In the United States, the commercial use of drones is heavily regulated. Currently, both recreational use and commercial use are under the authority of the US Federal Aviation Authority.
What Are Commercial Drones Used for?
If your looking to incorporate drone technology into your business, first consider that the range of commerial drones vary widely according to the industry they have been designed for.
Drones for Inspections
Drones can be used for large-scale inspections, reaching areas that would normally require a helicopter. Oil companies for example use them to inspect pipes and infrastructure in far-flung areas at a reduced expense. The same can be done of towers, wind turbines, buildings, and manufacturing equipment.
With high-capacity cameras, these drones can take crystal-clear pictures and allow operators to identify problem areas without having to take unnecessary risks.
Larger commercial drones don’t tend to have the ‘smart’ features that domestic drones have like obstacle avoidance because they are designed to be flown at greater heights. This is something to check if you need your drone to fly indoors as it can collide with machinery or shelving. Also GPS doesn’t work well indoors such as factories and warehouses so look for other sensing technologies.
UAVs in Agriculture
Another industry that greatly benefits from drone use, farmers can quickly pinpoint problem areas in their farm or plantation.
Drone attachments can be used to locate drought areas or measure the water content of the soil. One commonly used feature is sprayers for fertiliser or pesticides, have a look at this article for more information.
If there are drainage issues, farmers can quickly find the problem spot and send the necessary help to their crops. It can also be used to assess the health of the crops, if they’re growing according to plan, and even if it’s already time for harvest.
Drones can also be used in agriculture to give farmers better oversight of their straying or injured animals can be located or even herded back to safety.
Some drones can be used to carry food or water into far-flung areas as needed.
DJI has released a couple of models specifically aimed at the agricultural industry such as the DJI Agras T16. This model measures about 2.5m wide when unfolded and can cover an area of 10 hectares per hour. It carries 16L of liquid for spraying at a rate of 4.8 litres per minute. The fertiliser or pesticide can be dispersed at a width of 6.5m from 18 sprinklers. The tank and batteries can be swapped out for continuous work.
For more, take a look at Farming Drones: What are drones used for in agriculture?
Real Estate Drone Photography
Real estate agents typically use drones for marketing purposes. The drones are flown over houses to tour potential buyers around the property. Giving a bird’s eye view of the house, buyers are more likely to appreciate a property that they can view as a whole.
Drones are also an interesting way to showcase parts of the house that are generally not seen on foot. For example, the pool or the yard are great selling points that can be better appreciated with a birds eye view.
A popular model for professional photographers is the DJI Mavic 2 Pro because of its portability and high quality camera. This drone was designed with great image quality in mind but also has intelligent flight features making it easy to fly. It can take 4K crystal clear video and the photography from this drones really shines when the manual setting are configured by an experienced photographer.
Drones used in Golfing
As with real estate, drones are a great way to market golf courses to enthusiasts. The extensive reach of the drone allows players to truly appreciate the large expanse of space. Golfers also appreciate as it contributes to their gameplay. Imagine being able to see the course ahead of you so that you can make appropriate adjustments to your strategy.
Professional golf tournaments also benefit from drone footage as it provides an eye view never seen before. Spectators are able to watch the game from practically any angle and players alike can use these videos to study how they play.
Wedding and Event Drone Photography
The current trend in weddings and special occasions today involve the use of drones to capture the moment. Being able to see a once-in-a-lifetime occasion from such an impressive vantage point somehow adds to the magic of the occasion.
The aerial shot is perfect for brides as they walk down the aisle, arrive in church, or are welcomed in their very own reception. It creates a more cinematic feel that adds to the joy of the occasion.
Drones can be used in practically any event involving large gatherings of people. Sports contests, concerts, and rallies; all of these special moments can now be safely captured by drone pilots.
Drone Security
Considering they were first used for military purposes, it’s not surprising that drones are now used for security. Specifically, they can be used for surveillance such as watching over borders between farms or even countries. They can be launched in warzones to track enemies or to survey large concerts to help monitor the crowd.
When used correctly, these drones can quickly identify potential threats and pinpoint the exact location of trouble. This is all done with the help of a GPS locator and high-quality camera attached to the unit.
Search and Rescue with Drones
Although not exactly for commercial purposes, the use of drones in search and rescue situations are unparalleled. They help scan through forest fires or flooded areas and find people or animals that need to be rescued. Some drones can even carry water to help fight the fire.
This new approach doesn’t just help the victims but also the firefighters who can perform their job without added risk to themselves.
Drone technology is now even being used in home security. The Amazon Ring Always Home Cam is a drone security camera that can fly around your house to give you an instant first person view. This isn’t available freely to the public just yet but you can jump over to Amazon to request an invitation.
Other commercial applications of drones include land surveys, deliveries, and even insurance.
What License Do I Need to Fly a Drone Commercially
All drones need to be registered – and the pilot of the drone must have a license. This may vary from state to state but if you want to be on the safe side – make sure to have a license.
In the US this is called the Part 107 License/Certificate and can be used anywhere in the United States. Application can be done online and would take 4 to 6 weeks to acquire.
Just like with driving tests, you need to pass an exam in order to get your certificate. This commercial drone license costs around 500USD.
What Do I Need to Fly a Drone Commercially?
Other than the license, flying drones commercially also requires compliance with other regulations.
Here are some of the regulations you will learn while gaining your commercial drone license:
- The drone must be registered
- The drone must always be within the visual line of sight during flight. There are some exceptions here, however.
- You must only fly in airspace Class G.
- The drone must be equipped with anti-collision light when flown during low-light weather or at night.
- Flight must remain below 400 feet and under 100mph.
- Drones must give way to manned aircraft.
Of course, those are just some of the restrictions that drone pilots have to know before flying off the ground.
How Much is a Commercial Drone?
Commercial drones are significantly more expensive than their recreational counterparts. This is because they’re equipped with better facilities to match the commercial needs of their end-user. For this reason, commercial drones can cost as much as 3000USD, depending on the brand.
How Much Is Commercial Drone Insurance?
As with any other asset, drones for commercial use are best covered by insurance. The value of the coverage varies depending on the level of coverage and type of use.
Drone insurance typically ranges from 500USD to 750USD per year. While this may seem excessive, sufficient coverage can actually help protect your business.
