Imagine the money you could make (and fun you could have!) if you flew for profit. Sadly, drone businesses aren't legal in the United States unless the government makes an exception for you -- or unless you get your own drone license under the FAA's brand-new rules. Starting Monday, August 29, you can apply for your very own license by passing a multiple-choice test and paying a small fee. You could get fined $1,100 (or more) for operating your unmanned aerial system (UAS) for business purposes without FAA approval. It's the official name for the drone license I've been talking about. With it, you can legally fly drones with intention of making a profit -- either by selling the footage, delivering goods and everything in between. You still have to follow a lot of restrictions when you fly...but more on those in a bit. You don't need the certificate...but you do still need to register your drone if it weighs over half a pound (0.55lb to be precise). Oh, but if you're a drone racer -- weaving through obstacles with a nifty set of first-person-view glasses on your head -- you'll still need that Remote Pilot Certificate.

At least that's what the FAA tells Forbes. OK, that does sound like a lot. Let's break it down. You need to call, email or submit an online request form with one of the two companies supervising the test -- not the test center. CATS (Computer Assisted Testing Service): PSI (formerly LaserGrade): According to testing centers we called, CATS and PSI handle pretty much everything, including assigning you a test center and accepting your $150 payment. In the San Francisco Bay Area, it's not too bad as of August 26. One testing center told us they were booked for two weeks, another said they had openings later in the week. There are 686 of them across the United States. Check for yourself in the FAA's full, official list of test centers (PDF). You'll need to call CATS or PSI to get your appointment, though. While the FAA's website says you can just walk in, testing centers in the San Francisco Bay Area told us we needed to arrange everything with CATS or PSI first.You get two hours to answer 60 multiple-choice questions, and you only need to answer 70 percent of them correctly to pass!

(You can totally miss 18 questions and still succeed.)But these aren't exactly easy questions. You'll probably need to study.While monitoring the Cooperstown CTAF you hear an aircraft announce that they are midfield left downwind to RWY 13. Where would the aircraft be relative to the runway? (Refer to FAA-CT-8080-2G, Figure 26, area 2.)A. The aircraft is East.B. The aircraft is South.C. The aircraft is West.That's just one of the FAA's sample questions. Find more here (PDF).The FAA actually offers a free two-hour training course (register here first) to get you up to speed, plus an 87-page study guide (PDF).But you may need more help than that, because the FAA's course materials don't explain some of the simplest concepts in plain English. For instance, would you believe you can answer the sample question above without looking at a map? I didn't figure it out until I found this third-party study guide by drone manufacturer 3DR. If you get lost, here's a complete set of instructions. Not so much -- as you'll see when you study, there are a lot of rules (PDF) about when and where you can fly your drone.

Unless you get a 107 waiver (and you need to apply for those months in advance), you can't fly: Also, you need to register your drone (if it weighs between 0.55 and 55 pounds), do pre-flight checks before you fly and report any accidents that hurt people or do $500 worth of damage to property. macdev drone dx vs alien invasionYou can't do it with a drone license, or even a 107 waiver. x3ap where to buy freight dronesOnly a 333 exemption (which are hard to get, can take a long time and generally require a real pilot's license to fly) can let you pilot something that heavy. macdev drone dx maintenanceBut in many cases, you can't actually fly a drone for profit under the 333 unless you're a certified pilot. how much does a private drone cost

The Remote Pilot Certificate is another option. If you want your Remote Pilot Certificate, you can actually skip the knowledge test and take the online training course instead. ar drone helicopter priceYou'll still need to fill out a form, make an in-person appointment and have completed a flight review within the last two years, so it's not necessarily any easier. ar drone for sale australiaHere's a step-by-step guide for existing pilots. Yes, the FAA says package delivery is OK -- but it'd be tough! Particularly given the rule about needing to keep the drone within eyesight, and the one about drones needing to weigh 55 pounds or less. It'd probably be easier to just hand someone their food. That could be tough, too. You can't fly over people without a waiver, and the FAA says those will take months. But if you're not reporting live, or not directly over people... the FAA says media companies can do it.

Someone needs to: either you, or a second person who can act as a visual observer. If you've never flown before, buy a toy drone. Not kidding -- you'll learn the basic motor skills without any risk of hurting people or turning a $1,000+ aerial camera into scrap. Then, pick one of our top-rated prosumer drones that matches your needs and budget. So far, so good...but there's still a lot to think about. Maybe you'll want to insure your drone against damage, and yourself against liability? You'll definitely want to practice flying and camera skills, and you'll need to figure out how to convince potential clients that you're right for the job. Lastly, know that your Remote Pilot Certificate is only good for two years. You'll need to pass another knowledge test once that's done.There are two aspects to becoming a professional: Appearing Professional and Being Professional. Appearing professional is a matter of how you present yourself and how you are perceived. Being professional, on the other hand, is a matter of how you conduct business and includes having the functionality that a professional drone photographer should have.

