Using Drones to Increase Safety and Efficiency of Roof Inspections, Surveys, and Measurements

Your Fast Track to Professional Drone Photography

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Drone Launch Academy Bundle

Aerial Roof Inspection Pro

Using Drones to Increase Safety and Efficiency of Roof Inspections, Surveys, and Measurements

What is Aerial Roof Inspection Pro?

The roofing inspection industry offers a great opportunity to make a profit while helping others ensure that their structure is up to code. However, inspecting roofs can be dangerous at times, and there is a lot you need to know before you jump up on a roof and begin to assess its quality.

There’s good news, though: new technology is making it cheaper, easier, and safer than ever for you to conduct roof inspections. The use of drones allows you to survey a roof without having to go up on the roof at all, in some cases.

Why aren’t you making money with your drone?

You’ve done everything you needed to do. You’ve learned all about drones and the FAA’s regulations, you’ve taken the Part 107 Exam and you have your remote pilot certificate. You were so excited to get out there and start making money with your new drone business!

But…

That’s not exactly how it all unfolded. You got a few clients here and there, but you can’t seem to get a steady stream of revenue. Even after scouring drone job networks (i.e. DroneBase, Droners.io), you still can’t find people who really want your drone services. So where are all the clients? Where is this “booming industry” that got you excited to join the drone field?

Maybe your problem is that you don’t have a unique, marketable skill.

There are thousands of drone operators out there, so how are you going to differentiate yourself and attract clients? Sure, you have knowledge about drones and the regulations around flying them, but do you have specialized drone skills?

If your answer is a reluctant “… no…”, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

Your dream of making money with your drone is not dead!

People are making money with drones, and you can, too!

You’ve probably heard the success stories of specialized drone operators making thousands of dollars a MONTH—we’ve heard them, too (check out our Drones to 1K podcast to hear stories of business owners that are thriving in the drone industry, making over $1,000 a month).

Maybe you’re wishing that you were at the same level as these people, turning a love for drones into a profitable source of revenue… but you’re feeling like you don’t have the knowledge and skills necessary to make that kind of money. Every day that goes by that you keep waiting around and wishing you had these specialized skills, you’re losing potential profit. Think about it this way: if you want to make $1,000/month conducting aerial roof inspections, but you’re currently just wishing you had the knowledge and skills to do so, you’re missing out on a potential $12,000/year. Think about all the money you’re losing!

A real life drone business success story

Let us tell you a story about Sinuhe. He was feeling a bit like you are right now. He was a solar panel salesman. His job entailed going to potential customers’ homes, climbing up his ladder to inspect their roof, and giving them a quote for solar panel installations. He was working really hard to make sales and get clients, but he had dreams of doing more than just selling solar panels.

He heard about drones and how they were “the future,” so he decided to buy one. As he began to use his drone more and more, he soon realized that they could offer him a huge advantage in his job.

Paired with his knowledge and skills in the solar industry, he discovered that drones could help speed up the process of roof inspections, as well as make his job infinitely safer.

With a drone, Sinuhe was able to take aerial images of roofs, which allowed him to avoid going up on some roofs altogether. And because he was able to take images of the entire roof, he was also able to upsell his clients on things he would’ve never known they needed if he hadn’t been able to see the whole roof.

Not only was his job process safer and more efficient, but it also allowed him to make more money. Without the possibility of human errors (such as mismeasurements or just plain missing something), he was able to provide more accurate quotes. Not to mention, his customers were also very impressed with his innovative attitude.

Because he has such niche skills, Sinuhe has been able to move away from the door-to-door solar salesman industry and into being his own boss! He was able to take what he knew about solar and roofs and combine it with drones to build a money-making business. He is now a contractor, specializing in roof surveying and inspecting for realtors. Sinuhe was able to develop a successful and repeatable system that he can use every time he goes out to do a roof inspection.

At Drone Launch Academy, we see that the solar and roof inspection industries are growing rapidly:

However, without drones, the roofing industry can be extremely dangerous: last year, roofing was ranked #4 on their list of the 34 most dangerous jobs in the US, with a fatal injury rate of 48.6 per 100,000 workers and a non-fatal injury rate of 3,257 per 100,000 workers. And according to OSHA, in 2017, 39.2% of construction industry deaths were a result of falls.

