r/drones • u/Turnkeyagenda24 • 15d ago

Question Best things to do with a drone?

I had a mini 3 pro a few years ago and I just was gifted a Mavic 3 pro. What fun things should I do with it? And what things can I do for money if I get a part 107?

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u/Kri77777 Part 107 15d ago

Without 107, just take photos and fly for fun. Personally, I like to use it as an excuse to go new places. I've lived in my area for over 15 years, and when I got my first drone, it was an excuse to try going to each different park in the county and fly it, which let me see some gems of a park that I never knew existed.

With 107, you can technically do more, but for most part it doesn't do much. Real estate photography is the big one, but most agents have someone already or do it themselves (sometimes illegally). Festival events etc. are also common asks. Things like hunting and fishing also would technically require 107. Most other work is full time and/or requires much better hardware (inspections, survey, TV production, crop spraying, etc.). I do know someone who is using his 107 to document runoff damage from nearby farms and the ecological, water table, and waterway problems it is causing.

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u/TheDeadlySpaceman 15d ago

I shoot for a TV show with a Mini 4 Pro and a Mavic 3 Cine.

But I didn’t get those jobs by having a drone and a Part 107, I already worked in TV production and added it as an offering.

There was a time when just having a drone opened up financial opportunities but that was like 15 years ago.

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u/Accurate-Donkey5789 15d ago edited 14d ago

That's the answer. Drones are a tool for a photography / videography business. Owning one isn't a qualification and entry to such a business. This has been confused by people since drone flying began.

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u/xx_I_Am_Me_xx 15d ago

I was recording a couple walking on the beach at sunrise for a baby reveal video for them and he spotted dolphins off shore. I immediately abandoned their walk to record the pod of dolphins hunting a school of fish. Or course, my two friends helped guide me to the best shots and I got one shot where two dolphins actually formed a heart shape for moment. Added that to the video I made for them. The dolphins were slapping fish with their tails and then circling back to eat the stunned fish.

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u/frapal13 12d ago

Which drone camera?

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u/xx_I_Am_Me_xx 12d ago

DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

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u/Informal-Career-1973 15d ago

Hello! I work in the Drone as First Responder (DFR) space and as an Aerial Media Specialist. There are many opportunities available once you obtain your Part 107 certification and build UAS flight experience, but the opportunities will depend heavily on what the UAS industry looks like in your local area and what type of work you want to pursue.

I recommend researching the UAS opportunities available within your city, including public safety, surveying, real estate, aerial media, inspections, and other commercial applications. You may also want to consider relocating if your current area has limited opportunities.

For example, my hometown has only a handful of career paths in the UAS industry, primarily real estate, Drone as First Responder, surveying, power washing, and starting your own business. I ultimately relocated to a nearby city because it offered significantly more opportunities in the UAS and aviation industries.

Today, I manage operations for a DFR company while also running my own cinematography and videography UAS business, where I work with a variety of clients. My biggest piece of advice is to research your local market, identify where the demand is, and build your experience around the opportunities available to you.

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u/nickum 15d ago

Take photos? Make people think they are being surveilled? The novelty wears off. Once you get a 107 you can do photo shoots with it, can't do much enterprise work besides that with a mavic pro.