This course will cover information on how to increase your level of professionalism and will recommend tools and practices that can take your business to the next level. A huge part of both being and appearing professional is having the right equipment. There are many drone models available to enthusiasts in the market today and you have to do some research in order to figure out which model is right for you. Thankfully, doing this research is not hard thanks to others who have gathered that information and compiled it in a user-friendly manners for us. Multivariable Drone Search Engine What should I charge? There is no standard rate for drone photography services. Applications range from real estate photography to building inspection and drone operators can charge from $200/hr to $5,000 per session. It does not really cost you any money to fly your drone or edit the footage, so your price will be determined by the value you provide instead. Just by owning a drone and being able to operate it, you can provide the cheapest, most effective aerial photography solution available to people and businesses today. 

Before drones were popular, aerial footage was taken from an airplane or helicopter usually at a very high cost and lower quality than what drones can deliver. It’s important to keep in mind the unique advantages that drone photography offers. Drones can take high definition photos and videos from any angle on any property. The right shots can make a big difference in a marketing campaign, help sell a house, provide a new perspective on big problems, or share amazing views. Do you get paid for taking pictures? The answer is NO, well sort of.. As an aerial photographer you are not just selling pictures. You are also selling your knowledge, skills, and expertise as a professional. Many people take pictures. You can find photographers taking pictures for as cheap as $100, to photographers charging as much as $10,000+. Whether you choose to charge $100 or $10,000 for your services your client will always expect the same thing; So why charge less if you deliver the same product anyways?

The value of your product is determined by the quality of your work and the price tag you put on it. Do not sell your services short and do not to leave money on the table. Communicating your value is possibly the most important aspect of setting a price for a shoot. Regardless of the price point you choose for a particular job you have to be able to explain where your value is coming from. You don’t want to propose a $1,000 shoot and have a client outraged at the fact that “all you are doing is taking pictures”. As we discussed earlier, you are not just taking pictures. You are selling your professionalism; you are selling your equipment, your skill, your quality… You know all this because you are the professional, your client may not know this. It is your job to COMMUNICATE YOUR VALUE to your clients. Half Day (4hrs) – $550 Full Day (8hrs) – $933 *Statistics were calculated from data collected from drone photography listings across the U.S.. Costs do not include additional expenses (travel, etc.).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT Photographers can make additional income by selling the copyright to the pictures they take. Your regular flight charge might include a 5 year credited copyright that allows clients to use your footage for 5 years as long as they credit you. For an additional fee the client could buy the full copyright to your footage giving them unlimited control over it without having to credit you. For more information check out: Photography Copyright and The Law Until recently, homeowner’s insurance policies covered radio controlled aircraft. However, with innovations in the drone industry, insurance companies have begun reconsidering the coverage of these policies. Whenever doing anything commercial in nature it is smart to consider what could go wrong and limit your liability if anything were to happen. This is where Liability Insurance comes in. Drone specific liability policies are slowly becoming developed by companies as the market expands.

For more information on… What drone insurance is Accident and liability coverage How much UAS insurance costs How to get insured Companies that will insure your UAV How to file a drone insurance claim …make sure to refer to this section’s “Reference Links” box. One of the most important and effective marketing tools a photographer has is his portfolio. With the use of a portfolio an operator can not only attract business but also set themselves apart from others offering the same service. When building your portfolio it is important to remember to keep a consistent quality across all your presented work. Your attention to detail on the editing of a photograph or the angle of approach for a video could be the selling point that creates customers out of people viewing your work. The first thing to consider when creating an online portfolio is whether you want to build your own website or use an existing portfolio building platform.

Both sides have their pros and cons but what it comes down to is this: A personal website will be the most customizable of all available options. Building a good looking website will take time but in the long run will offer a larger range of artistic possibilities than any builder site. Having a personal website you will have to worry about generating traffic to it through SEO and other technical marketing strategies including but not limited to online solutions. A portfolio building website will be the fastest and most user friendly solution. Most photographers are not website builders however through the use of customizable templates they are able to create professional looking pages to showcase their work. Furthermore, when using a builder site you will not have to worry about SEO since the website manages that and there are usually already strategies in place to draw traffic to the site. For more information on what to consider when creating your portfolio check out:

Tips on Creating Your Online Photography Portfolio HiFly Photography offers artistic, easy to use portfolios for both aspiring and established aerial photographers. By creating your portfolio at HiFly you are automatically added to our directory of professional photographers and can be searched by customers in your area. As a professional it is your job to maintain yourself fully informed about everything aerial photography related. Whether it be drone law, new quadcopter hardware or new software having current knowledge of your field of expertise is the most telltale sign of professionalism. The good news is that despite the rapidly changing world of drones achieving this is not as hard as it sounds! There are many news outlets on the web that are tailored for drone fanatics and sUAV enthusiasts. Staying up to date on the world of drones is as easy as scrolling through the main page of your choice of news sources everyday. Top 100 Drone News Websites 2015 THINGS EVERY AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDS TO KNOW