone against crashes or theft. The cost of insurance and a good warranty may impact your budget, too.
• Buy from a store that allows generous returns. Know how much time you have to check out the drone before you can return it. Return policies vary wildly from store to store.

Flying safely

Flying a drone safely means avoiding harm to your drone and to any person or someone’s property! The list of safety tips here are easy to follow, but too many people ignore them. Develop a simple safety routine and do these tasks every time you get ready to fly. Your drone — and everyone else — will thank you.

• Charge the batteries and RC. This tip may seem obvious, but a common cause of accidents is lack of power. People forget to charge the batteries or RC, wrongly assume that they’ll last long enough, and then get into power trouble when they fly. Always start with everything charged, and remember that environmental variables like wind and cold weather can greatly impact how long batteries last.
• Check for firmware updates. Drone firmware is updated often with new features and bug fixes. Keep it up to date to avoid any potential problems. Updates usually take only a few minutes, so if you haven’t flown in a week or so, check for updates before you do.
• Use collision-avoidance features. Many drones have built-in sensors that provide at least some level of obstacle avoidance. These features often include braking before you hit an object, or bypassing it, which enables the drone to take over and fly around an obstacle. Such features aren’t perfect, but they can help a lot in a variety of situations. Use them and know what features and limitations your drone has. Also, remember that sport or speed mode typically turns those sensors off, so be careful!
• Check the weather. Rain, snow, wind, very cold and very hot temperatures, and humidity can all impact your drone piloting mission and the drone’s battery life. Always check the weather before you fly, and delay a mission if the weather doesn’t look so hot (no pun intended).
• Check the airspace. Make sure you can legally fly in the airspace your mission encompasses. It’s easy to obtain a B4UFLY app and check it before you fly. The app quickly tells you identifies the airspace and any restrictions. Airspace restrictions exist for safety purposes, and they’re important. You can also check out the current B4UFLY apps at https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/b4ufly.
• Use situational awareness. The last piece of the safety puzzle really comes down to you being aware. Be aware of the environment, including whether there are possible hazards, too many people, or problematic obstacles. Also, be aware of yourself, which means an honest appraisal of whether you are sufficiently rested, mentally focused, and free from any influence of alcohol, drugs, and prescription medications. Much of drone safety comes back to the pilot, so make sure you’re ready to fly!

Studying for the Part 107 Exam

You can’t do anything that’s considered commercial with your drone (that includes nonprofits, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re paid or not) without passing the Part 107 certification. For this reason, many drone pilots quickly move from flying for fun to taking the Part 107 exam. If you want to expand beyond being strictly a hobbyist, you must pass the test. Here are some tips for studying:

• Don’t memorize sample test questions. You can find sample test questions for the Part 107 exam all over the internet, and you can even purchase various study courses. Although it’s good to look at sample questions, the actual exam may not have any of the questions you review. Focus on learning content, not memorizing questions. You’ll be a much better drone pilot if you actually know the material and don’t just try to pass the test.
• Use old-school flashcards. You need to know a lot of terms, acronyms, and concepts to pass the test. There’s no way around it; you have to memorize this content. Go old school and make flashcards of those terms and concepts and work on just knowing them backward and forward. While you’re at it, say those terms and definitions out loud as you practice. That way, you engage both eyes and ears in the learning process. For most people, this strategy makes memorization easier.
• Know airspace. The FAA wants you to understand airspace and what’s legal for drone piloting. You need to know the airspace classes and be able to identify them on sectional charts. Make sure you spend plenty of time studying airspace!
• Practice sectional chart interpretation. You’ll likely see several questions asking you to interpret something on a sectional chart. Make sure you can read and understand these charts. Practice, and then practice some more.
• Practice with scratch paper. At the testing center, you take the test on a computer but are also provided with a testing supplement document and scratch paper for use before and during the test. Before you click Start on the test screen, you can spend a few moments writing down difficult or confusing concepts, terms and definitions, or making drawings on the scratch paper. Because the Part 107 exam likes to mix up terms and concepts in an effort to confuse you, having some notes ready to refer to can help you keep things straight.
• Slow down. The odds are good that passing the Part 107 exam isn’t an emergency for you. People who spend more time studying typically perform better on the test. It’s not a race. And if you don’t pass the first time, you can take it again!

Taking great drone photos

One of the most significant uses of drones is to take photos and videos. Yet not all photos are created equally. To get good shots, follow these tips:

• Work on composition. Composition refers to what you include in a photo and what you exclude. Think about what you want to show the viewer and exclude items that distract from it.
• Try different angles. The best angle for a shot may not be directly over the subject but instead may be slightly lower, or even much lower. Or it may be to the side, with a slight tilt of the gimbal. Consider what will make your subject look the best and then experiment with different angles.
• Be aware of the sun’s location. The best photos tend to happen on overcast days when you have diffused sunlight. Of course, you often can’t do anything about that, and if you need to shoot in direct sunlight, watch out. Direct sunlight can completely ruin a photo. Try to shoot with the sun behind the drone instead of facing it. Sometimes just changing the drone’s angle or elevation can make a big difference!
• Take a lot of photos. All photographers who do great work take a lot of photos. Then they critically cull through those shots and pick only the very best. Do the same. The more shots you take, the more likely you are to get a shot you love!

Planning a business venture as a drone pilot

If you’re thinking of starting a small business or perhaps engage in an existing business as a drone pilot, consider these questions:

• What’s the purpose of the business? Too often, drone pilots begin a freelance business without a clear plan for the kinds of jobs they are willing to do, or not do. Knowing what areas of the drone business don’t interest you is just as important as what you do want to do. People who are successful in small business tend to be laser focused on a business plan with just a few goals, such as getting clients and marketing their business.
• What equipment do you need? Don’t ask what equipment you want, but what equipment do you actually need? A new drone, new computer, photo or video editing software? Decide what you need to get your business off the ground and how to fund those expenses.
• Who will your clients be? Consider who may hire you for drone work and what they will need from you. What service would be the most helpful in your area? The potential market for your services depends on where you live.
• What do you need to do to give it your best shot? When you start your own business, you have to deal with stuff that’s not as fun as flying, such as saving money, billing, paying taxes, and tracking income and expenses. Before you take the plunge into starting your own business, do you need to work on getting more organized? Maybe you need to learn some accounting software, or create an office space in your home. Think about how to lay the best foundation for your new venture. That foundation may hold the keys to success!

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