My Lessons Learned ‘since’ doing Drone Services in 2021
My Lessons Learned ‘since’ doing Drone Services in 2021
The last related blog was: My Lessons doing Drone Services in 2021.
Since then I’ve learned a lot, hussled a lot and now I’m in the black with my side drone business (not by a lot of money but typically have a drone job once a week at least during good Ohio weather).
A few suggestions:
Have Fun:
Make drone videos and photos at locations you really enjoy doing (even if for no cost). This helps in a few ways:
A great way to hone your skills (flying and post-editing).
I’ve gotten paid jobs afterwards by flying in some of these locations and sharing the media.
Share your skills with others.
Help build your portfolio.
Photo and Video Editing:
It’s great to hone your skills but most of the time I’ll make improvements on photos I’ve taken and/or create a polished video for my portfolio and social media.
Social Media:
Post what you do on Instagram, YouTube and other sites. Join various Facebook groups, especially ones for Real Estate and post there as well.
Hustle:
I have not ‘cold called’ anyone yet but I have:
Emailed many real estate agents found on Zillow and LoopNet.
Whenever I drive by a Real Estate company or construction site I always leave my card and other material. If that is not possible I’ll take a photo of their information and email them later.
I’ve offered drone training lessons and photo services (both have gotten me work).
Advertise:
Determine where you should advertise and if/how much your willing to pay for it. For example:
Google (get on Google Maps). Be found in searches.
The Better Business Bureau.
Next Door.
Yelp.
Other.
Repeat Clients:
I now have a few repeat clients that come back for more drone services. It takes time, quality of work and trust to keep them.
Diversity of Offerings:
I started off doing typical Real Estate type of work. I’m still do a lot of that but now also doing:
Events.
Construction progression.
Interior photography: even flying my drone to do interior work as well.
Be flexible and try new things that provide value for you and your clients.
Local Drone Community:
Sometimes other drone operators become too busy or cannot do a particular job. Could be more work for you.
Conclusion:
I do not know everything; I’m learning as I go like most of us. Because of my website and above topics, I’ve been getting more and more emails and calls out of the blue for drone work.
Let me know if there are other strategies you know of.
Best Places to Fly a Drone in Central Ohio
Best Places to Fly a Drone in the Central Ohio Area
Disclaimer: Before flying a drone anywhere, check the airspace and make sure you are legally allowed to fly their before doing so! Always follow the FAA rules as well. These are a few locations that are mostly in Class G (uncontrolled airspace) but there are also a couple Class C and Class D that will require LANNC approval.
Downtown Columbus:
A large area of downtown Columbus is in Class G airspace. An easy way to verify this is to use the FAA Visualize It webpage. For this reason, I’ll stick with the parks that are typically close the Scioto River (North to South) but I’ve been to most of the areas along both sides of the river besides the parks too. There are a lot of scenic buildings and river views!
1 - North Bank Park
39°57'55.129"N 83°00'35.747"W
311 W Long St, Columbus, OH 43215
Class G airspace
2 - Battelle Riverfront Park
39°57'47.183"N 83°00'19.419"W
25 Marconi Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215
Class G airspace
3 - East Bank Park
39°57'37.028"N 83°00'11.733"W
233 S Civic Center Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
Class G airspace
4 - Bicentennial Park
39°57'23.032"N 83°00'14.516"W
233 S Civic Center Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
Class G airspace
Downtown Columbus OH
Other Locations in Columbus:
5 - Scioto Audubon Metro Park
39°56'53.593"N 83°00'24.673"W
400 W Whittier St, Columbus, OH 43215
The park is located south of downtown Columbus near the Scioto river.
Class G airspace
Note: This is a Metro Park, most of these parks do not allow drones but there is a field in the park you can typically use. Best to find a Park Ranger for the field’s location and any rules to follow.
Scioto Audubon Metro Park
6 - Goodale Park
39°58'31.556"N 83°00'24.622"W
120 W Goodale St, Columbus, OH 43215
One of the oldest parks in the U.S.; surrounded by historic homes.
Class G airspace
Goodale Park
7 - Tuttle Park
40°00'46.843"N 83°00'56.286"W
½ mile from OSU, great spot to view the Olentangy river and OSU.
Class G airspace
Tuttle Park
8 - Innis Park
40°02'21.177"N 82°56'07.227"W
3000 Innis Rd, Columbus, OH 43224
Pretty nature area near Alum Creek.
Class C airspace
Innis Park
Locations outside Columbus:
9 - Dinneen RC Field
40°11'07.846"N 82°57'16.899"W
5770 Africa Rd, Galena, OH 43021
You may need an AMA membership, but this is a very pretty location near the Alum Creek Dam and State Park Beach.
Class G airspace
Dinneen RC Field
10 - Indian Run Falls
40°06'03.594"N 83°07'11.653"W
700 Shawan Falls Dr, Dublin, OH 43017
A scenic nature location and waterfall.
Class D airspace
Indian Run Falls
11 - Dublin Link Bridge area (Dublin Spring Open Space – North)
40°06'00.176"N 83°06'42.813"W
20 S Riverview St, Dublin, OH 43017
Very scenic area including the Dublin Link Bridge, it is the only single-tower S-shaped suspension bridge in the world and East Bridge. There are a few places in this area to park besides this one.
Class D airspace
Dublin Link Bridge
12 - Ariel-Foundation Park
40°22'56.269"N 82°29'42.479"W
10 Pittsburgh Ave, Mt Vernon, OH 43050
It’s a little further away but one of my favorite places to go. It’s a large, beautiful park with a observation tower among many sculptures and glass factory artifacts.
Class G airspace
Ariel-Foundation Park
13 - Scioto Grove Metro Park
39°51'26.704"N 83°01'40.418"W
5172 Jackson Pike, Grove City, OH 43123
This park has a dedicated drone field, scenic and right off the Scioto river.
Class G airspace
Scioto Grove Metro Park