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Drone Insurance – What You Need To Know

November 18, 2017 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Drone Pilot Drone Insurance What To Know

Whether you’re hiring a drone operator for your project or are a drone operator who is asking yourself, “What insurance do I need for my drone business?”, this article will get you pointed down the right path.

I asked “The Drone Insurance Guy”, Evan Garmon, what are the keys you need to know.

Note that I am not providing insurance advice and you should consult your insurance agent for your specific needs. Evan has specialized in insurance for drone operators and so you should consider him as a resource when trying to sort out your options.

Here’s what he said.

What is Drone Insurance and Why is it Necessary?

Drones (otherwise known as UAV’s or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are here to stay and will change the airspace as we now see it. This innovative technology does not come without risk to the operator and to the general public, hence the reason UAV insurance is now an insurance product.

While operators in much of the United States (except for Minnesota) are not required to have a policy in place to cover commercial operations, it is still wise to have liability coverage.

When contracting a UAV operation whether it be for aerial photography of real estate, marketing purposes, inspection, or any other currently unknown uses, there are a few things to look for when asking for proof of coverage and the insurance certificates of UAV operators.

What Insurance is Needed and How Do You Confirm Needed Coverage Are In Place?

The Form. UAV insurance certificates do not look like the standard Acord 25 form that most see when asking for proof of coverage. UAVs are primarily insured on adapted aircraft policies and have a separate insurance certificate that can apply. The form number is the Acord 21 and will have a summary of the drones insured on the policy.

Confirm Insurance Is Current. If you’re hiring a drone operator you should verify the policy is currently in force by calling the insurance agent on the form and verify the information is accurate and up to date.

Make Sure The Specific Drone Being Used Is Covered. When looking over the aircraft coverage section, ask the operator if they will be using the unit displayed in the box or any of the other units that may be shown on another page of the certificate. An FAA registration number or UAV serial number may be displayed in the box, but make sure that the unit the operator intends to use is the same on the certificate.

$1,000,000 Limit Suggested. UAV policies currently on the market typically cover bodily injury and property damage due to a UAV crashing into a person or property. The most common limit is $1,000,000, but some policies may be written for $500,000. As best practice, Harpenau Insurance Agents do not recommend UAV operators insuring their drones liability for less than $1,000,000 since most contracts require a minimum $1,000,000.

Damage to Drone Coverage Section. Section two of the UAV policy has available coverage for the UAV itself with limits as high as the operator needs. This limit will be displayed in the Aircraft Hull limit box and will vary from unit to unit depending on the value the operator wants to cover their unit at. While not completely relevant for many to verify, it may be an indication of the operators ability to quickly purchase another aircraft in the event of an accident, thus requiring extended time to complete the work until they can either get the funds to replace the downed unit, or go purchase another one.

Other Coverages. Other coverage that may be shown on UAV certificates will be:

Medical payments coverage for small accidents that may require a trip to an urgent care clinic.
Premises liability coverage that will insure that if something happens to someone or their property while the UAV is operating and does not cause the damage, accidents can still be covered.
Personal injury coverage is a misnomer and is actually coverage for lawsuits involving invasion of privacy, libel & slander, and copyright suits. This is an important coverage to make sure the operator has due to the public perception of drones spying on people.

Additional Insured. While many request operators to show only proof of coverage, having specific language in an agreement to be added as an additional insured to the UAV policy is a great risk management practice for contractors of UAV operations to implement. Being added as an additional insured is often no cost to the operators and will make sure that if an accident occurs, you operation will have coverage under their limits as well.

Official Policy vs Insurance Certificates. It is important to note that just because the coverage is on the certificate as well as any special language in the description of operations box, it does not mean the representation is part of the official policy. Certificates of insurance are issued as a matter of fact for information purposes only. If you have questions about the operators coverage, discuss with their insurance agent the coverages they have in place. Some policies will not recognize additional insured status until the agent reports the request to the insurance carrier.

For More Information Or Insurance Questions For Your Specific Situation

Drones are here to stay and will soon be a more common part of life delivering package, recording events, and possibly saving lives with medical device delivery already being tested. If you have questions about drone insurance or would like to learn more about insuring drone operations, please contact Evan Garmon at Evan@harpenauinsurance.com

Evan Garmon is an Insurance and Risk Management Professional at Harpenau Insurance Agency in Indiana. Since 2015, Evan has specialized with insuring UAS operations across the United States. As a hobby drone pilot himself, Evan loves hearing clients stories and chatting about the latest technology. With a solid team backing him at his agency and partnered insurance carriers, Evan is proud to be a one stop insurance solution for his clients.

