Hello all, I've just recently gotten a used Air 2s and studying for my 107. I'd like like to use it to generate additional income, or ALL my income if that works out, but I'm looking for ideas. I have a good friend who is an award winning wedding photagrapher and while not trying to discourage me, his counsel was, "drones are so cheap now that everyone just buys their own". Which I get and I see so far it's been true. Every realestate broker I've spoken with does their own drone shots. So I'm looking for some kind of niche that I can work into that's untapped at this point.

Thanks,
Western NY USA

It's quite a few years since you could get work doing real estate shots in my part of the world.
Real estate never made real money anyway.

Labroides Posted at 12-4 05:03
It's quite a few years since you could get work doing real estate shots in my part of the world.
Real estate never made real money anyway.

So then what do you do, if anything? I'm not sure I want to do wedding, and I'd be willing to spend more if that equals work. I'm a contractor, I buy tools to make money all the time, but I need to know that it WILL pay for itself before I buy. Or it's just a toy. I don't know about mapping, is there a future in that?

Dark Horse Posted at 12-4 06:09
So then what do you do, if anything? I'm not sure I want to do wedding, and I'd be willing to spend more if that equals work. I'm a contractor, I buy tools to make money all the time, but I need to know that it WILL pay for itself before I buy. Or it's just a toy. I don't know about mapping, is there a future in that?

A drone pilot I know is contracted to a major local roofer and he does all the preliminary roofing inspections.  Not sure what it pays but it is very steady work for him.  He has an Air 2S and just bought the Mavic 3 Classic.  

Dark Horse Posted at 12-4 06:09
So then what do you do, if anything? I'm not sure I want to do wedding, and I'd be willing to spend more if that equals work. I'm a contractor, I buy tools to make money all the time, but I need to know that it WILL pay for itself before I buy. Or it's just a toy. I don't know about mapping, is there a future in that?

Weddings are like real estate.
Very few people want to hire someone just to shoot aerials.
The drone is just another tool for the guy who does all the photography or video.
And your friend is correct ... drones are cheap and simple.
Anyone who wants them buys their own and does it themselves.
The days of easy money disappeared several years back.

albertnakali Posted at 2-5 06:15
Well, if you're willing to profit, there are many options on the internet, you just need to find something suitable. Personally, I decided to get into forex trading with a broker from https://topbrokers.com/, and I also check all the necessary charts there, so I think you can consider such an option as well.

And exactly how is your drone used for this?

Dark Horse Posted at 2-5 08:47
And exactly how is your drone used for this?

You won't get a reply from a spammer

Labroides Posted at 2-5 08:55
You won't get a reply from a spammer

I wanted to give him a chance in case he just has a hard time  discerning drones from finances......

Labroides Posted at 2-5 08:55
You won't get a reply from a spammer

Besides, I don't know, maybe you use your drone to spy on people when they're accessing their finances, then you steal their identity and get rich... I guess that's a way to do it too.

wow and very nice https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=250795

Porn videos....

I mean, come on, you want people that make money in a niche found by them to tell you a free info that was obtained by them in many times with years of work...
How does this sound?

Geo_Drone Posted at 10-23 02:32
Porn videos....

I mean, come on, you want people that make money in a niche found by them to tell you a free info that was obtained by them in many times with years of work...

When you put it like that, it doesn't sound reasonable. However, when you just ask a generic question, it sounds a lot better! So just between the 2 of us, what are you doing to make extra money with your drone?

Dark Horse Posted at 10-23 13:56
When you put it like that, it doesn't sound reasonable. However, when you just ask a generic question, it sounds a lot better! So just between the 2 of us, what are you doing to make extra money with your drone?

I use resources from here, I change the entire fleet of drones when is needed, I sign contracts and keep the team filled with projects...
Hope this helps.

I had a friend who wanted me to fly over his property to basically map it out and know what was on his land. I did not charge for it because he was a close friend of mine, but thats always an idea. I told him his trees were about 100 feet. Working for a roofing company is also a really good idea as suggested above.

I do roof inspections, done tower inspections, real estate photography, and I do some mapping for property as well.  I have done some miscellaneous other things as well.  I have used my other drone a Phantom 4 Pro for some things but mainly now my Air2S is my main drone that I use for my jobs anymore.  I only had 3 batteries for my Phantom 4 Pro and that didn't last me through the whole day of shooting and I had to wait to recharge them.  And batteries for them being over $180 a battery, I didn't want to buy a new battery.  Yes I could buy a knock off but I couldn't trust the battery.  So I moved to the Air2S and there was a gentlemen that was selling 5 genuine brand new Air2S batteries on Facebook Marketplace for $250.  I bought them and they are perfect.  He bought them by mistake and needed to get rid of them and was past the return policy for DJI.  SO I lucked out there.  So I have 8 batteries for my Air2S, letting me make it through a whole day of work.

Offer your drone services for inspecting infrastructure, such as bridges, power lines, or cell towers. Drones can reach areas that are challenging for humans and can provide high-resolution imagery for detailed inspections.

very nice!