We feel that the use of drones is the best way to transform the roofing industry.

Drones won’t only help improve the safety of the industry, but they will also help make inspectors’ jobs easier. With a drone, you can take some photos, and be done. Without a drone, you may have to spend days inspecting large roofs. Drones will save you so much time and effort—they’ll spare you from having to climb up onto every. single. roof.

Not to mention, after taking this course, your newfound understanding of drone inspections could land you inspection jobs that pay an average (nationally) of $290-$350. So, booking just two drone roof inspection jobs as a result of this new knowledge could cover the cost of the course.

Meet your instructors

Remember Sinuhe? Well, Sinuhe and his partner, Riley, are the instructors for this course. They are roof inspection experts who decided to partner with us at DLA to create this course because they want to help others grow successful aerial inspection businesses.

What can you expect from the course?

Alright, so this all sounds like a pretty promising business opportunity, right? We know you probably still have lots of questions:

• How do I get certified to commercially fly a drone?
• How do I fly close to houses and buildings without crashing?
• What kinds of drones are best for roof inspections?
• How do I find potential clients?
• How much should I charge for aerial roof inspection services?
• What types of photos do I need to take during a roof inspection?
• How do I use the photos I take with my drone to create an estimate for clients?

Well, good news, this course will answer all of your questions about the entire process of inspecting a roof with your drone. Throughout the course, you will:

• Learn the terminology and anatomy of a roof.
• Become familiar with the types of roofs and materials you may encounter.
• Learn how to plan for your drone roof inspection flight.
• Understand how to collect data (including a full site inspection walk-through).
• Learn how to conduct an automated flight (including free vs. paid app comparisons).
• Learn how to process data to create a roof report.
• Job shadow actual residential and commercial examples.
• Learn how to market these services for your own business.
• View interviews of industry professionals.

Course Curriculum

Welcome to the Course

Welcome to Aerial Roof Inspection Pro (6:56)

First Steps

Roof Types and Features

Roof Types and Features: Intro (2:06)

Roof Types (4:25)

Roofing Materials (3:46)

Roof Obstructions and Vents (2:25)

Roof Anatomy and Terminology (3:34)

Roof Types and Features: Practice Quiz

Identifying Roof Damage

Identifying Roof Damage: Intro (1:49)

Roof Damage Examples – 1 (4:52)

Roof Damage Examples – 2 (5:41)

Roof Damage Examples – 3 (4:36)

Roof Damage Examples – 4 (5:43)

Final Thoughts on Identifying Roof Damage (1:00)

Identifying Roof Damage: Practice Quiz

What else is included with this course?

This course also includes a printable workbook to take notes in, a printable set of step-by-step guidelines that you can take with you to a job site, and the opportunity for you to receive a CARSS Certification.

You may be thinking: … huh? A what?

CARSS stands Certified Aerial Roof Survey Specialist designation. Once you’ve completed the course, you can submit a capstone project. Upon completion of your capstone project, you can apply for a CARSS Certificate, which will help you stand out and prove to future customers that you are an expert in the field.

Are you ready to take your roof inspections to the next level with drones?

Ready to become knowledgeable about the use of drones for roof inspections and make more money?!

We’re ready, too. Join us for this interactive, information-packed course that will give you the expertise you need to grow your roof inspection business (and profits) with drones!

 

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Exam Prep Course

Pass The First Time or We’ll Give Your Money Back AND Reimburse Your Testing Center Fees.

What is the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Exam Prep Course?

Meet Your Course Instructors…

David Young, Chief Instructor

David is the founder of Drone Launch Academy. He is an FAA-Certified Advanced Ground Instructor, which means he has been tested and certified by the FAA to prepare students for FAA knowledge exams, such as the Unmanned Aircraft knowledge exam. Mr. Young is also an FAA-Certified Remote Pilot and has had his Private Pilot Certificate for nearly a decade.

Andrew Zimmitti, Regulation Instructor

Andrew Zimmitti is a partner at the prestigious law firm, Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, LLP, located in Washington, DC. Mr. Zimmitti has been practicing law for over 20 years, and is well versed in aviation and drone law. Combining his experience as an FAA-Certified Private Pilot and career in the Navy and top-tier law firms, Andrew assists clients in navigating the regulatory environment of UAV operations.

