How Can Drone U Help You Learn Accident Reconstruction? Our caller for today, Marcus has come up with an interesting question that has not been asked on Ask Drone U before. Marcus’s question is about drone accident reconstruction. Specifically, Marcus wishes to know how Drone U can help him master this specific skill set? On today’s show, we share some interesting details about our PROPS program. PROPS LEO is an extensive Drone U course that covers Part 107, public safety, and accident reconstru...
Oct 30, 2021•41 min
Happy Halloween, folks! But today's show is not about trick or treating or putting on your scariest costumes. We have an important update to share today. A massive solar storm is expected to hit the United States anytime now. Now, if you are like most people, you are probably wondering, "How can that possibly affect me as a drone pilot?" Valid question. This solar storm may impact GPS signals which can majorly disrupt many of your drone operations. So in case you are planning on taking to the sk...
Oct 30, 2021•5 min
Drone U Members! Don’t miss this special, Members-Only show with long-time DU member and advanced drone pilot, Tom Powers. The main topics for today’s show are pricing and strategies for maximizing business revenues. It is difficult to get real-world, accurate insights about these topics. And so, we are grateful to Tom for helping the community. Specifically, this is what you will learn today: What should I charge? (Pricing strategies for advanced drone pilots. Tom reveals EXACTLY how much he ch...
Oct 27, 2021
New MacBook Pro – A Boon for Content Makers, FCC Places Greater Restrictions on DJI, Heavy-Lift Drones Our first story is about the latest Macbook Pro launch by Apple and if the new laptop will suit content makers with its latest features and updates. Our second news story is about the ongoing tussle between DJI and the US government. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the agency should take steps toward adding the world’s largest drone manufacturer to the “Covered List”. Typically, communicatio...
Oct 25, 2021•15 min
New Additions to Blue sUAS List Gives a Fillip to American Drone Manufacturers, Police Drones – Chula Vista PD to use AirData, Drone Delivery Updates Our first story is particularly heartening for American drone manufacturers. Will the addition of 5 new manufacturers to the Blue sUAS list ease up availability and boost the American drone market? Our next story is about police drones. To ensure transparency, the Chula Vista Police Department has started using AirData to store and access informati...
Oct 22, 2021•26 min
Drone Rules and Regulations - How to Interpret Them and Effectively Communicate with Law Enforcement Officers Today's show is about drone rules and regulations, and how to correctly interpret them. Our caller for today, Donald if in a fix. He wants to be a responsible, law-abiding drone pilot. But like many, he is confused by the airspace regulation language that is open to multiple interpretations. You will learn how to perform an intelligent risk/reward assessment so that you can determine whe...
Oct 14, 2021•15 min
How to Land Your Dream Contracts and Cash in MASSIVE profits from your Drone Business On today's show, we have Drone U student, Kevin Lederer who shares with us his exact success formula using which he landed his dream drone job with Amazon. Some years back, Kevin was sitting where you are right now - flying drones on the weekend, and doing a full-time job that he did not exactly love. He did not have the skills or any prior business background , or anything related to this current success. Howe...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 3 min
How to Prevent Data Loss and Recover Lost Pointcloud Data in Pix4D Today's show is about processing your drone mapping data. Specifically, we talk about recovering pointcloud data in Pix4D. Our caller for today, Martin, is unable to recover pointcloud data in Pix4D, and would like to know the best way forward. We reveal the exact Pix4D workflow to help Martin out. If you are a drone mapper frustrated with data loss, today's show will particularly help you out. Tune in now! Get Your Biggest and M...
Oct 08, 2021•6 min
Drone U Instructor, Tom Powers Opens Up His Business Playbook - Tune in to Learn How to Grow and Scale Your Drone Business by Executing Incredibly Lucrative Residential Mapping Projects Today’s show is a special one as we have Drone U Instructor, Tom Powers sharing with us his distilled wisdom on drone mapping, and growing and scaling a drone business. You will learn how demand for drone mapping has gone through the roof in recent times. Specifically, we talk about a specific drone use case with...
Oct 06, 2021•21 min
Drone Mapping Software Recommendations - Pix4D vs. Maps Made Easy Today's show is about different drone mapping software alternatives. Pix4D is widely considered the gold standard of drone mapping. But, are there any other options that are equally good yet more affordable? Our caller for today, Christian is wondering if there are any affordable alternatives to Pix4D. To help him out, we discuss another drone mapping software, Maps Made Easy. You will learn about the features and capabilities of ...
