Ask Drone U

Today's question is about drone mapping opportunities for DSP's in large organizations. Are large organizations more prone to training in-house drone teams? Our caller for today, Michael has a question about drone mapping. Specifically, Michael is wondering if large businesses are prone to hiring drone service providers for their mapping jobs or not. Are large organizations more likely to develop...

Today's question is about using drone mapping for digitally recreating historical buildings and streets. Our caller, Robert has come up with a unique question that has not been asked on ADU before. Robert's question is about digital reconstruction. Robert is wondering if he can use drone mapping to digitally recreate the old era via visual story-telling. Certainly, this is an excellent idea. Visua...

Our biggest story is about Skydio 2. When Skydio came out with the Skydio 2 after the Skydio R1 last year, many thought that the American manufacturer could be the DJI alternative that many were waiting for. But, Skydio's marketing language and strategy off late is not befitting of an industry leader that is aspiring to be. From filming a marketing video in Yellowstone National Park to promoting f...

Today's show is about pricing strategies for drone pilots. How can you negotiate with a client, and avoid getting underpaid for your services? Our caller for today, John is just starting out. Luckily, he managed to bag a huge drone job which involves taking aerial shots, drone mapping, and creating progression reports. What are the typical rates for such deliverables? What are some pricing strateg...

Today's question is about dealing with unscrupulous clients who refuse to pay up. Are there any legal steps that you can take that will force your client to pay up even after you deliver your drone footage? Our caller, Roy from Salt Lake City has come up with a question that has not been asked on ADU before. His client is refusing to pay up even though he is using Roy's copyrighted images to marke...

DJI Mavic Mini 2 Important Updates, DOD Releases List of Approved Drone Manufacturers in Their Blue sUAS Program, Drones for Environmental Conservation, Drones for Good Our biggest story this week is about the National Defense Authorization Act which bans the use of "Chinese Drones" for federal use. Now, DOD has released a list of approved drone manufacturers courtesy of their Blue sUAS program, a...

DJI Mavic Mini 2 Updates, Skydio 2 For Drone Mapping?, FireFighting Drones, DJI News, DJI Rumors Our biggest story this week is about the DJI Mavic Mini 2. Regular ADU listeners might recall that last week we had shared some industry reports which revealed how DJI was planning to come out with a 4K-enabled, DJI Mavic 2. Apparently drone billionaire and DJI boss, Frank Wong is unhappy with the vide...

Today's show is about drone crashes. Specifically, ADU co-host, Rob shares how he ended up crashing his drone last week, and some of the biggest lessons that he learned from this. After so many years of hosting ADU, the flying bug has finally bit Rob. Last week, Rob was our flying in beautiful New Mexico when he crashed his Mavic 2 Pro into a tree. In today's show, Rob shares his experience and re...

Our biggest story this week is about the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. This act will ban the use of Chinese drones as well as Chinese-made drone parts for federal use. The passage of this act will not just affect DJI but also other popular manufacturers like Skydio, 3DR and GoPro. With manufacturing being the Chinese's strong suit, do you think that this ban is a wise move? Do you think...

Step-By-Step Workflow for Getting Starting in Drone Mapping Today's question is about drone mapping. How can you learn the nuances of this field and scale up your drone business to another level? Our caller for today, Jaime is thinking of venturing into drone mapping for the construction industry. Wise decision. Especially, after COVID, demand for drone mapping and modeling has gone through the ro...

Today's show is about federal employees who wish to unlock their DJI drones. Our caller for today, Sid has a question about unlocking DJI drones. Specifically, Sid is wondering if DJI has any mechanism that will allow federal employees to unlock DJI drones. In today's show, you will learn about DJI's Qualified Entity Program (QEP) for public safety officials. Additionally, we also discuss if Sid c...

Our biggest story this week is about drone remote ID. Regular DU followers might recall that FAA's NPRM attracted more than 50,000 comments from concerned industry stakeholders. However, it seems that the FAA is planning to go ahead with a restrictive drone remote ID as planned. In his talk at the Commercial UAV Expo, FAA's Steve Dickson shared how FAA plans to introduce drone remote ID by the end...