Col. Don Berchoff (USAF Ret.), Weather Instructor

Don Berchoff is a retired Air Force Colonel who was once the Chief of Weather Programs for the entire United States Air Force. After completing his service with the Air Force, Col. Berchoff became the Director of Science and Technology at the National Weather Service. Don also was the Base Commander at the Air Force base in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, where he led 1,500 coalition forces. Don is currently the CEO of TruWeather Solutions.

Maj. Nathan Green (USAF Ret.), Weather Instructor

Nathan was a Major in the United States Air Force, where he led weather operations for Air Force One and the Air Force Chief of Staff. Maj. Green was a meteorologist and weather forecaster for military UAV operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the Air Force, Nathan contributed to the FAA’s NEXGEN weather program which is instrumental in enhancing future passenger airline safety and reducing system-wide weather delays.

Course Curriculum

Getting ed

Here! (6:00)

Join Our Part 107 Community (1:46)

Getting Support

FAA Charts Download

Regulation

Introduction and Background (1:40)

Part 107 Eligibility and Requirements (1:40)

Drone Registration and Remote Pilot In Command (1:50)

Hazardous Operations (0:53)

Regulatory Deviation and Accident Reporting (2:07)

Operating Limitations (3:49)

Flight Over People (9:03)

Flight Over Moving Vehicles (3:19)

Flight At Night (3:50)

Visual Line of Sight (2:35)

Airspace Restrictions and Requirements (1:41)

Preflight Requirements (1:20)

Waivers and Compliance (1:53)

Remote ID (3:24)

Radio Communications

What You Need To Know About Sectional Charts For This Section (9:06)

Communication Procedures (5:10)

UNICOM and ATIS (3:37)

Phonetic Alphabet and Aircraft Call Signs (3:42)

Radio Phraseology (5:31)

Airspace

Introduction to the National Airspace (2:27)

Your Best Friend-The Section Chart Legend (2:48)

Understanding Above Ground Level (AGL) vs. Mean Sea Level (MSL) (2:48)

Class A Airspace (2:22)

Class B Airspace (4:28)

Class C Airspace (3:53)

Class D Airspace (3:51)

Class E Airspace (5:04)

Class G Airspace (2:04)

Special Use Airspace

Reading Sectional Charts

Intro and Legend (3:54)

How to Read Airport Data Block (3:11)

How to Read Obstruction Information (5:09)

Latitude and Longitude (9:07)

Reading Class E Airspace on Sectional Charts (7:50)

Reading Class D Airspace on Sectional Charts (10:49)

Reading Class C Airspace on Sectional Charts (6:00)

Reading Class B Airspace on Sectional Charts (7:25)

VFR Checkpoints

Victor Airways

Class D and E Airspace, Obstructions, MOAs, Airport Elevations (4:18)

Class C Airspace and Military Training Routes (5:17)

Class B Airspace (4:39)

Magnetic Variation (0:50)

Effects of Weather

Introduction to Weather (1:53)

Air Masses and Fronts (2:31)

Atmospheric Stability (2:17)

Temperature Inversions (2:18)

Temperature and Dew Point (3:47)

Clouds and Icing (3:49)

Thunderstorms (3:44)

Density Altitude (2:57)

Atmospheric Pressure (2:39)

Wind (1:32)

Low-Level Windshear and Microbursts (2:40)

Sources of Weather Information

Internet Sources of Weather (1:21)

METARs (7:18)

Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs) (6:51)

METAR and TAF Glossary

Convective SIGMETs (1:31)

Loading and Performance

Introduction and The Four Forces (1:09)

Lift (1:09)

Stalls (2:21)

Center of Gravity and Stability (3:18)

Weight and Loading (1:25)

Bank Angle Effect on Load Factor (3:05)

Airport Operations

Types of Airports (5:20)

Monitoring ATC Communications (2:52)

Runway Markings and Signage (4:54)

Airport Traffic Patterns (11:23)

Security Identification Display Areas

Bird and Wildlife Hazards

Emergency Procedures

Lithium Batteries

Loss of Control-Link, Fly-Aways, and Loss of GPS

Frequency Spectrums

Maintenance and Inspection

Scheduled and Unscheduled Maintenance

Pre-Flight Inspection

Record Keeping

Persons That May Perform Maintenance

Physiology

Dehydration and Heatstroke

Alcohol

Prescription and Over-the-Counter Meds

Hyperventilation

Stress

Fatigue

Vision

Fitness for Flight

Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM)

