Learning Curve

So its been over month since the CAA let me have my 'Permission' to carry out commercial drone operations. So what have I been doing this last month? Quite a lot, all being said, but no commercial opportunities have presented themselves, as yet.

Hopefully, in the next few weeks I'll have some news about some potential work coming up. If it comes off then it will hopefully lead into other aerial work, and I shall be regarded as a trialblazer. It's something that, to my knowledge, hasn't been done aerially before, so I have to keep it secret. It's going to take some learning to get right but I'll have a good headstart if I start now. In the meantime I'll be doing a local advertising and pressing the flesh so I can get some cashflow going.

I suppose I had dreams of working every spare hour I had flying about the countryside, taking pictures of nice properties, putting videos together. In a way I have been but not getting paid for it. So I consider all this work I have been doing as an investment in skills instead.

On a recent flight I was approached by Miles, his son and his grandson. We had a good long chat about my UAV and they were very interested. I was happy extolling the virtues of my hobby/business and the many, many uses they already have. I've only had positive encounters with people I meet and I've yet to meet anybody negative. I like to think thats because I'm not being stupid. These are expensive aerial cameras, but I see 'pilots' throwing them around the sky with reckless abandon. There appears to be no thought to those around you so I'm keen to educate anybody that may want to ask. I know the rules and people seem to welcome this fact, over any other, and it's my expensive training that gives me that confidence.

What I'm not so confident in, is the video editing. I find some amazing videos on line and you'll see my favorites on my facebook page. I pay attention to these and take mental notes, and then I try and learn how to do them. So I'm still learning, and the curve is still going up. If I'm honest I can't ever see it levelling off!!

This evening I have been updating my show reel with some additional and, I consider, better footage. I've been to Southport, Brean Sands, Cotswold dog walks and I take my drone everywhere I can. It's like an new appendage and any bit of flying, no matter how small, is beneficial.

I've also been paying lots of attention to forums, picking up little tips here and there, and also learning what 'NOT' to do. There are some pilots, I use that term loosely, that no doubt give other safe pilots a bad name. In the US they are bringing in legislation that means that all drones will need to be registered with the FAA, and they want this in before millions are purchased at Christmas. That seems a bit draconian to me and I hope the CAA (UK) will take a more balanced approach. Watch this space.

So it appears everyone is still learning in the industry, not just me. "Education, Education, Education" once said Tony Blair, and look at the cash he's on now!!!