Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, Whoop

OI Photography · May 3, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Punk :lol:

Seriously...nice job. $450/property is nothing to complain about especially just for some basic simple shots. It still surprises me sometimes how "magical" clients find some of the views to be, when most of them look like any ol boring droneshot to me lol.

BTW...care to share how you found this awesome opportunity? Did it come to you or was it a result of marketing?

steveeds · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Now here's a man who made a dollar

Well done

UrAwFuL · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Teach me, master. :shock:

thongbong · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

you have clients who are punctual with payment???!!!! what planet?

nammac · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

LiLPhantom said:
Iron Company wanted Photo's of 10 projects completed to post on their website, they do all of the steal work, stairs, shades, bollards, ladders, architectural windows, accents etc. Took 1 day, Bam paid! https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o6nexvaranaxj1h/81LqJzJnE-

Go Pro I assume? What were your settings on the camera? Were you doing a picture every 2-5 seconds? Some pictures seem to have less fisheye, was it just the angle.

EMCSQUAR · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Nice Job. I just did a similar shoot for 3M (not quite that much $$$)

Define Irony - doing a video shoot for a company who made $958 million in profits last year to be told - "we have a really tight budget"

Khudson7 · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Wow, I think that is great...but
by advertising to everyone here, aren't you inviting the FAA to come after you for commercial flying without their permission or license? Just wondering...

steveeds · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Upon reflection
This maybe the man who loses a dollar (at least)

panhygrous pantler · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

LiLPhantom said:
However what are they going to do, send a Swat team to every Phantom Pilot's home for doing something the Constitution gives you every right to do?

Holy crap. I must have missed the part of the Constitution that grants citizens the right to remotely control quadcopters.

Please post that language.

Cr8tive_leo · May 4, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Lol, self entitlement will make you read what you think it should say. Wow.

jdenkevitz · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

LiLPhantom said:
We need to stand up together and not cower down in fear of the "FAA" They are there for great reasons and purpose. However what are they going to do, send a Swat team to every Phantom Pilot's home for doing something the Constitution gives you every right to do? Everyone fears the FAA, for what? They regulate Commercial aircraft, not a kite, not a balloon, not a balsa wood thrown airplane, let alone a battery operated folded paper 8X11 sheet of paper, nor even the DJI Phantom for that matter! I am all for regulations for large aircraft over 100+ pounds in weight, safety, limits, responsibility, liability, but 100 feet in the air responsibly with a 1000 gram hobby RC machine and a go pro camera! Come and try to shut me down with that, this is a perfect example of what and how the hobby "drone" industry is doing; exploding right in front of our eyes, If there are 10 Phantoms per major city doing this @ $450 a pop thats over a million dollars a day in Phantom flights and photos across the populated cities at minimum, put that figure to speculate an annual revenue: My calculator wont go that high, its in the Billions, every year... If everyone donated $2 bucks in a pot to fight the FAA we'd have overthrown them entirely, just my 2 cents and venting. Onward and staying upwards!

So a 99lb flying object shouldnt be regulated? I suppose you would be cool with having even a 20lb object hit you in the face at 50mph? Or cross into Class B airspace?

Can you point out where in the constitution it says you have a right to fly a drone unfettered by regulations?

Government regulatory agencies tend to move at a glacial speed. Many industries do as well. Just look at how the music industry imploded and practically withered and died due to their (lack of) reaction to mp3's and digital distribution. Technology outpaces regulation. That has been the case across the board with numerous subject matter.

I dont view the FAA as the enemy. It has been the FAA's regulations that have made commercial air travel extremely SAFE and RELIABLE. I dont sit on the tarmac waiting to take off in a state of fear because of their actions. Are they perfect? Far from it! But this notion that they must be defeated and that they are some mighty impediment to the spirit of the constitution is baloney. It all just comes off like some Ayn Rand fever dream diatribe.

The FAA is congressionally mandated to ensure safe and reliable use of our commercial airspace.
If entrepreneurs arent happy because they cant form a business (which doesnt exist yet) as fast as they would like, too bad. The BEST way to screw it up is to rush in carefree. As good as the technology is right now, it needs to improve even more in regards to collision detection.

I get it, its the wild west right now. Exciting new, dangerous, ripe with opportunity. A brave new world. But instead of all the red herrings and daring doo, how about some patience and common sense? This stuff is incredibly interesting and offers many exciting new avenues of commerce. But its also inherently dangerous. They are essentially FLYING ROBOTS.

