UK What industry for a new start?

[AstroM]

Hi.
I am working on my manual ops, and got dilemma what drone to go with and what work area to start with at beginning. I have setting out engineering course, and I am familiar with datas. However there is so many areas like photography, real estates, mapping, 3D, thermal inspections, agriculture NDIV, Photogrammetry and more. Just do know where to start and don't bankrupt while awaiting for first job.
My second question is: what drone to buy?
I like Inspire2 but there is lack of supporting apps ( pix4d etc.). If I go with that option I go semi pro with x4s camera. Or to buy inspire1 pro X5? ( the value will drop in few months, discontinued Gimbal, and Not sure is it worth to buy a dron which been killed by DJI itself. I have checked on matrice 100 and s1000+ but have not much knowledge. Thank you for your patience, I will appreciate any advice.

 

[Dr Jon]

Most of the areas you mentioned would be better suited by the new M200 as the camera on the !2 is only for photography. The M200 will be available end of second qtr 2017.

 

[AstroM]

Hi Dr Jon. Thank you for your reply. M200,210 or RTK will be a dream drone but it will come with at high price tag ( £7.5k at least) so going to be beyond my price range for beginning. I wonder there is more interest in videography than surveying solutions.

 

[Dr Jon]

Its a busy market. You need to find your own market solution and of course come with a compelling solution. AND don't forget you need to get your CAA license, insurance and web site. I found mine and all i can say is I'm doing it for love as profit is very small. But i do reinvest and have upgraded a few times to the I2 and M600. The I2 is just for show as the customer loves the shape, but i do get most of my income from the M600.

 

[bluelight.support]

but i do get most of my income from the M600.

Is the M600 really a two man operation as it looks like a large case before you start ?

 

[bluelight.support]

I am working on my manual ops, and got dilemma what drone to go with and what work area to start with at beginning. I have setting out engineering course, and I am familiar with datas. However there is so many areas like photography, real estates, mapping, 3D, thermal inspections, agriculture NDIV, Photogrammetry and more. Just do know where to start and don't bankrupt while awaiting for first job.

I assume that you have taken your ground school - if your working on ops manual - however remember that is relational to the actual drone so you need to know what your getting to be able to write the manual.

Where are you based, whats your budget and what do you fancy doing - thats a starting point?

 

[AstroM]

Where are you based, whats your budget and what do you fancy doing - thats a starting point?

Hi Bluelight.support
Yes, I am going to finish manual ops, as soon as I choose a suitable drone.
I live in south London in connection with this I will start with the drone weighing up to 7kg (congested area) and a maximum price of £4.5k. I want to leave a provision for software and equipment. I do not know what demand is for mapping and 3D (inspire1pro seems alright, apart is death end on cameras), or is it easier to find a small contracts in videography( inspire 2 X4S in my case). I understand that, there is no such as thing like one drone for all tasks. I wish to have x5s and wait for m210 but my budget is limited that's why I would like to start somewhere wisely.
........................

 

[bluelight.support]

wait for m210

Whats your thought process on waiting for an M210 (what features of the M210 are you looking at)

 

[AstroM]

M210- In my opinion this series going to be priced around £8-9k. It is a financial stretch I do not consider, so out of my price range, however features are really promising: 2kg payload, 2 heated batteries, wheather resistant, working with XT thermal camera, configurable with x4s (4K/60 fps) or x5s + top mounted zoom camera for extra surveys. I think there is room for third party sensors too. For me, as a first buyer, the price is a killer, but above of this is an admirable work horse and real all- in- one multitasking, professionally looking suav. The question is when
Supporting software for m 200 series going to catch on ( Pix4d etc). According to new inspire2 there is not Pix4d support 3 months after the drones were already on sell. Mistakes like this can't happened, or it suppose to be said that some software will not support specific models of DJI drones.

 

[bluelight.support]

I understand the M200 is around £4-5k, M210 £9-10k and M210RTK around 16k

Inspire 1 will take the XT and X5 so a good option. Inspire 2 has heated batteries and redundancy. Remember in London you are never going to get an OSC on a quad copter due to redundancy. I did hear of one person getting OSC with Inspire 1 to 20m with a parachute system but cant remember where they can operate.

If you are going along the mapping / survey route, you need to check with your clients what accuracy they want as you will need to incorporate ground control points. cm accuracy is going to cost £10k, where as m accuracy will be around £2k. Then you need to look at software and whether you will process in-house or in the cloud - some clients will not want their sites on the cloud due to security so you need to include 3-4k for a workstation with good graphics cards and RAM, and then add software. ESRI is the best for GIS so add around 6-10k for that, then processing software - Simactive, Agisfot, etc will cost £3-4k so once you have all this, you are good to go. Although I've gone back to uni for a masters degree to help with mine, as its such a specialist and qualified process.

 

[AstroM]

Thank you bluelight.support for your last, very helpful, reply. I was thinking about everything you said. Indeed, the costs involved are quite serious. I will start with inspire 1 pro or 2 at beginning and do my best to get onto more serious jobs when ready.

 

[Dejan Smaic]

Depending on where your proposed market is I'd say try another industry, I don't need the competition (just kidding) ;-)

My suggestion is start with a genre you are most familiar with / experience. Getting your foot in teh market is like opening the doors you've been through before. Look at your education and work / life experiance, as well as who your networks are, and start with that.

 

[Cornscot]

What does your business case say? If you have done that fully you will have identified a need (client), completed a SWOT analysis and worked out where to go. As for aircraft, again your deliverable will define the capability, the capability will then be attached to an airframe. And you are in London so there are far more restrictions on where you can operate compared to mid rural Wales for example.