Whether it’s for routine inspections or detailed mapping, there are many reasons to implement drones in your business.
But creating an in-house drone team to do the job has its risks. There are numerous beginner drone pilot mistakes that could lead to serious accidents, hefty fines, or faulty data.
So here are the most common in-house drone program mistakes that we’ve seen:
Table of Contents
1. Not Obtaining a Part 107 License
You might think you can fly drones over your own property without getting special licensing. But this is false. No matter where you are, flying drones for commercial purposes requires getting an FAA Part 107 license.
Without a license, you risk facing some hefty fines and even prison time. Penalties for flying a drone without a license can reach up to $32,666 per incident for a pilot and $250,000 for a company.
So not getting your license is simply not worth the risk. After all, you can get a temporary Part 107 license in just a few weeks. And the exam only costs $175.
2. Inexperienced Pilots
Getting a license is a good start. But you also don’t want your drone pilot to be inexperienced. One drone crash could total your aircraft and damage your other assets, not to mention put other workers at risk. If your drone pilot isn’t trained in risk management or doesn’t follow standard operating procedures (SOPs), you could end up with serious damages and liabilities.
An inexperienced drone pilot might also provide inaccurate data. It’s one thing to fly a drone, but it’s quite another to collect and process complex drone data. If your drone pilot hasn’t done this before, you could end up with faulty information that might lead you to make some incorrect decisions later on.
“Commercial drone pilots need to follow a common set of operating procedures, corporate policies, and safety protocols. They need to have standards of accountability and use repeatable systems, whether they’re internal employees or pilots-for-hire. And they need to know how to train new crew members down the road.”
- Diego Barrera, Director of Professional Services at Skyward
So make sure your drone pilot has been properly trained. If you need a thermal inspection, they should be professionally trained in thermography. If you need professional mapping, they should understand geographic information systems (GIS).
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT droneS? START HERE.
3. Skipping Preflight Checklists
Another mistake that could sabotage your in-house drone program is skipping preflight checklists. Neglecting this important step could put your license, equipment, and the whole operation in jeopardy.
A preflight checklist is a systematized way of making sure everything is in order before take off. It helps you cover all your bases to minimize the chances of anything going wrong.
Here’s an example of what a preflight checklist can include:
- Weather—Check weather conditions with a forecasting app to avoid flying your drone when it’s too rainy, windy, cold, or otherwise dangerous to fly.
- Flight details—Verify flight details like who will be piloting and what the mission objectives are. Check that you have copies of all necessary documents, licenses, and airspace authorizations.
- Battery check—Check to see that your drone and controller batteries are fully charged with no signs of swelling. Also, have some spare batteries on hand in case the flight lasts longer than one battery can support.
- Drone check—Carefully inspect your drone to make sure there are no damages to any of its components. Assess the propellers, motors, gimbal, camera, lights, and more to see if you need to make any repairs.
- Calibration—Calibrate the drone. Make sure its firmware is updated and the antennas are positioned correctly. In some cases you may also need to calibrate or set the compass, inertial measurement unit (IMU), return to home (RTH) failsafe, and maximum flight altitude.
- Pre-launch—Position the drone in a clear, flat launch site and check the aircraft’s status LED lights for any warnings.
If you can checkmark each of the steps above, you’re ready for take off. If not, consider rescheduling the flight.
4. Purchasing Unnecessary Equipment
Many first-time drone teams buy the wrong equipment. After all, there are a lot of different types of drones out there to choose from.
To avoid spending money on equipment you don’t need, determine what type of drone data you want to collect in the first place. Do you want thermal maps, orthomosaics, or 3D point clouds? Or just regular photos? Whatever you decide will change what type of drone you buy.
Then there are various payloads and features to consider as well. You can choose from RGB cameras, thermal sensors, LIDAR lasers, multispectral sensors as well as RTK and PPK positioning technology, and more. Be sure to purchase only the necessary drone equipment that will deliver the results you need.
5. Having the Wrong Insurance
You also don’t want to have the wrong insurance (or none at all). Your drone team should be covered by at least two types of insurances:
- Liability insurance—This protects you against property damage, injury, and legal disputes if you are sued. There are varying levels of liability insurance, so choose one that you feel comfortable with. Policies typically start at $500,000 and can go up to $10 million in coverage.
- Hull insurance—This covers damage to the drone itself. Drones are expensive pieces of equipment, so you should protect them in case they ever crash or become defective.
Drone insurance can run for as little as $7 per hour with on-demand solutions or as high as $800 per year for annual policies. The price will vary based on how often you fly, if you have a good safety record, and how expensive your drone is.
Some drone insurance providers also offer custom policies. Whatever you do, review your policy carefully and be prepared to log all your drone and flight information so you don’t accidentally void your plan.
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT droneS? START HERE.
6. Not Staying Current with Changing Drone Laws
Drone laws are always changing. For example, the FAA has recently required all drone pilots to pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) in order to fly.
As a drone operator, you’re responsible for staying on top of such drone flying regulations at all times. Otherwise, you could find yourself in trouble with the law and be required to pay large fines.
And keep in mind, you need to follow more than just federal drone flying laws. Many states and regions have their own regulations as well. So it’s best to always check with local authorities before a flight.
7. Capturing Inaccurate Data
Lastly, capturing inaccurate data can be disastrous for your in-house program. One small mistake could ruin your final maps or reports. And if you don’t realize it, you could end up using the faulty information to make crucial decisions later on.
Capturing accurate data requires specialized software, equipment, and knowledge. For example, a pilot needs to have the right drone, flight planning software, and understand geographic information systems (GIS) in order to deliver 3D models and orthomosaic maps.
To avoid getting bad drone data, make sure your drone team always follows standard operating procedures (SOPs) and has a quality insurance (QA) system in place. That means having at least one other person to verify settings and make sure the data collection is done correctly.
Bonus Drone Program Mistake: Not Hiring the True Professionals
At the end of the day, most companies can manage simple aerial photography jobs on their own, but for specialized data-focused projects, it’s best to hire a true professional. They’ll have the needed experience and expertise to give you reliable drone data and save you the risk of making the above mistakes.
At The Drone Life, we pride ourselves on helping companies optimize operations, increase worker safety, and leverage valuable data. If you want to learn more about how we can help your organization, contact us today for a free consultation.
