2 answers
Paris
Student
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
3
Questions
Updated
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Would getting my drone pilot's license be worth it?
Hello! I've recently gotten the opportunity to join a program that would help me get my FAA Part 107 Unmanned Pilot’s License (as well as training in various 3d modeling software). This isn't something I've ever considered before, but now that the opportunity is here I'm interested in learning more. Is drone piloting a hard career to break into? Where would I look for jobs? What's the job like? It's been hard for me to find specific information online about this field, so any information at all would help.
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2 answers
Angel S
UI/UX Design Aspirant
129
Answers
India
Updated
Angel’s Answer
Getting your FAA Part 107 license can open up a range of career opportunities in drone piloting, especially in industries like real estate, agriculture, film, construction, and surveying. It's not overly difficult to break into, but it requires practice and familiarity with drone technology. Jobs can be found through companies offering aerial photography, mapping services, or even government contracts. The job involves flying drones for specific purposes like capturing aerial footage, creating 3D models, or inspecting infrastructure. The work offers flexibility but may involve long hours or travel depending on the project.
John Hand
User Experience Designer
9
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Paris,
Congratulations on the opportunity! Here are some things you may want to consider:
- What does this program cost and will it give you the necessary skills, experience, and certifications to land a specific job that you might be interested in?
- Do you enjoy VR, video games, or remote control cars? Flying drones requires fairly good spatial recognition and eye-hand coordination, which you may have already developed as a skill if you have experience with those things.
- What kind of work could you see yourself doing with this skill? There are many video jobs for drone pilots such as filming for cars, boats, vacation destinations, real estate, movies, commercials, shows, etc. These skills could also pair nicely with more science related fields such as running Lidar to explore ruins or archaeological sites, taking samples of air quality, taking field measurements of plants, animals, etc. Drones are also used for espionage and military operations.
- If you have ever experienced VR, do you get motion sickness easily? I have a pretty strong stomach when it comes to boats, but some VR experiences can make me motion sick quite quickly and it can last almost all day. There are tricks to avoiding this, and people can build a tolerance to the symptoms.
- Where do drone pilots "hang out?" You might consider looking for retail stores where you could meet other pilots, learn which companies in your area shop there regularly. You could also look for online forums for drone pilots to try and meet some people who do this type of work and learn from them about where to find jobs. Keep an eye out for conventions, meet-ups, or reach out to specific drone companies to inquire where you could learn more.
I don't have experience with this field directly, but I would imagine that what the work looks like is highly dependent on the role. These jobs likely involve a lot of time traveling and being "in the field," taking direction from creative directors, and viewing storyboards to understand what kind of specific video shots or data is required. It probably involves a fair amount of mechanical repair and technical troubleshooting, and occasionally searching for and recovering drones when they don't make it back. If you enjoy the outdoors, technology, and visually creative pursuits, being a drone pilot may be a good fit for you.
Congratulations on the opportunity! Here are some things you may want to consider:
- What does this program cost and will it give you the necessary skills, experience, and certifications to land a specific job that you might be interested in?
- Do you enjoy VR, video games, or remote control cars? Flying drones requires fairly good spatial recognition and eye-hand coordination, which you may have already developed as a skill if you have experience with those things.
- What kind of work could you see yourself doing with this skill? There are many video jobs for drone pilots such as filming for cars, boats, vacation destinations, real estate, movies, commercials, shows, etc. These skills could also pair nicely with more science related fields such as running Lidar to explore ruins or archaeological sites, taking samples of air quality, taking field measurements of plants, animals, etc. Drones are also used for espionage and military operations.
- If you have ever experienced VR, do you get motion sickness easily? I have a pretty strong stomach when it comes to boats, but some VR experiences can make me motion sick quite quickly and it can last almost all day. There are tricks to avoiding this, and people can build a tolerance to the symptoms.
- Where do drone pilots "hang out?" You might consider looking for retail stores where you could meet other pilots, learn which companies in your area shop there regularly. You could also look for online forums for drone pilots to try and meet some people who do this type of work and learn from them about where to find jobs. Keep an eye out for conventions, meet-ups, or reach out to specific drone companies to inquire where you could learn more.
I don't have experience with this field directly, but I would imagine that what the work looks like is highly dependent on the role. These jobs likely involve a lot of time traveling and being "in the field," taking direction from creative directors, and viewing storyboards to understand what kind of specific video shots or data is required. It probably involves a fair amount of mechanical repair and technical troubleshooting, and occasionally searching for and recovering drones when they don't make it back. If you enjoy the outdoors, technology, and visually creative pursuits, being a drone pilot may be a good fit for you.