im asking because im trying to figure out the best way to build up a portfolio and get some experience with actual paid jobs. ive done a couple shoots for friends basically for free just to practice but at some point i need to start charging real rates and i dunno if these platforms help with that or just train clients to expect cheap work

my buddy who does wedding videography says the feast or famine thing is just part of freelance life and you get used to it, but drone work feels even more weather dependent than regular video so idk. i live in the midwest so winters are basically a dead zone for outdoor shoots anyway.

curious if anyone has actually made the jump to doing this full time and what it actually looks like day to day. not just the flying part but like finding clients, dealing with contracts, all that stuff nobody talks about. is real estate even worth focusing on or should i be trying to get into construction or infrastructure inspections instead

part of me feels like taking the staff job is like giving up on the freelance dream but the rational side of me knows steady money is steady money. im 31 with a kid so the stakes feel different than they did when i started. just curious if anyone has gone the in-house route and whether they regretted it or found it limiting creatively or whatever. the construction stuff wouldnt be the most exciting flying but i imagine id get really good at the technical side of things

the thing is i dont really know anyone whos done it successfully. like everyone i talk to either says go for it or says the market is saturated and you wont make rent. i have a Mavic 3 Pro and recently picked up a used Autel for inspections but im not sure if my gear is even the right stuff to be competitive. mostly asking people who have actually tried to make a go of it whether its realistic or if im romanticizing the whole thing

i have a pretty solid background flying, comfortable with waypoint missions, done some basic photogrammetry work. have a Mavic 3 Enterprise right now which i know might not be the right tool for serious inspection work but its what i have. just trying to figure out if this is even a realistic path or if its one of those things that sounds accessible but is actually really locked down to big operators with fleets of M300s and dedicated sales teams

im at a point where i'm seriously considering whether i could make this a real income thing or at least a solid side hustle. i work a desk job right now that i genuinely dont hate but also dont love, and i keep thinking about what it would look like to actually build something around this. i live in a mid-size city in the midwest so its not like im in a huge market but there are definitely developers and construction companies around.

has anyone actually made the transition to full or part-time freelance drone work? what did your first year look like honestly? im not expecting anyone to sugarcoat it

i've never really done a proper job interview in the drone world before, all my work has been word of mouth or through Dronebase and similar platforms. so im trying to figure out what questions i should be asking them versus just letting them drive the whole conversation. like what does a staff position at a company like that actually look like day to day, what equipment would they expect me to be flying, do they provide gear or expect me to bring my own... i have no idea what's normal here. anyone been through something like this or work in that kind of environment

my main worry is the slow seasons. i live in the midwest so winter basically kills outdoor shoots for like 3-4 months. i dont know if theres enough other work to fill that gap ? construction progress stuff maybe, or inspections? i looked into the inspection side a little but it seems like you need way more experience and probably better equipment than my mavic 3.

anyone here actually made the leap to full time freelance and can talk honestly about whether it pays the bills? not looking for the "follow your dreams" answer, more like what the actual numbers look like day to day

i dont have a ton of portfolio stuff yet which is part of why i went low, figured id rather get the experience and have something to show. but i also dont want to set a bad precedent for myself. they mentioned they might want to do this quarterly which is great but also means if i lowball now im kind of stuck. anyway just wanted to share i guess, any thoughts on pricing for this kind of thing would be appreciated. im in a mid-size midwest city if that matters

my day job is fine, nothing special, pays the bills. but i spend way more mental energy thinking about drone stuff than anything i do at work. i just dont know if the market is there enough to sustain it or if im romanticizing it. the real estate stuff is okay money but its kind of feast or famine depending on the housing market which right now is just weird.

has anyone here actually made the jump? like fully quit their job and gone into this. i guess im wondering what work actually pays consistently vs what sounds good in theory. ive heard inspection work is where the real money is but i have zero experience in that area and not sure how you even break in

did anyone here actually start from scratch with no connections and figure it out? what actually worked for you vs what felt like a waste of time. im not expecting to go full time anytime soon just want to get some actual paid work to build from

i dont have unrealistic expectations i think, i know its not just flying around all day and cashing checks. but i genuinely dont know what the realistic ceiling looks like for someone who isnt in a major metro area. im in a mid-size town in the midwest, theres some agriculture around, a few construction companies, that kind of thing. anybody here actually made the jump to doing this full time or close to it? what did that actually look like for you in the early days

like do you need to already be working in utilities or engineering to get these gigs or can you come in purely as a drone operator and learn the rest. i have my 107 and about 400 hours logged but all of it is photography and video work, nothing industrial. just trying to figure out if its realistic to pivot or if these companies really want someone who already knows the technical side of what theyre inspecting

i keep seeing people online claiming they make crazy money but then i also know guys who gave it a real shot and kind of burned out or couldnt get consistent work. im in a mid-sized city, not a huge market but not tiny either. mostly thinking real estate, some construction progress stuff, maybe weddings if i can stomach the pressure of that.