Other related posts you might want to check out…

7 Drone Service Hiring Tips For Residential Real Estate Agents [From Drone Operator-Insiders]

Hot To Get Your First Paid Drone Gig [18 Brief Case Studies]

Photo credit: Foter.com

Reasons Why Marketers Need Project Management Tools

November 16, 2017 by Olivia Cote Leave a Comment

Most marketers rely on their automated solutions and regularly work with different groups: like engineers, developers, and even the accounting people. What’s more, in that work, there’s a considerable amount of time and energy spent. One way to avoid this loss is using project management tools.

A project management system is an essential tool in today’s environment for all businesses. Without a project management system, most of an entrepreneur’s time is taken up doing documentation, disseminating information from clients to designers to developers and everyone in between. The benefits of a project management system is not only limited to easy communication and documentation, but it also helps you to keep track of every second of the project, helping you focus on other more important things.

To help you know if a project management system is (or is not) what you need, here are a few reasons why task management software is so essential for any business:

1) Keeping Schedules

As a marketer, you need to keep projects on schedule. But for whatever reason, things don’t always work out as planned. With a project management tool, it is easy to track the time you have on hand for a particular project. You can set the start and the end dates of your project, to help you keep track of time. Every employee gets notified of the set deadlines, and after completion of the project, you can also update your client with the work status.

2) Tracking the Projects

Manually tracking all your projects is never as efficiently done as on with software. From planning the project to tracking the deadlines, assessing work progress and profitability per project and tracking other details in a precise manner, a project planner helps you do it all like a pro. Every piece of information that you want on all your projects is available with just a click – and you can easily compare which project is better for your business.

3) Communication

It is very common for communication gaps to happen while a team is working a project. And this can spoil the project. The project management software bridges this gap and makes it easier for you to contact clients and employees, keeping them current on the project status along with other critical details. It also makes it easy for clients and employees to communicate to each other, completing the communication cycle.

Miscommunication is reduced or eliminated and unnecessary delays are avoided by using a project management tool. This keeps work flowing, employees updated and clients satisfied.

4) Easy Collaboration

While working on a project, there are different departments working on a single project. It gets hard to share all documents, files, project details and updates with every department. Project management tools come handy here. You can assign every employee, from any department, tasks on a common platform, and can also share the details, updates and documents over the software. This helps all the departments collaborate without delays due to miscommunication.

5) Swift Documentation

Unlike conventional methods, you do not have to go through different spreadsheets, files, or accounts to access project details. With project management tools, the project’s entire data set is accessible from one account and is available to the full team. This makes it easy for you to keep a record of all the documentation done on the project, and saves time, helping you work more efficiently.

While this gives you a brief understanding of how handy project management systems can be in terms of handling a project, you need to evolve your processes as technology evolves. As technology has advanced, traditional pen and paper documentation is no longer the best thing to do. It hinders your chance to grow your market and hinders the efficiency of your entire workforce. Whereas, project management systems maximize the performance of the project team and also improves the overall project workflow.

Take a step towards improved productivity, implement a project management system today.

Olivia Cote

Olivia Cote is a Digital Marketing professional and has been working under this stream from the past 15 years with the experience of determining the most creative ways to advertise the company’s products and services along with the complex product research. She has been writing blogs and articles, on topics which are related to project management, to drive the business.

Should You Be A Freelancer?

November 2, 2017 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Freelancer, Freelancing, Freelance — Photo credit: tracilawson via Foter.com / CC BY

You’ve had that feeling. You’re ready to chuck the corporate world and head off on your own business adventure. You’re your own boss. No one telling you what to do. Making your own hours. Setting your own priorities.

But are you ready for that?

How do you know?

First off, it is really easy when you’re upset, pissed off, and feel like your world is caving in around you, to think the grass is greener in the freelance life.

But is it really?

First you need to cool off. Take a step back. Give it 24-48 hours minimum to get your mind straight. There is nothing more damaging to your career or life than making a bad decision because you were in a bad emotional state.

Okay. So you got through that and you’re still thinking running your own business is where your life should be headed. What next?

