Reporting "commercial" UAV use

[JoeyJoe]

How much do you think it costs to get a pilots license?

I do not know but I hear the $10k figure thrown around here a lot.
Don't get me wrong, $10k is not chump change but is it really that significant amount to cause someone to charge such a high price compared to someone who didn't pay for it?

In my opinion a pilot's license being required to fly a UAV seems so useless.
My father has a pilot's license and I would bet you money that his license would not contribute one little bit to his ability to fly my Inspire 1 or not.

 

[drewid20]

I do not know but I hear the $10k figure thrown around here a lot.
Don't get me wrong, $10k is not chump change but is it really that significant amount to cause someone to charge such a high price compared to someone who didn't pay for it?

In my opinion a pilot's license being required to fly a UAV seems so useless.
My father has a pilot's license and I would bet you money that his license would not contribute one little bit to his ability to fly my Inspire 1 or not.

I think it's useless as well but it doesn't mean I don't have to pay for it.

 

[JoeyJoe]

I think it's useless as well but it doesn't mean I don't have to pay for it.

I for sure agree with that.

 

[Ezookiel]

Gotta love arrogance. But I understand to a degree if in fact you had to pay $10,000.
Is that a government fee? If so, your government ripped you off badly and you should not stand for it.

About $2500 to a training organisation for the pilot certification, then about the same to get your paperwork prepared for the Operator certification, the up to $7000 to CASA to process the application, but that would be rare, most are around $3000-$5000



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[Ezookiel]

Are you saying that because you paid a handful of thousands of dollars and your competitor did not, he can undercut your price? Are you speaking from first hand knowledge?

No, we are saying it because we have that original setup cost PLUS ongoing liability insurance. No business is going to wear some $2500 a year in insurances without passing some of that through in what they charge.
Dicks without licences or insurance can definitely charge less than legitimate operators.


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[timax]

Your forgetting an operators licence on top of the pilots licence.
If you want to run a drone shooting business you need to hold an operators licence with associated insurances and then if you want to be a pilot then you need that licence also. If you only have a pilots licence then you need to fly for someone else who then charges the client and wears the cost of liability. More like 15k plus insurance which is not cheap. Then you have to do EVERYTHING by the book or is $800 per breach i think???? plus possible loss of licence.
Then you get people like KIWI NED on the other thread who owns magazines , shoots for himself without a licence and dosnt want to pay you anyway because he is getting away with it.

 

[JoeyJoe]

Your forgetting an operators licence on top of the pilots licence.
If you want to run a drone shooting business you need to hold an operators licence with associated insurances and then if you want to be a pilot then you need that licence also. If you only have a pilots licence then you need to fly for someone else who then charges the client and wears the cost of liability. More like 15k plus insurance which is not cheap. Then you have to do EVERYTHING by the book or is $800 per breach i think???? plus possible loss of licence.
Then you get people like KIWI NED on the other thread who owns magazines , shoots for himself without a licence and dosnt want to pay you anyway because he is getting away with it.

I can see this is a real touchy subject.

 

[DennisR]

If you live in the usa and paid 10k for a license to commercially fly a uav then you are a complete moron. There is no legally enforceable law regarding commercial uav flight in the usa at this time and when they do finalize and release the law it **** sure won't cost anywhere close to 10k to get one, guaranteed, lol!

And besides having a pilots license makes you no less likely to crash a uav into spectators than someone without one, so your point is completely invalid.

I live in Australia and thats what it costs here. We can get a remote controllers license for $4400 and then we cant fly unless we have the full license to operate. The reality is I earn over 33k a year in my commercial work as a one man band. I think you might be the moron.

 

[DennisR]

Gotta love arrogance. But I understand to a degree if in fact you had to pay $10,000.
Is that a government fee? If so, your government ripped you off badly and you should not stand for it.

Thats the cost in Australia. We have to sit the Private Pilot License exam and pass and thats months of study alone and $4400.

 

[andrew259]

In the UK if you fly commercially with no licence - it's a criminal conviction.


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[DennisR]

I do not know but I hear the $10k figure thrown around here a lot.
Don't get me wrong, $10k is not chump change but is it really that significant amount to cause someone to charge such a high price compared to someone who didn't pay for it?

In my opinion a pilot's license being required to fly a UAV seems so useless.
My father has a pilot's license and I would bet you money that his license would not contribute one little bit to his ability to fly my Inspire 1 or not.