Oct 04, 2021
Getting Started in Drone Mapping, Recommended Mapping Workflows, Pix4D vs. DroneDeploy vs. CaptureReality Today's show is about starting and scaling a drone mapping business even if you are a limited budget. Our caller for today, Brandon wishes to move to drone mapping - an industry vertical which can be incredibly lucrative for drone pilots possessing the right skillsets. But, Brandon wishes to make this foray without making a large upfront capital investment. From data acquisition to processin...
Sep 29, 2021•21 min
Drone Business Secrets REVEALED - Interview with Drone U Student, Glenn Labay Today's show is a special one as we interview Glenn Labay of Aerial Camera Services LLC who shares with us his distilled wisdom on growing and scaling a drone business. Glenn, a Drone U student owns a thriving aerial photography and videography business. He reflects back on his entrepreneurial journey and reveals some of the biggest things that have helped him find success. You will learn how to develop advanced flying...
Sep 25, 2021•35 min
How to Unlock Your DJI Drone, Get Necessary Flight Waivers (Without Hacking or LAANC) Today's show is about getting flight approvals without going through DJI's application system or LAANC. Our caller for today, Jared, would like to custom hack his DJI drone so that he does not have to deal with DJI red zones. On today's show, we reveal various alternatives to help Jared out. Specifically, you will learn how you can get your authorization through night-time waivers, and DJI certificates. Tune in...
Sep 23, 2021•25 min
How to Buy the Best Enterprise-Level Drone for Mapping and Inspections Without Overshooting Your Budget Today's show is about purchasing the right drone for your business. Can you find a capable enterprise-level drone even if you are a tight budget? Our caller for today, Cody needs help purchasing a good drone for inspections, thermal imaging, and 3D mapping. He wants to create exceptional deliverables for his client without exceeding his budget. That's a tough ask, but certainly not an impossib...
Sep 21, 2021•20 min
How to License an Image - Inking Contractual Agreements, and How to Handle Violations Today's show is about licensing rights of videos and images and how owners can ensure rights are not violated. Our caller for today, Kent needs help with photography licensing. Specifically, he is wondering how he can enforce the license, and the steps to take in case of violations. On today's show, you will learn about the different kinds of photo licensing agreements, so that you can ink an agreement that sui...
Sep 16, 2021•23 min
Important Pre-Flight Checks for Drone Batteries Today's show is about drone batteries and how pilots can check their drone batteries to ensure a safe flight. Our caller for today, Carcherri would like to know what are some of the most important pre-flight checks for batteries. To help him out, we share important battery configurations and reveal how you accurately assess flight time. Do not miss this one! Get Your Biggest and Most Common Drone Certificate Questions Answered by Downloading this F...
Sep 15, 2021•15 min
How to Fly Your Drone In The Rain | Little Known Drone Maintenance Tips to Help You Out Today's show is about flying your drone in the rain. You will also learn some drone maintenance tips to keep your drone safe and in top flying condition. Our caller for today, Rob has come up with a great question that has not been asked on Ask Drone U before. Rob's question is about flying your drone in the rain. Specifically, what should you do if it starts raining mid-flight? Is it prudent to complete your...
Sep 13, 2021•12 min
Can You Run a Large Drone Business With a Beginner DJI Drone Like the Mavic Air 2? Today's show is about the Mavic Air 2. Can you run a large drone business using a beginner DJI drone like the Mavic Air 2? Our caller for today, Gary from NY flies a Mavic Air 2. But he is planning on upgrading to a larger, more expensive drone since he cannot take on many of the lucrative jobs out there. On today's show, you will learn how your drone can impact your ability to grow and scale your business to the ...
Sep 10, 2021
Drone Props - Everything You Need to Know Today's show is about drone props. What are some of the telltale signs which help you determine that it's time to change your propellers? Our caller for today, Kit has come up with a question that has not been asked on ADU before. Kit is wondering whether the newly-designed drone props are superior and have a longer life span compared to their predecessors. You will learn how to determine the life of your props by listening to the sound generated by your...
Sep 09, 2021•15 min
FAA Sued for Illegal Remote ID | Lawsuit Outcome to Impact UAS Policy, UTM, and UAS Integration Today's show is about RaceDayQuads, a hobby shop with a large financial stake in the sUAS do-it-yourself world, filing a lawsuit against FAA over Remote ID. They argue that Remote ID violates Constitutional guarantees. RaceDayQuads sued the FAA in April early 2021 and filed the above arguments on August 4, 2021. Next, the FAA will reply to the argument in writing, which is due September 3, 2021. Then,...
