Looking for Drone Pilot Jobs? Some Tips to Get You Started

Technology has risen to a point where unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which were once a preserve of a select few are now almost accessible to anyone. We now have inexpensive UAVs and not just that but also those that are relatively easy to control. DJI Phantom series quadcopters are a perfect example. They are spread out all over the market and almost every drone enthusiast has one.

But are you aware that UAV piloting is set to become the next big thing in the career space? That we are going to have well-paying careers that only require you to pilot a drone? Most of us already know of aerial photography, an almost new concept in photography but one that is rising rapidly. It’s a career in itself and we’ll get to know more about it in a few.

Meanwhile, there are dozens of other spaces that are soon set to take up drones and utilize them in refining their services. It’s for such reasons that some universities such as US-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have come up with courses solely dedicated to drones. At the end of your course, you earn a Bachelor’s degree in drones. Very futuristic,right?

So are you looking to become a drone pilot? Here are the Jobs you should watch out for. There may not be an appropriate title for this specific jobs because it’s a relatively new space but by the time you reach the end of this article, you will have understood what this is all about-drone pilot jobs.

News Gathering

Traditional news gathering has a new competitor in drones. Over the years, we’ve seen cameras evolving and currently we have lighter and smaller cameras that pack top quality resolutions and have lenses that are just as good as the best in the market right now.  

Drones have taken up these cameras and paired them with affordable electronic image stabilization gimbals and this has made aerial photography and video taking not just possible but fun and affordable. Recently, CNN was issued with a license that lets them use drones for newsgathering.

It’s just the start but it’s obvious that more media and communication firms across the world will soon be needing drone pilots to help in news gathering, aerial coverage of televised sporting events and many other areas.

Precision Agriculture

Forbes did admit that precision agriculture will stake out the largest portion in the economic impact that drone commercialization is going to have on the market. And it’s not just going to be about targeted spraying of pesticides but also crop data gathering, crop surveying and a ton of other related jobs. Drones have already shown the remarkable potential of being a huge asset to farming. So watch out for this space.

Package delivery services

Just a couple of days ago, Amazon made its first drone delivery and this took place in the U.K. But if you’ve been following this closely, you know all too well that not too long ago Amazon did announce that they were in search of a drone pilot, specifically one with well over four years’ experience in this space and as a bonus, additional actual piloting experience. It’s not just Amazon doing this. Google has also carried out the same. Even Domino’s recently delivered Pizzas using drones in New Zealand. Overall, it’s a fast rising space that’s soon going to need dozens of drone pilots.

Filmmaking

Before drones, filmmakers have been renting helicopters, cranes, jibs, name it, just to get that perfect tracking shot or camera movement. This is not just expensive but also too involving and so Hollywood has gone ahead to make a formal request to the US government to allow them carry out aerial cinematography using drones. Even though drones have already been used in the past to do the same, aerial video shooting using drones is a promising space for drone pilots.

Aerial surveying

 

Here’s another space currently dominated by helicopters and planes. Aerial surveys are utilized in different spaces, from topography to cartography to archaeology to feature recognition to GIS applications and many other areas because they give information on sites that are quite difficult and sometimes impossible to see or access from the ground. UAVs present a cheaper and convenient alternative to planes and helicopters in carrying out the same. We even have those equipped with all the necessary tools to carry out this kind of work. So drone pilots should definitely watch out for this space.

Military

This may not be new to many of us especially those who’ve been keeping up with Syria and the dimension the fight against terrorism is taking. Drones have been used to carry out surveillance and unleash lethal bombs to targeted enemies mostly by the United States. The use of drones in military is controversial in itself but there’s no stopping it.  It’s an emerging concept in the military space and many countries across the world have expressed interest in taking it up. This definitely means most militaries are soon going to need drone pilots.

Disaster Management

We are often accustomed to seeing helicopters flying all over the place when a disaster such as an earthquake takes place. Mostly, they hover around to gather information about from the scene that will help in rescuing operations and other areas. Drones have already shown the potential to be invaluable in this space. They can be fitted with cameras, radars, and other necessary tools that will help in the quick and proper management of disasters. Going into those hard-to-reach spaces is not a challenge to them. Since it’s an emerging space, that can only mean a future need for drone pilots to do the work.

To sum up our list, here’s another emerging option which is open to all and doesn’t require any application. All you need is the skill, the determination, and the right knowledge on how to do this better.

Making Drone Videos on YouTube and for Micro-job sites

Videos shot by drones are turning into a hot thing right now and this has seen famed YouTubers like Team Blacksheep amass huge subscribers on their channels because everyone wants a taste of their adrenaline inducing videos shot by drones. With such huge subscribers, there exists a number of ways you can monetize that.

You can as well create your own films or just any other cool video shot by a drone. It could be a promotion, a birthday message or a congratulations message only that it’s shot by a drone to bring a fresh and mind blowing angle to it. Then you can sell them out in micro job sites such as the VideoToOrder.com or Fiverr.com.

Wrap-up

So what’s obviously clear now is that there’s a promising future for drone pilots. There are dozens of spaces that a drone could be utilized and already we’ve seen them finding their way into the military, agriculture, filmmaking, delivery services, disaster management and so many other spaces.

If you are not a drone pilot yet but would wish to become one, here's an amazing opportunity for you. Unmanned Vehicle University is an accredited institution dedicated to offering a variety of courses in this space. You can apply to join and further your dream of becoming a drone pilot.

All in all, this is a great start for drone pilot jobs and if you happen to be one, be sure to check out this spaces we’ve mentioned.