ADM Process

Crew Resource Management (CRM)

Situational Awareness

Safety Management System (SMS)

Hazardous Attitudes

PAVE Checklist

Practice Exams

Practice Exam Intro

Regulation Practice Exam

Radio Communications Practice Exam

Airspace Practice Exam

Reading Sectional Charts Practice Exam

Effects of Weather Practice Exam

Sources of Weather Information Practice Exam

Loading and Performance Practice Exam

Airport Operations Practice Exam

Emergency Procedures Practice Exam

Maintenance and Inspection Practice Exam

Physiology Practice Exam

Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) Practice Exam

Final Practice Exam

Final Practice Exam (4:46)

What’s Next?

Registering For and Taking Your FAA Exam (10:30)

Part 107 Course Feedback

Leave a Review

Recurrent FAA Part 107 Testing

Online Recurrent Training

Aerial Photo Pro

Your Fast Track to Professional Drone Photography

Do you want to make stunning drone photos but don’t really know where to start or how to capture and edit those “WOW” drone shots?

Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?…

• What’s the best software to edit drone photos with (that’s also inexpensive)?
• What are the best “go to” settings on the drone for great photography?
• Can I get really great photos with the drone I already have?
• Do I need to use filters or other add-ons when taking photos? What do those even do?
• I hear some people charging hundreds of dollars per hour for drone work. Is that even possible?
• Can I and should I be shooting in HDR with my drone? What even IS HDR?
• What are the best altitudes and angles to take photos at when shooting things like real estate?
• How do I take and edit a great sunset photo with my drone?
• How do I get my drone photos to look crisp, sharp, and not blurry?

If you’ve ever struggled with any of the above questions, you’re not alone.

Many drone pilots hear that drone photography is just a “race to the bottom” and that its impossible to make money. That is simply not the case (if you acquire the right skills and know how to get clients to find you).

You might be thinking, “I don’t believe you.” We know its hard to think this can be possible, given that people seem to always complain on social media about low rates and no work. So we wanted to share a few screenshots of Alex’s rates and people hounding him for business…

PEOPLE WANT PHOTOGRAPHERS.

NOT JUST DRONE PILOTS.

People Want Photographers, Not Just Drone Pilots

Beautiful drone photography is generally achieved through having the skills of a good photographer, rather than just being a great pilot. Having a drone simply allows you to achieve a vantage point that’s usually not accessible with regular cameras. But framing the shot, adjusting the camera settings, and knowing how to edit the photo afterwards are more photography skills, and not as much drone flying skills.

Just because you own a drone, doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be able to take great drone shots. But lucky for you, in this course, we breakdown EVERYTHING you need to know in order to take drone photos that WOW people.

What You’ll Be Able to Do After Completing Aerial Photo Pro

Below we are going to show you some ACTUAL photos from the course. Alex walks you through step by step on his process from taking the bland, RAW file, to the picturesque finished product.

 What Is Covered In the Course?

You might be thinking… “This all sounds great, but what exactly is included in the course? I know I’ll be able to make awesome looking drone photos, but whats the process? What will you be teaching me?”

In Aerial Photo Pro, you will learn…

• The EXACT step by step process Alex uses to get incredible drone shots

• From takeoff to capturing the photo to landing to editing, Alex walks you through each element you need to master in order to get drone photos worthy of sharing and getting paid

• How Alex shares and promotes his work so that clients are begging him for his drone photography services

• A detailed and simplified walk through of the photo editing software

• When and where you do and don’t need to use filters on your drone’s camera

• How to research and scope out your location BEFORE you even drive there, so you don’t waste time

• How the PROs frame up shots and the guidelines they use to help them have consistency

• The secret to cleaning up unsightly objects that mess up your photos (wish that car wasn’t in the parking lot? Done.)

• How to take photos in low-light that have that “glowing” look

• Best practice for real estate photography… how high to shoot and what angles you need

• How to shoot panoramic photos with your drone

After Aerial Photo Pro, You’ll Be Able To…

(Side Note: This photo that Alex shot has been liked and shared on Instagram tens of thousands of times…)

Do you want to develop the professional drone photography and editing skills that can wow people and gain recognition?

Join Aerial Photo Pro to learn how.