Today's question is about the best GPS solutions for drone mapping. Is there an accurate GPS solution that does not burn a hole in your pocket? Our caller for today, Andy is drone mapper who has a question about GCP solutions. Specifically, Andy does not wish to spend thousands of dollars to purchase a GPS system. Yet, he does not wish to compromise on accuracy. So, what are some affordable GPS so...

Our question for today is about flying in restricted airspace. Our caller, Fred has come up with a creative possibility for flying in restrictive airspace. While we know that the law does not permit us to fly in restricted airspace, what if we take off from mid-air? Are there any loopholes that let you legally fly in restricted airspace? Tune in for another fun and informative show of Ask Drone U....

Main Benefits of Flying in Atti Mode Today's show is about flying in Atti mode. When you can away by flying in GPS mode, why should you bother learning to fly in Atti mode at all? Our caller for today, Earl from Texas is into drone photography and videography. Earl hates flying in Atti mode. He shares that he is able to grab some great footage while flying in P-mode or GPS-mode. And sees no reason...

Today's show is about visual observers (VO). Does Part 107 mandate a minimum age for a Visual Observer? Our caller for today, Jay is a Part 107 certified pilot. He wants to know if he can get his boys along as VO's when he is out flying. As per Part 107, is there a minimum legal age for VO's (Visual Observer)? Great question, Jay. Taking your kids as VO's is a great way of introducing them to the...

Today's show is a special one as we are joined by Watts Innovation founder, Bobby Watts. Bobby shares some detailed information about his new commercial drone platform - the Prism, an all-American product that comes with variable propulsions and flexible payloads. Prism is a "Transformer Drone" that can be flown both as a quad and as a co-axial setup. When you transform this bird from a quad to a...

Drones in Construction | Using 3D Models for Inspecting Rebars Today's question is about using drones in construction. Can you build accurate drone models for inspecting steel rebars? Our caller for today, Jon is using a Phantom 4 Pro to map a construction site. He wants to know the best mapping workflow so that the steel rebars can be accurately inspected by the project management team. To help J...

Today's show is about starting a drone business. How can you come up with a proper business plan to maximize your chances of success? Our caller for today, Forrest is keen to start his drone business after recently passing his Part 107 test. Now, Forrest is a perfectionist and a compulsive planner who prefers to get all his ducks in a row before embarking on a new venture. But, while planning is n...

Sneak-Peek - The New Freefly Astro Drone, Flying Drones in NYC, Drone Industry Updates, Ban on Chinese Drones Our biggest story this week is about the all-new Freefly Astro drone. Freefly is known for its super-expensive and heavily-engineered Alta series of drones which are used mainly in big productions. Now, it is heartening to note that this American drone manufacturer has decided to target a...

Drone Deliveries Finally Set to Take Flight As Amazon Gets FAA's Approval, DJI All Set to Launch the All-New DJI Ronin RS2, Drones for Predicting Hurrican Behavior, Drones for Accident Reconstruction, Part 107 Renewal During COVID Our biggest story this week is about drone deliveries. Archaic drone regulations have prevented drone deliveries from truly taking off in the United States. While countr...

Today's call is about drone mapping opportunities in the wake of COVID. What sort of opportunities have opened up in the wake of COVID? And what steps can you take to make the most of the current situation? Our caller for today, Jim is interested in taking the Drone U Comprehensive Mapping Class. Moreover, he is wondering if he will be better off attending our in-person class. Great question! Dron...

We have some exciting drone news lined up for you this week. Our biggest story this week is about the all-new DJI Ronin RS2. Last week, our good friend and drone pilot, Osita LV shared some images on his Twitter account which suggest that a new DJI gimbal, the Ronin RS might be in the works. The DJI Ronin has a loyal following not just among aerial photographers but also among ground photogaphers....

Today's question is about the difference between relative accuracy and absolute accuracy in drone mapping and modeling. Our caller for today. James is a professional mapper from Australia. James question is about the difference between relative accuracy and absolute accuracy. Do you need both relative accuracy and absolute accuracy for building drone maps and models? To answer this question, we fi...

Today's show is about calculating MOCA. Can you correctly measure MOCA with the terrain awareness feature in Maps Made Easy? Our caller for today, William is using Maps Made Easy as his drone mapping software. Now, William is flying in an area with dense and tall vegetation. How can William correctly measure the MOCA and ensure a safe drone flight? For folks who are new to mapping, Paul explains t...