Ummmm ... The license is not about talent. Its about knowing the rules and how to fly. How the aircraft operates and weather conditions. Navigation and how to use the radio and make flight plans.
Thats why there is so much to learn. Its the same rules as taking an airplane up for a cross country trip. There are places you cant go and places you have to follow the rules. You totally miss the point. if one of these drones hits a bird or something and falls out of the sky, it will kill some poor bastard if it hits them. Wake up. Its a lot different to just going to the local park and taking off but when you are over populated areas and have no respect for the rules, then you are a very dangerous idiot. Ask your father what would happen ton him if he was to head out over the city in a plane and never had a license.
To those of us that use a drone for a living 10K is petty cash when we know we will make money out of it. My inspire Pro will earn me at least $2000 a week so it doesn't matter. People spend hundreds of thousands on house or a brick and mortar business hoping to make 300k a year. I make that from a few cameras and computer. in Australia, its a lot of study and skill to get a pilots license. We have to sit the exam to fly a drone as well. The rules are the same. Just because we are not actually sitting in it doesn't make it less dangerous to some poor bugger that gets killed if one falls on him. I can tell you are young by your lack of common sense but theres a reason for everything. Common sense isn't so common anymore.

 

[drewid20]

Lets not forget all the extra work that comes with being legit. Filing flight plans, log books, etc.

 

[SultanGris]

I live in Australia and thats what it costs here. We can get a remote controllers license for $4400 and then we cant fly unless we have the full license to operate. The reality is I earn over 33k a year in my commercial work as a one man band. I think you might be the moron.

Read the first six words of my post you quoted. "If you live in the USA". Doesn't really apply to you now does it? Like I said, there is no enforceable law saying you need pilots license in the usa currently, if there is in your country then fair enough.

 

[DennisR]

Read the first six words of my post you quoted. "If you live in the USA". Doesn't really apply to you now does it? Like I said, there is no enforceable law saying you need pilots license in the usa currently, if there is in your country then fair enough.

I meant to say I earn over 330k a year. Its much different in our country. If you have no license then you will get in trouble. I was online tonight watching a video someone has taken here on the beach. great video and he made the effort of mentioning he was a hobbyist only. I think we will find out as most licensed people will dob him in. I will too.

 

[IrishSights]

Read the first six words of my post you quoted. "If you live in the USA". Doesn't really apply to you now does it? Like I said, there is no enforceable law saying you need pilots license in the usa currently, if there is in your country then fair enough.

The OP does refer to the US, however the subject raised is of interest to those resident in other countries and they have just as much right to post to this thread as anyone. It's good to get an international perspective on the subject as the debate develops. No harm done. Lighten up a bit Sultan. Is all good discussion.

 

[Robcurcio]

I'm spending the time and money to get a Pilot's license. file and wait for the exemption and take the risk of small aircraft flight. Why, because I was raised right. If I know of someone who is cheating and taking potential money from those who did it right. I'll **** sure report them and tell them to their face I did. I encourage you to try and "give me stitches'. I like that sort of thing.

 

[DennisR]

I'm spending the time and money to get a Pilot's license. file and wait for the exemption and take the risk of small aircraft flight. Why, because I was raised right. If I know of someone who is cheating and taking potential money from those who did it right. I'll **** sure report them and tell them to their face I did. I encourage you to try and "give me stitches'. I like that sort of thing.

Yes.. Im pretty proud I have my license. I will have no trouble telling anyone that I see flying illegally to their face i will dob them in. These drones are not toys and we need the rules. Im really afraid we will have thousands in the sky after Xmas and it will cause accidents and make the laws so much tougher.

 

[JoeyJoe]

Im really afraid we will have thousands in the sky after Xmas and it will cause accidents and make the laws so much tougher.

Do you sincerely believe that a "rule" or a law is gonna stop an idiot from being an idiot? Too funny.

 

[DennisR]

Do you sincerely believe that a "rule" or a law is gonna stop an idiot from being an idiot? Too funny.

What I meant was any idiots breaking the law is going to make it harder for those of us that fly for a living. They will end up banning them altogether. in the wrong hands, these are dangerous. The laws are tough enough in Australia now. They will only get tougher. You think its funny because you don't have a license to fly. You only make it hard for those that do. Get a brain. I personally will be out there reporting everyone that is flying illegally.

 

[JoeyJoe]

What I meant was any idiots breaking the law is going to make it harder for those of us that fly for a living. They will end up banning them altogether. in the wrong hands, these are dangerous. The laws are tough enough in Australia now. They will only get tougher. You think its funny because you don't have a license to fly. You only make it hard for those that do. Get a brain. I personally will be out there reporting everyone that is flying illegally.

I do not think idiots in control of a dangerous toy is funny at all. And make no mistake about it, it is a toy to me, and to lots of other people. That's not to say that its use should be taken lightly or without regard, because you can cause death with it if used improperly.
What I thought funny is that you seem to think that a law is going to stop an idiot from doing what he wants to do.

I truly feel for you guys that do this stuff for a living because it will only get tougher for you. Unfortunately, the idiots will make sure of it.

For the record, one of Merriam-Webster's definitions of a toy:
"something that an adult buys or uses for enjoyment or entertainment"