I cut my teeth as a drone photographer by doing aerial photographs for a commercial construction company: the most challenging flying environment there is. I had to be conscious of large construction cranes – sometimes 3 to 4 at a time – constantly moving around in my airspace, as well as always being vigilant that I may be run over by large earth-moving equipment at any moment. Trust me, construction workers do not look out for drone photographers; they expect you to watch out for them. I had to not only constantly monitor the drone’s airspace, but my space as well, the entire time I was on-site. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything though. It made me a better drone pilot for sure, and the commercial real estate photos I got for my portfolio were unbeatable; not something most real estate photographers or even drone pilots have ever done, that’s for sure. If you can master flying a drone on commercial construction sites, you can fly anywhere with expertise.

Whenever I am out in public with my drone, someone will inevitably ask me, “Do you really need to be licensed to fly a drone?” Well the answer is not that cut and dry. If you are a hobbyist and do not use a drone to produce income or for any other commercial reason, you do not need to be licensed, but you do still need to follow FAA regulations and laws.
If you are a professional photographer, or anyone who uses a drone for commercial reasons, yes, you have to be licensed. I have seen numerous commercial entities using drones that are not licensed, and they are tempting fate and a very large fine if they get caught. Fines can be around $200,000. So, is it worth it to fly a drone without a license if you are using it commercially: Not really.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk types of drones. There’s the cheap, flimsy drones that are basically toys and that nobody can do any serious professional photography with, and then there are the drones like mine, that have a superior Hasselblad lens and have spectacular image quality. The lens on my drone is extremely sharp, has excellent color rendition and captures light well. In a nutshell, my drone was made for professional photography, and most consumer-grade drones are not.

I suspect the reason more people don’t get licensed to fly a drone is because going through the training to pass the FAA UAS pilot exam is pretty intense. You have to learn and understand how to read aeronautical charts, weather charts, undertand weather patterns and their effects on aircraft, know airport classifications, regulations and procedures , all on top of safety regulations and FAA regulations. Basically it’s almost the same training an airplane pilot needs to have. That’s a bit too much for most people to want to master. Plus, a drone pilot has to take continuing education courses and exams every 2 years to keep their license active.

Most people do not take drone licensing and operation seriously. But I will tell you who takes it VERY seriously; the FAA. Get caught flying without a license if you are anything other than a hobby consumer and they will not just slap you on the wrist. As I mentioned above, the fines are pretty hefty. You can also be arrested and do jail time for certain violations, especially reckless endangerment like flying your drone around first responders, emergency situations or in restricted airspace. The FAA is merciless in these situations, and rightly so. Some idiots have caused large airplanes and helicopters to crash because they didn’t follow FAA regulations. Some have caused hazardous situations for first responders. All those rules and regulations are in place for a reason. Being a drone operator should be just like having a driver’s license; you can’t just put someone in a car that’s never driven before and let them loose on the roadways. In my opinion, nobody, not even consumer hobbyists, should be allowed to fly a drone without an FAA license -just like nobody is allowed to drive a car without a license. Flying is much more dangerous than driving is, and too many people abuse the privilege and recklessly endanger others.

I

I

No

An