What to Check Before Hiring a Drone Operator

The barrier to entry in this industry is a credit card. Anyone can buy an aircraft on a Friday and advertise on Monday. The gap between that and an operation that produces usable work is not visible on a website, which is why it is worth knowing what to ask.

None of these questions are hostile and none of them are hard to answer. An operator who struggles with them is telling you something.

Certification

Ask: are you Part 107 certified, and can I see the certificate?

Any flight that is not purely recreational requires an FAA remote pilot certificate. Photographing a listing, documenting a job site, or inspecting a roof are all commercial operations, regardless of whether money changes hands for that specific flight.

This is a yes or no question with a document behind it. The certificate lists the holder's name and can be produced in seconds. An operator who deflects, says the rules do not apply to what they do, or explains that they fly "as a hobby" for clients is operating outside the rule and exposing your project to it.

More detail on what the rule covers is in Part 107 and commercial drone work.

Airspace approval

Ask: does my site need approval, and who handles it?

Much of the Los Angeles basin sits under controlled airspace. Flying there legally requires authorization, which a professional operator obtains as part of the job, usually well before the flight date.

The answer you want is that they will check the address and handle it. The answer that should concern you is any version of "we just fly low" or "nobody checks." Both mean the flight is unauthorized, and both mean the imagery was obtained in a way that could become a problem if the project is ever scrutinized.

Ask this early, because a small number of sites sit close enough to an airport to require a much longer approval process. Finding that out a week before a listing goes live is a bad day.

Records

Ask: do you keep flight records, and can I get them?

A professional operation logs every flight: aircraft, pilot, date, location, and conditions. On most jobs nobody ever asks for it. On the jobs where it matters — a dispute, a warranty claim, a project audit — it matters a great deal.

If an operator does not keep records, there is nothing to produce later and no way to establish how or when the work was done.

The deliverable, specifically

Ask: exactly what files will I receive, in what formats, and when?

This is where most disappointment originates, and almost all of it is preventable.

• For media, ask how many edited images, at what resolution, and whether originals are included
• For mapping, ask for the file formats and whether the output can be delivered in your coordinate system
• For 3D, ask which formats and whether the file will open in the software your team actually uses
• For thermal, ask whether you receive the radiometric files or only pictures of them

That last one is worth insisting on. A thermal image with a color scale baked in cannot be independently analyzed. The radiometric file can.

Get the turnaround in writing too. "A few days" and "next week" mean different things to different people.

Data ownership

Ask: who owns the files, and what can I do with them?

You want a clear, written license covering everything you intend to do — MLS and portal listings, print, social, your website, presentations to owners or lenders, and use by your clients if you are an agency.

Most operators retain portfolio rights to show the work, which is normal and reasonable. If your project is sensitive, ask whether they will sign a non-disclosure agreement. A professional will.

Weather and cancellation

Ask: what happens when the weather is bad?

Wind cancels flights far more often than rain does. You want an operator who will postpone rather than push through, because a flight in marginal conditions produces marginal data and risks the aircraft over your site.

Ask what a cancellation costs you. The reasonable answer is nothing, and that the flight is rescheduled.

Working on your site

Ask: have you worked on an active site like mine?

A construction site, a film set, and an occupied commercial property each have their own rules. An operator who has worked on them knows to attend the safety briefing, coordinate with the superintendent or first AD, and plan flight paths that avoid non-participating people.

Ask what happens if members of the public are present. The correct answer involves not flying over them.

Actual examples

Ask to see work from a project like yours.

Not a highlight reel. If you need a monthly progress map, ask to see a set from consecutive visits and check whether they line up. If you need a thermal roof survey, ask to see a findings summary with the identifying details removed. If you need listing photos, ask to see a full delivery rather than the best three frames.

A portfolio of impressive video tells you someone can fly. It does not tell you they can deliver the thing you are buying.

A short version

If you only ask five things:

1. Are you Part 107 certified, and can I see it?
2. Does my address need airspace approval, and will you handle it?
3. Exactly what files do I get, in what format, and by when?
4. What license do I have to use them?
5. What happens if the weather cancels?

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal for someone to fly my property without a certificate if they are not charging me?

No. The test is the purpose of the flight, not whether payment occurred. Work that furthers a business is a commercial operation even when it is done as a favor.

Does a low-cost operator mean something is wrong?

Not necessarily, but understand what is missing from the price. Airspace approval, proper flight planning, real processing time, and usable file formats all cost something. A price far below the market usually means one of those is not happening.

What should a quote actually contain?

The scope, the deliverable list with formats, the turnaround, the travel arrangement, and what happens on a weather cancellation. Published starting prices for our work are on the pricing page.

How far ahead should I book?

Most shoots book within a week. Sites needing a longer airspace approval need considerably more lead time, which is why the address matters more than the date at first contact.