Sep 08, 2021•1 hr 36 min
Listen To This Before Updating Your Drone Firmware Today's show is about drone firmware updates. Our caller for today, Sanford is an avid ADU listener and is aware of Paul's reluctance to update the firmware on his drone. Since we have not discussed this topic for quite some time now, Sanford is wondering whether or not Paul has changed his stance on this topic. We get straight to the point by sharing the different implications of a firmware update on today's show. You will surely learn a lot in...
Sep 07, 2021•8 min
The Future of Drone Technology and How Innovations Can Fuel Explosive Growth Today's show is about the future of drone technology and how innovations can fuel explosive growth. Our caller for today, Ahmad is pursuing his Masters in Innovation and is keen on being a part of the nascent drone industry by taking the start-up route. Today's show is an engaging one as Rob and Paul bounce ideas and speculate about the next industry growth triggers. Topics discussed include the drone battery, propulsio...
Sep 01, 2021•29 min
Tackling Criticism, Building a Strong Mindset, Taking Failure in Your Stride and much, much more... Today's show is about tackling criticism as a drone business owner. Entrepreneurship is lonely. And so, handling failure and criticism can be exponentially more difficult for drone service providers running small businesses. And our caller for today, Tom has come up with a very relevant question that has not been asked on the show before. Drawing from their combined business experience of more tha...
Aug 31, 2021•30 min
AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2021, DragonFish - Autel's New Drone, DJI Geofencing Issues, Lemur S by BRINC, DJI News, Drone News In the seventh edition of Drone Life News, Paul and Miriam McNabb of DroneLife and JobforDrones discuss some of the latest and most exciting news from the world of drones. Our biggest story this week is about the AUVSI Xponential 2021 conference in Atlanta. This was Miriam's first attendance at a drone conference after the pandemic, and she has some interesting updates to share wi...
Aug 28, 2021•17 min
Drone Insurance Recommendations - Listen Now to Mitigate Risk, and Protect Yourself Against Liabilities Today's show is about drone insurance. Buying the right insurance is important for mitigating risk and protecting yourself against personal liabilities. On today's show, we have Nolan and Chris who need help with purchasing the right insurance for their drone business. Some of the topics that we cover on today's show: What is the advantage of buying whole insurance? Should you cover your drone...
Aug 26, 2021•32 min
Expert Tips for Flying Drone Over Water Today's show is all capturing videos while flying over water that casts a spell on your audience and the settings required to fly your drone safely over water. Our caller for today, Derek would love to know all about flying over water so that he can pursue wakeboard surfing videography. And with his years of experience in filming water sports, who better than Paul to answer this question. Topics discussed on today's show include the best drones for flying ...
Aug 14, 2021•19 min
How to Plan out a Linear Drone Mapping Project Today's show is all linear drone mapping projects. What is the best and most efficient workflow for such complex projects? Our caller for today, Gabe is working on a linear drone mapping project that involves mapping a long stretch of 30 kilometers. Gabe would like to know how he can execute this project while complying with all regulatory requirements of LOS. Additionally, Gabe also has some interesting questions pertaining to data loss and choosin...
Aug 13, 2021•17 min
AIRT-Droneresponder 2021 Survey Results, DJIs Dominance in Public Safety, Infrastructure bills Support US-Made Drones, Amazon Drone Delivery In the sixth edition of Drone Life News, Paul and Miriam McNabb of DroneLife and JobforDrones discuss some of the latest and most exciting news from the world of drones. Our biggest story this week is about the 2021 AIRT-DroneResponder survey. AIRT, a leading 501(c)3 non-profit organization conducted this exhaustive survey which explores the use of unmanned...
Aug 12, 2021•16 min
Best Practices for Drone Mapping and Using Pix4D Today's show is about drone mapping and Pix4D. Our caller for today, Trav wants to know how he can overcome some of the challenges that he facing while using Pix4D. To help Trav out, we first re-explain the basics. You will learn how to choose the right acquisition strategy so that you can build more accurate 3D models. Next, you will learn about point cloud editing and clean-up. Additionally, Paul also reveals when you need to re-do the steps whi...
Aug 11, 2021•12 min
What Does the Future Hold for the Drone Service Provider and Small Enterprise? Today's show is about what the future holds for the small drone service provider. Considering the challenges and risks involved, is it really worthwhile to consider drone flying as a full-time career? Our caller for today, Scott is skeptical about the future prospects of the small drone service provider. With large corporations assembling drone teams of their own, is it really worthwhile for a drone service provider t...
Aug 09, 2021•26 min
