All This Just To Build A Drone Site For A Buddy

I’m about to start building a drone site for a friend in July, and in the meantime I figured I should start gathering content and learning the space properly.

The only problem?

If I’m going to do this, I have to do it legally.

And apparently “just build a site about drones” turns into quite a bit more work when you decide you actually want to understand the rules instead of pretending you do.

So far, that has meant getting my TRUST certificate, registering every drone I own that weighs more than 250 grams with the FAA, ordering and installing drone navigation lights that are visible from 3 nautical miles, and starting the process of working toward my Part 107 license so I can legally fly commercially.

Unlike some of the many YouTubers you see that are unlicensed. I will be legal.

On top of that, I’ve had to learn how to file a flight plan, how to read airspace maps, and how to make sense of all the rules that come with flying in the real world instead of just watching YouTube videos and thinking, “Yeah, I could probably do that.” Yeah maybe, but not legally. in this country, a drone license is required and registering your drones is mandatory.

There are a lot of hoops to jump through if you want to do this the right way.

But honestly, if I’m going to build a drone site for someone and create content around it, I want to actually know what I’m talking about. I don’t want to fake my way through it. I want to understand the laws, the gear, the limitations, and what it really takes to fly legally and safely.

By the time this project gets rolling, I should be in a position where I’m not just building a drone site for a buddy. I’ll also be working toward being able to fly commercially and get paid for it once I complete my Part 107 certification.

There is a fact that is further enticing my decision to do this. If I sale just one video from a flight commercially, This entire project will have paid for itself entirely, everything else I sell to clients after that one is straight profit.

So yes… this all started because I agreed to build a site for a friend.

Now I’m registering drones, studying FAA rules, learning airspace, and adding commercial drone work to the list.

So what would you do for a Klondike bar? Hold my beer and watch this.