is there a point where it just clicks and the work comes in consistently or is it always this feast or famine thing? genuinely dont know if i should quit my day job or just keep this as a side thing for now

part of me is really tempted because freelancing is exhausting in ways people dont talk about ? chasing invoices, dealing with last minute cancellations, the whole thing. but i also kind of like being my own boss and the salary they mentioned is actually less than what i made last year gross. obvously gross isnt the same as take home but still. has anyone gone from freelance to staff and either loved it or regretted it? the role would involve a lot of LiDAR and photogrammetry work which i find genuinely interesting so thats a plus

last month was great, had like 5 jobs and made more than my weekly salary. month before that was basically dead. i know seasonality is a thing but i dont really know how to plan around it. does anyone here actually do this as their main income? how long did it take before it felt stable? and is there a type of work that tends to be more consistent ? like should i be pushing harder into inspections or mapping instead of media stuff?

the main thing that makes me nervous is the airspace situation ? most venues are either in controlled airspace or have weird temporary restrictions and every time i look it up its a different answer depending on the day. got authorization both times through laanc but it felt like i was cutting it close on the timeline. also not sure what to charge, my buddy just gave me like 200 bucks each time which felt low but i didnt want to make it weird since hes the one with the client relationship.

curious if anyone does this regularly and how they handle the logistics and pricing side of it.

like what does a typical month even look like for someone who does this as their main income? do you have a handful of regular clients or is it always chasing new work? i dont mind the hustle side of it but i also have a mortgage and a kid so i cant just wing it (no pun intended). would love to hear from anyone whos actually made the jump and whether they regret it or not.

but lately ive been thinking more seriously about whether this is actually a career path. im in my early 30s and my current job is fine but its not what i want to do forever. the drone stuff lights me up in a way that my office job just doesnt. i guess im looking for real stories from people who actually made the leap, not like inspirational posts about following your passion or whatever ? im talking logistics. how did you get enough consistent work, did you specialize, did you have savings to fall back on, did it take years to feel stable. anything real would help

i got my part 107 last spring which i know is the main thing you need, and my gear is decent enough ? flying a mini 3 pro right now which i know some people say isnt good enough for professional work but the image quality seems fine to me? anyway im just wondering if anyone here actually does real estate drone work and whether its a sustainable side income or more of a hustle that never really takes off (no pun intended lol). also curious how you even find clients, like do you just cold call agencies or is there a better way to get in the door

curious if anyone has had a better experience with these or if you just gave up on them and went direct. seems like every experienced pilot i talk to says go direct but easier said than done when you're still building a client list

the thing is i dont really know anyone who does this full time. like actually full time, not the "i make money on the side" thing. i keep seeing people on instagram claiming they travel the world and get paid for drone footage but that feels like the 1% of the 1%. is there actually a path here or am i romanticizing it. my bills are pretty manageable, no kids, rent is under 1k so its not like i need six figures to survive. just trying to get a realistic picture before i do something dumb

i have a Mavic 3 and i know thats not really the ideal tool for serious mapping work but its what ive got. im part 107 certified. my question is basically ? should i just be honest with them that im not super experienced with this specific type of work, or do i take it and figure it out as i go? i dont want to mess up their data and make a bad name for myself but also this could be a really good opportunity to break into a totally different side of the industry.

anyone dealt with something similar, jumping into a job type you werent fully prepared for?

the thing thats holding me back is i genuinely have no idea if the market is saturated or if there's still room for people to carve out a niche. i keep hearing conflicting stuff ? some guys say real estate is a race to the bottom price wise, other people say they're booked solid. i honestly cant tell whats true anymore.

anyone here actually quit their regular job to do this full time? how long did it take before it felt stable? im not asking for exact numbers just like... a general sense of whether it was worth the leap.

is there a specific platform thats actually worth using or is the direct client approach just always going to be better. i know a few guys who swear by networking locally and cold emailing real estate agencies which i should probably be doing more of anyway but figured id ask.