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Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about finding a mentor in the drone industry. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I passed my FAA Aeronautical Exam! Now what? How can I get a mentor? How do I know where to begin or get experience? I’m overwhelmed. Can you help?
Congratulations on passing your FAA Aeronautical Exam! That’s a huge accomplishment, and it means you’re well on your way to having a career in drones. But it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed now.
All of those examples involve actualling using drones, but then there are tons of other career paths that revolve around drones, but don’t necessitate you actually flying them. One of the most in-demand jobs in the drone industry is software engineer, though companies are also hiring in fields like marketing and sales.
Alas, I’ve likely overwhelmed you with potential directions that you could go. That’s all despite you clearly stating that the options overwhelmed you. Alas! My bad.
Wedding photography is a fairly low barrier to entry way to launch a career in drones.
Ways to find a drone mentor
So as you’ve said yourself, finding a mentor can be a great way to get on the right path. There are a few great ways to go about it:
Engage in online drone communities and forums
There are tons of drone forums, including from the major drone retailers like DJI. Many of these communities have dedicated sections for mentorship and finding flying buddies.
Some are more niche, dedicated to certain demographics or regions. For women, one of the best organizations is Women and Drones. Women and Drones is known for its annual Women in Emerging Aviation Technology Awards, as well as its Hall of Fame (of which I am gratefully a member). The organization’s weekly online Coffee Connections series hosted by Desi Ekstein features a different spotlight speaker each time.
“Their weekly Coffee Connection with Desiree Ekstein is a great way to learn the latest in drones from experts in their fields,” said Loretta Alkalay, who is a New York-based aviation attorney and professor.. “Once you have a feel for the jobs that are out there, you can connect with people in that field and maybe see what internships are available.”
Join professional societies
There’s no shortage of professional societies that have their own built-in mentoring platforms.
Elena Major, who works in operations and membership for UK trade operation ARPAS-UK, recommends The Royal Aeronautical Society, which is the world’s only professional membership association dedicated to the aerospace and aviation industry. The organization recently extended its scope to include the drone industry, and it’s also got a mentoring platform for women called Alta. Though membership entails an application (and application fee) plus hefty annual dues, there are free student and apprentice membership tiers for qualified applicants.
Use social media to reach out to experts you admire
If you’re interested in working with a specific person, simply reach out online. An aerial photographer might be best reachable via Instagram, while an industrial pilot might be best found on LinkedIn.
Sure, there’s no guarantee the potential mentor responds, but it can be worth a shot.
Isabelle Nyroth, who successfully founded Swedish drone consultancy group Yvarbrims, said she’s always been happy to help people who approach her on LinkedIn asking for advice on next steps in pursuing a career in drones
“It can be intimidating to approach someone online if you don’t know where to start or what to ask, but a good place to start is to connect with someone that you look up to and just ask for a 5-minute chat,” she said.
Emily Andreu, who runs a drone Instagram account called @thedroneprincess, found success connecting with other drone pilots on Instagram. For example, after another pilot she admired commented on one of her posts, she messaged him back.
Since then, he’s helped her with editing and setting up shots.
Network with other professionals nearby
The most successful drone businesses often get more requests for work than they can take on. Sometimes, networking with people who do the work you’re interested in doing can be a smart way to land gigs. For example, Andreu said she connected with another drone pilot who was teaching local drone flying courses.
“He passed some jobs off to me because I was certified,” she said.
Let it happen organically
Sometimes, spending enough time in the drone industry — including attending drone events in-person — makes it possible to find informal mentors. And often, the mentors found organically can be the best.
Don’t overlook mentors outside the drone industry
While it can seem logical to hook up with a mentor who is successful in the drone industry, sometimes the best mentors know nothing about drones.
Diana Casetti, who specializes in real estate, demolition and construction aerial videography, recommends (and has personally used) SCORE. SCORE is an organization specifically designed to support small businesses in the U.S. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offers a range of small business services including free mentoring, webinars and workshops.
“They will meet with you at a frequency that works for you and guide you through running a small business,” she said. “Mine has connected me to other drone operators locally that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. We share ideas and support each other.”
I’ve got a drone mentor, now what?
Having a drone mentor on its own won’t guarantee you success in drones. It’s a good step, but it’ll require you to do the legwork. And yes, the leg work often means approaching the mentor-mentee relationship thoughtfully.
For starters, be transparent about what you can offer as a mentee. While you likely wouldn’t pay a mentor, be cognizant about how you can reciprocate and support their business, too.
“All healthy relationships must be mutually beneficial & respectful,” said Fiona Lake, an Australian professional photographer.
Carys Keiser, who works as a drone pilot and camera operator, recommends setting clear expectations from both parties.
“If someone approached me and asked me to mentor them, I’d ask them what they wanted and how I might be able to help,” she said.
Additionally, approach a mentor who can specifically address your challenges. For example, since Keiser specializes in using drones for TV film shoots, she says she typically can best support people in aspects of the industry like technology and law. She also said that as a mentee, you should be able to support the person mentoring you, too.
“Being a mentor or a mentee should be rewarding for both parties, and it should have clear set goals and boundaries,” she said. “The natural occurrence of a mentorship is that the mentor recognises the potential and enthusiasm in the person they’re mentoring. That reward for the mentor usually occurs when paths cross through work or training situations.”
You can fly the Air 3 at night, both recreationally and commercially in the US, if you affix anti-collision lights that can be seen from a distance of 3 statute miles.