Ozzyguy · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Thank god. Someone woth a brain. Thanks Jden. A lot of people are carrying on like spoilt children (as I suspect that many In fact are) about this. The government doesn't exist just to ruin your toy time. Grow up.

WessexWyvern · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

"I dont view the FAA as the enemy. It has been the FAA's regulations that have made commercial air travel extremely SAFE and RELIABLE. I dont sit on the tarmac waiting to take off in a state of fear because of their actions. Are they perfect? Far from it! But this notion that they must be defeated and that they are some mighty impediment to the spirit of the constitution is baloney. It all just comes off like some Ayn Rand fever dream diatribe."

You might find a number of pilots disagree with you on that

Suggesting standing up to the FAA is like suggesting standing up to the IRS. They are unbending in their rules particularly when exemptions become too complex to grant. If they say that drones can't be operated for commercial gain under the model aircraft rule exemption I can't see the moving on that.
The FAA written commercial licence can be passed in a few weeks and the commercial flight test doesn't take much longer. There would be / probably is a specially devised one for drones and I can't see it being particularly difficult, if you already have the drone and radio gear that meets regulations you've already shelled out for the major expense.
If they offer exemptions for drone pilots to operate commercially they open up themselves up to being held liable by your insurance company.
It's also worth checking with your photography insurance company that they cover you when operating a drone or whether there is a specific exclusion clause. If they aren't written in already I can see them writing them in in the hear future.

steveeds · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

I think it's how you look at it, the guy that makes a lot of money from the Drones will always be biased, if I made as much as he does I'd be over the moon like he is at the moment, it does distort your natural viewpoint, in the end it all comes tumbling down, most enterprises do, it's the quiet ones you have to watch

JamesD · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Congrats on making money! That is awesome. And I wish any of you who hope to make a little cash the same luck.
But...
Who doesn't think the FAA should regulate us? Our "toys" could bring down a jet. Someone who loses control of his drone at 2,000 feet shouldn't be allowed to own one. Just look at YouTube and how many videos there are of people trying to see how high / far they can get. I think 400' feet is plenty high enough.

I have no issue with the FAA making sure those of you who are entrepreneur's are properly trained, aware of the laws, and of course, careful.

Here's another guy that is breaking the (unwritten) law ???
I Drone Your Home
His Website

Khudson7 · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Wow, I did not mean to stir up the sh&t by mentioning the FAA might have something to say about the op boasting about his windfall. Seems I hit a few nerves by mentioning that. But had I been that lucky, I probably would have accepted my good fortune quietly and not have advertised it so boldly. Why take the chance that some stooge at the FAA decides to make an example of this case. It would take a lot more than $4500 in legal fees should the op become a target of the FAA. But to each his own...just saying I probably wouldn't have taken this chance. But I wish him all the best.

happydogs · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/ ... al-inroads

Article that nicely frames up discussion points.

Tantamount_Flyers · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Here is another good read.

http://gigaom.com/2013/12/08/so-you-wan ... -law-says/

So let's say I want to hire a DJI pilot to check my roof after storm damage, or to inspect a tree for killer bees prior to cutting or to take a store front picture of my business for my website.

All of this is not allowed or at least very much looked down on with in the DJI flyer community at this time?

OI Photography · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

Tantamount_Flyers said:
Here is another good read.

http://gigaom.com/2013/12/08/so-you-wan ... -law-says/

So let's say I want to hire a DJI pilot to check my roof after storm damage, or to inspect a tree for killer bees prior to cutting or to take a store front picture of my business for my website.

All of this is not allowed or at least very much looked down on with in the DJI flyer community at this time?

That was a good article, but outdated now.

If you want to participate in an active (and polarized) discussion regarding the current atmosphere of drone-related law and its impact on the owner's community, this is a good group to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/uavLega ... 736785553/

Also, if you or anyone ever has any trouble finding someone to handle their needs for drone-based service, there's plenty of people on this forum (myself included) who will be happy to get you a quote

Tantamount_Flyers · May 5, 2014

Re: Just made $4,500 USD in 1 day with the Phantom! Whoop, W

I would be interested in a discussion about Phantom based services. Yet I don't seem to be able to PM?