Why use a licensed drone operator?

A Federal Aviation Administration drone license. 

As a business it is in your best interest to use a properly federal and State of Minnesota licensed drone operator. Here is why...

1. - It's legal.

Commercial operations (flying drones to further a business, nonprofit or government agency) require operators to be federally licensed. Government agencies can choose to the federally licensed or operate under a Certificate of Authorization (COA).

Using drones in all areas of business is a new and fledgling industry. Sometimes it can be like the wild west. Many people have drones, few know how to use them and only a select few know the legalities behind their use at a commercial level. When you hire a drone company that has the proper licensing, you know they are professionals at their craft. They have gone through training and testing to ensure the work they do is 100% legal.

2. - Licensed operators are professionals.

When thinking about what drones can do for your business, talk to a professional in the field. Talk to a properly licensed operator. A lot of work and education goes into being properly licensed. This means that these licensed operators have taken the time to set a solid foundation. They have invested the knowledge and time into their business, so that they may invest this knowledge and time into your business. Do you really want to hire your neighbor down the street that flies drones as a hobby? You and your clients are worth more than that. The time and money you invest on a project is worth hiring a professional. They will protect you and your company.

3. - They help protect you.

A properly licensed operator will help protect you, your business and your clients. Take a look at this list of all the properly licensed operators in Minnesota. Each one of them has their drone registered with the State of Minnesota and they have provided proof of special drone liability insurance. The state minimum is $300,000. Most drone liability policies are $500,000 - $5,000,000 depending on the work to be done. A properly licensed operator knows their drones, knows how to mitigate risk. Mitigating risk is key to any aviation practice. Drones are maintained properly and fully checked for safety before each flight. Licensed operators know and understand the laws.

3D model captured using a drone.

4. - They protect your project and investment. 

 

Let me give and real life example of what one of our clients encountered. The client asked that we shoot some video of a engineering project they were planning for a larger city in Minnesota. We followed the laws and provided the video they requested. They spent about 90+ hours adding graphics and 3D modeling to the video and presented it to the client. At this presentation, an employee from Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN DOT) was there and asked they they pull this video and it cannot be used. Client called us and explained the situation. They knew they had a lot of time and investment into this project and were worried about the legalities behind it. We helped the client understand the issue MN DOT saw with the video and explained how we captured the video. It was nice to give the client the knowledge and backing by saying "If they have any further issues, they can contact Aerial Imagery Media directly." In this instance, all was resolved because they hired a licensed professional. MN DOT understood how the video was captured and the client was able to use the video for further promotion.

Don't get your project pulled because you used an unlicensed and unskilled operator. We have heard projects and photos pulled for many reasons and fines issued. For instance, currently the Realtor Association of Southern Minnesota requires drone photos and video to be done through a licensed operator. I cannot imagine how many photos were pulled from the multiple listing service because the realtor did not use a licensed operator. 

5. - They can get your project done. 

Drones fly in the national airspace. What does this mean? Well, professional operators must know the same airspace that planes fly in. It can be confusing at times to know where drones can and cannot fly. This is why it is so important to hire a licensed professional. Below is the chart map (aviation map) for Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.

Chart Map MSP

There are certain areas where it is against federal law to fly. Do you know where? Can the drone operator explain to you were and why? Knowing if your project location falls in particular airspace is important. Hiring someone who will fly where ever puts your company at risk. Puts the project at risk and can risk federal and state fines.

Properly licensed professional drone operators know when and where they can fly. They know how to obtain special Certificates of Authorization from the FAA for certain airspace. They know and understand how to apply for a Certificate of Waiver to be able to fly at night. Without these authorizations and waivers, you are at risk.

6. -  Properly licensed drone operators love their job. 

We love our job. We love taking the time to map out a project and understand the in's and out's of our work. We love working with the client to get the shot needed to provide value to their business and their clients. We have taken the time and energy to full understand out craft. We are professionals.  

Photogrammetry

Last year I tried something new with my UAS. Data mapping and 3D models. I used a software called Drone Deploy. It was amazing what can be done. However, I was skeptical about the accuracy. I was given a great opportunity to test it out.

A local business had a pile of sand that had already been surveyed (by ground crews) and a volume calculation was figured out.

Ground Survey

I wanted to compare with what I could figure out with this photogrammetry software. So, I flew the same pile. I took around 150 pictures and combining them with the GPS location and elevation of the UAS you can figure out heights of various points, thus creating a 3D model.