Lockheed Martin Ventures Invests in Meteomatics: Revolutionizing Weather Forecasting with High-Resolution Models and Hyperlocal Drones Today, Meteomatics, the pioneering weather intelligence and technology firm, disclosed the successful closure of a strategic funding round with Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT). This strategic investment marks a significant step in Meteomatics’ […]
The Federal Aviation Administration’s B4UFly program just got a major overhaul — and it now involves four B4UFly approved service providers. Up until now, the B4UFly program entailed a single desktop and mobile application powered by a private drone company called Aloft.
But Aloft’s role in powering B4UFLY is no more. Now, there are different companies providing B4UFLY services through their own desktop and mobile applications, rather than one tied specifically to the FAA. As of the Feb. 1, 2024 relaunch, there are four of them. Those four are:
Airspace Link
AutoPylot
Avision
UAS Sidekick
All four B4UFly approved service providers offer apps for iOS and Android. Additionally, all three except AutoPylot currently offer desktop apps.
So what do you get when you use one of these four B4UFly approved service providers? Each will offer:
Information about controlled airspace, special use airspace, critical infrastructure, airports, national parks and military training routes.
Information about Temporary Flight Restrictions for special events.
Clear status indicators that show whether it is safe to fly or not (e.g. a visual clearly showing that flying around Washington, D.C. is prohibited).
Informative, interactive maps with filtering options.
The ability to check whether it is safe to fly in different locations by searching for a location or moving the location pin.
Links to other FAA drone resources.
Additionally, the FAA requires that all services offer free access to B4UFly services — all without even needing to hand over a login or make an account in order to be able to access flight information.
But beyond that, each service provider has their own unique spin. All have monetization goals (hey, that’s business). But all those monetization strategies are different. One sells insurance. Many target enterprise drone operators via more robust software offerings via paid subscription models. All are based in the U.S.
Here’s what to know about the 4 B4UFly approved service providers:
What they do: Airspace Link builds digital infrastructure to integrate drones into the national airspace. In short, they’re working on a system to build a type of air traffic control service for drones. You might know them from their AirHub Portal, which is a free app that targets both recreational and Part 107 pilots to help them understand their airspace, plan their operations and quickly apply for authorization when flying in controlled airspace through the LAANC program.
Other ways they monetize their business: For the enterprise tier, their big business is AirHub Insights for Business. The program ingests data sets including Esri GIS data, authoritative data sets from federal, state and local governments, and proprietary third parties. It then is able to turn a mass of data into what in theory are more actionable insights to inform planning, decision making and operations. Airspace Link also has a system designed for state and local governments.
What they do: AutoPylot offers all-in-one flight planning for drone pilots by way of putting airspace, LAANC, weather, and mission management data in one place. One of their big differentiators is bringing in detailed, flight-specific weather conditions including flight variables, hourly forecasts, 10-day forecasts and visual wind/precipitation maps.
Other ways they monetize their business: Their other business venture is offering drone insurance. Though federal or state law does not require that you hold drone insurance to fly drones in the U.S., some clients might require it. AutoPylot itself is not a licensed insurance broker. Instead, it partners with insurance giant Allianz to sell insurance coverage. Allianz offers that insurance through Brokery, LLC and it starts at $44 per month or $450 per year.
What they do: Avision builds a web and mobile application for drone operations management. Avision has integrated both LAANC and B4UFLY into the app, which is helpful if you need to receive approval to fly in controlled airspace (under 400’).
Other ways they monetize their business: Avision’s bread and butter is focusing on commercial and government customers. With that, Avision offers another product called Avision UTM. That system is basically a much more advanced version of the free app. It integrates with FAA / ANSP systems, Supplemental Data Service Providers (SDSPs), Public Safety and other USSs. With such robust data, it’s able to display operation volumes as four-dimensional (4D) shapes. That can be useful in enabling Avision USS to de-conflict operations prior to and during the flight, which can be critical for certain types of drone flights.
What they do: UAS Sidekick is an app for commercial or hobby pilots to submit LAANC, NOTAM’s or UOA’s to the FAA and Flight Service. Though the app is largely centered around a subscription model, UAS Sidekick doesn’t actually require that you have a subscription to access the B4UFly aspect. That’s because B4UFLY interactivity is available on its website prior to logging in — should you choose not to make an account.
Other ways they monetize their business: That same app does heavily emphasize a subscription model. With no subscription, you’re basically just getting B4UFly services. From there, there’s a free trial, which allows you to file three flight plans. If you need more than three, you’ll need to subscribe with a monthly, six-month or yearly option.
What else to know about the revamped B4UFly program
The FAA’s B4UFLY service is designed to show where recreational flyers can and cannot fly drones. After all, given the number of sometimes random airspace restrictions, it can be complicated for a novice drone pilot to know if they can even fly in their own backyard at times.
Each of the four companies named above as B4UFly approved service providers are also FAA-approved UAS Service Suppliers of the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability. That’s perhaps not surprising, given that being a LAANC provider was a requirement first before being able to become an approved LAANc provider.
What happened to Aloft?
As far as Aloft, the company that formerly powered the official FAA B4UFly app, they’re doing their own thing. While they’re still a LAANC UAS service provider, they’re now focused on their new app called Air Aware. That app is made in partnership with Pilot Institute. It’s a more robust than the app that Aloft was powering for the FAA.
Which of these B4UFly approved service providerswill you be using? Tell us why you chose that one in the comments below.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. successfully demonstrated an inflight release of its Advanced Air-Launched Effects (A2LE) platform, releasing an A2LE from the internal weapons bay of a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger Unmanned Aircraft System. The demonstration took place on Nov. 28, 2023, over Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, capping a manufacturing, structural test, and flight demonstration. GA-ASI’s […]
