number of expenses to consider. This includes buying the drone itself, which can cost anywhere from several hun- dred to tens of thousands of dollars. Other costs are testing fees for the pilot(s), registration fees with the Fed- eral Aviation Administration (FAA), and a drone insurance policy. Pellettieri says the third-party soft- ware for post-processing is a sizable expense and you may also need some computer equipment to use it, such as additional cloud storage for all the data you collect.
“Managing the data in a way that gets the most value from the drone is actually the bigger task, and it’s rarely included in the early back-of-the-nap- kin estimates,” Brooks says. “Data processing, storage, and access can be done in-house as well, but the costs for this are significant. An off-the-shelf drone might seem cheap, but an off- the-shelf blade server? Not so much. And that’s before we even talk about making sure that data is secure.”
Continued on page 16 Photo: Pellettieri Associates, Inc. Drone Operation Requirements
WHILE DRONES ARE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR THE DESIGN planning process, Pellettieri cautions drones do require substantial time, money and interest to launch them successfully.
“We first started the process two years ago, have worked diligently to launch our drone operations, and we’re still experimenting with different types of data, file formats, and refining and honing our process internally today,” he says. “So, it’s not like buying a new leaf blower that employees will be able to use on day one. It’s more like incor- porating a crane or specialty piece of equipment into your operations – you need the right equipment and people who are trained and authorized to operate it safely.” Currently, the minimum requirements to operate a drone for your business includes: Earning your Part 107 certification for the Pilot in Command and a second person who acts as a Visual Observer (spotter).
Registering your drone with the Fed- eral Aviation Administration (FAA).
Having an insurance policy to cover the aircraft and your operations on a client’s property.
However, because regulations are constantly evolving, it’s best do your re- search on this by starting at the FAA’s website. This agency has up-to-date guidance on the licensing, operational requirements, and markings you’ll need to put on your aircraft. In Pellettieri’s case, he is the compa- ny’s pilot. He studied for his Part 107 certification for a few months before taking the test. He encourages those planning to take the test to put in a fair amount of hours studying and to take practice tests.
“It’s harder and more extensive than most people would expect – you need to learn a lot about FAA rules and regulations, weather conditions, how to read sectional charts, and how to
operate a UAV safely to name a few,” Pellettieri says. “I’ve seen folks think it will be easy to pass the test, go in to test with minimal studying, and not pass the first time. You also need to stay up to date on the ever-changing regulations and renew your certification every two years.”
Operating drones calls for a significant investment
of time and money. Photo: Pellettieri Associates, Inc.
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