3D Map

With the 3D model, one can create an elevation map. This map shows the different elevations of each point created by photogrammety.

Elevation Map

Zooming in to the particular pile of sand in question, we can draw an area that is to be measured and calculate the volume.

Volume Calculation

In this project, we estimated the volume to be 131,883 cubic yards. It was higher than what the ground calculation estimated. So, we overlaid the ground survey over the aerial map and noticed the differences. 

Ground Survey overlay on Aerial Map

As you can see there are slight variations between the two maps. So, what does this mean? Well, I am pleased to announce that the numbers obtained from the aerial map were closest to the actual volume of the pile. This is the hard part, who really knows? Calculations can be made from scales on the loading belt, but those must be maintained for accuracy. In the end, this sand was loaded into rail cars and shipped out to customers. The pile was getting low, so I asked the client..."Well, who was closer?" It turns out that the aerial volume calculation was closer to the actual product shipped.

I don't get bragging rights, but it is good to know that the accuracy is there for volume calculation on a large scale. Ground surveying has been done for many, many years and their method is tried and true, there is no denying that, but I feel that there may be certain areas that were missed due to the height and shape of the pile. To send an employee up on the pile and put them at risk for injury, may not be worth the hassle.

Also, I was able to get flight and calculations done in less than 24 hours.

If anyone is interested in data mapping, contact us anytime.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo of Flying Drones

Through my business I have come to realize that the legality of flying unmanned aircraft systems does not really resonate to people and companies. I am a Federal Aviation Administration licensed small UAS operator, I am also licensed with Minnesota Department of Transportation, which is currently the law in Minnesota. Last check, March 2017 there are over 500 FAA licensed operators, but only 40 are licensed with MN DOT.

I know it sounds crazy that a small toy, in many instances, must be licensed, but it is what it is and in Minnesota it is a little more complicated (more on that later). I speak on this to many businesses because it is so important as a business owner, president or employee. There have been businesses issued very large fines by the FAA for operating illegally. In June of 2016, a Minnesota man was issued a $55,000 fine for operating a drone illeagly. In 2015, a Chicago company was fined $1.9 million, but was later reduced to $200,000. The issue is, enforcement of illegal use will continue to grow as more operators take to the skies and I don't want to see the legal fees associated with taking on the FAA, nor do I want to see anyone else have to fight this battle.

Recently, I have taken a different approach, and talk as less about the legal mumbo jumbo, but it is still so important. There are many companies operating without the proper licensing and I want everyone to succeed, enjoy and grow the industry. I run into many businesses that say "Well, we have a drone already." Trying to explain to them the licensing and fines that can occur is hard sometimes. I would rather see thousands of companies flourish in the UAS industry rather than see one fail to improper licensing and following the guidelines set forth.

Back to Minnesota. Minnesota is somewhat unique in that any person that operates an aircraft, yes drones are now aircraft, for commercial purposes must be registered with the state, have an operators license with the state and show proof of insurance. This is above and beyond what the FAA requires. The reason for this is because the MN DOT applied current aircraft laws to drones, because there was not anything specific to drones or UAS.

That said, there is a bill currently in legislation that would exempt UAS and current the fees associated with registration to $25, a lower price than the $100 minimum for aircraft from 0 - $500,000 value. This is only for registration and does not affect the commercial operators license or proof of insurance.

So, skills and knowledge of flying UAS are important and they should be founded on a solid base of properly licensed operators.        

Drones In Minnesota

I recently started this blog to share my thoughts on drones, referred to as their proper name, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), specifically in Minnesota, and how they relate to by personal life and business.

About 4 years ago, I purchased a GoPro camera for a trip to Florida. In doing my research I came upon the DJI Phantom 2. The first version of the Phantom 2 carried a GoPro camera that was mounted to a gimbal, and then to the UAS. The later version, Phantom 2 Vision had it's own camera. Maybe this what when DJO learned GoPro was producing it's own drone. It was amazing and I thought, "You know what, this GoPro needs to fly. I was also an avid kayaker and helped guide people down the Minnesota River, so the UAS, GoPros and kayaks all kind of worked together for multiple uses.

Fast forward to today. I have started a company called Aerial Imagery Media. I focus on all areas of UAS. I have not found my niche just yet. I like experimentation and being pushed to do something new or learn a new technique. Most days, I am just learning all I can about UAS, the industry and the laws behind them. For me, the constant change keeps me focused.