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Do you see the world from a different angle? Drones have gone from hobby fascination to career path in a few short years. What was once a fun backyard activity has serious earning potential for people who have a drone pilot license. Companies are looking for ways to improve their service without driving up pricing for their customers. More and more industries are realizing the benefits of capturing and providing aerial footage, and they know that hiring drone pilots can improve their service.  

Top Industries Using Drone Technology 

Insurance – When severe weather strikes, homeowners rush to call their insurance company to inspect the damage. Insurance companies are leveraging drones to examine the roof or structural damage after a major storm. They can hire a drone pilot to inspect a roof rather than sending a claims inspector up to inspect the damage personally, providing accurate claims information without the risk.  

Agriculture – A farmer or rancher can leverage drone footage to survey acres of crops. Crop farmers can improve yields. This form of precision agriculture helps farmers identify and solve issues on the land. If severe weather strikes, farmers can capture real-time drone footage after a storm to aid in crop insurance claims.  

Construction – Drone operations are aiding construction companies by surveying the land so that construction supervisors can accurately plot projects. The survey data can be used for planning work and keeping projects on target once they are started. Without drone footage, surveyors manually collect data, spending hours or days doing what a skilled drone operator can do in minutes.  

Energy – Drone operators are assisting energy companies in providing faster and more cost-effective ways of inspecting power lines, solar panels, and wind turbines. Energy companies can spot problems faster and make repairs more efficiently. Drones are often instrumental after a major storm in safely assessing damage to power lines or wind turbines, identifying problems before making them operational again.  

Video Production – Wide, sweeping shots are often courtesy of a drone. Drone pilots are able to capture aerial coverage that would be expensive and time-consuming to do without this technology.  

Earning Your Operator’s License 

Interested in getting your drone operator’s license? Now is a great time – the field is growing as industries see the value in leveraging drone technology in their business. In order to become a Drone Pilot, you must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. This certificate demonstrates that you understand the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones. 

Before getting licensed, it is beneficial to take a course in drone operation. Iowa Valley Continuing Education offers a course to teach the basics, and help you develop an understanding of drone operation. The course will prepare you for the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) exam and will help you understand what you need to know for the knowledge exam.  

Being a drone pilot can be exciting and rewarding, and is an in-demand career, with huge growth opportunity! Interested in learning more? Contact Morgan Frederick with Iowa Valley Continuing Education for more information on upcoming classes.