How financially prepared are you?

If you didn’t have income for six to 12 months, could you survive? Do you have the savings?

How far can you scale back your fixed expenses to get you through the transition? What is your rent or mortgage? Could you downsize? Do you have car loans or student loans you have to pay on each month? Or credit card debt? Better to pay that stuff down or off before backing yourself into a financial corner.

Beyond your current spending, will your plan give you room to save? If you’re spending everything you earn you’re likely to be setting yourself up for the equivalent of a job with double the stress and risk.

Relationships are next.

How are you supported? Does your spouse, friends, family support you with this decision? When the going gets tough are they going to be in your corner, helping you through the difficult times? Or are they going to say, “I told you so.” and undermine you every chance they get.

Running your own business is hard enough as it is and entrepreneurship isn’t always as glamorous as the snake oil salesmen selling get rich quick schemes would have you believe.

Did I still not scare you off?

Then check this out and see if you have what it takes.

Is Freelancing For Me?

After checking it out if you think it is the lifestyle you want but you’re not fully prepared to make the jump yet, consider doing your new venture as a side hustle. Especially if you can keep the up front costs at a minimum, you just might be able to get it rolling and then minimize the downside risk of a failure and better time the transition to full time freelancer.

Want to get a second opinion? Contact me to schedule a call to discuss it.

A spectacular aerial view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding Coastline. Or Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I was enraptured by the video footage as it livestreamed on Facebook. The quality crystal clear. The perspectives unlike what you get from the ground.

An incredible new world has opened up.

And as the Part 107 license process began the regulation of this brave new world, drones began to move both into the mainstream and nicely aligned with the side hustle culture that was evolving in parallel.

Drones took what was once a very challenging hobby (flying RC planes, boats, cars, and helicopters) and added the combination of relatively simple hover flight coupled with an onboard camera to literally take you into the drone’s driver’s seat.

As a guy, and electronics nut (and what guy isn’t), jumping into the fray and learning to fly a drone…and do it well, is a siren song tough for many to resist.

And so you find drone groups popping up all over.

So what about the paid side?

This is cool as well as there are now many opportunities to move your drone hobby into the paid zone (either as a side hustle or full time gig).

The side hustle option is especially cool as it can often help you get over the big hurdle (i.e. significant other who thinks spending big bucks “playing with toys” is a waste of money). But you know better. And if you can earn money to pay for your “hobby” away goes the guilt and justification.

No. Not everyone moves into the paid zone this way. There are many paths to get there. And many insights that go with them.

So if you’re curious, read on as you delve into the real life stories of getting that first drone sale…the first money in their pocket.

I started off with this question,

“Tell your story…how did you move from drone hobbyist to getting your first paid gig?”

The response was amazing. 17 stories on how they moved into paid drone gigs…and 2 at the starting gate who are excited to learn from the others.

Dave Horn of Dave Horn Unlimited Photography

I think all I had out was my photography Facebook page and I said I did drone work while I began shooting for fun and for free.

A local real estate photographer saw it and asked me to shoot some homes. We have worked together and he helped me figure out the best ways to shoot DSLR interiors too.

I’ve done a few on my own now, weddings, drone portraits and still a few free and fun things.

John Bendever of Sky Capture Media

I was watching drones for years, but never owned one. My brother-in-law traded some instruments for a P3 Pro and had tons of work offered. I jumped in head first and got my first gig by word of mouth.

Tim Kleinmeier

Raced drones for the past 3 years and decided I would like to get into the 107 side of things. Purchased my first DJI drone 6 months ago and now my company has taken off where I have more business than I can keep up with!

[Tim’s tips for success] The biggest thing for me was being able to adapt to the needs of the client. When I first launched my small mom and pop company not too long ago we thought we had it all figured out… WRONG lol.

Most companies want a one stop shop so this means stepping out of your comfort zone and going the extra mile to set yourself apart from other pilots. If you go into it thinking you are just going to get to fly around and get paid… well it doesn’t exactly work like that lol.

Definitely stay away from web based companies. They will only slow you down from earning real clients that will pay your bills not just get you some extra gas money. Think long-term and grab this industry by the horns and don’t look back because in the next few years this industry is going to blow up and you definitely want your foot in the door!

Josh Cagle

Learned of a Photography Rental Company Lumiod in SF, decided to give drones a try, fell in love and bought my own before my rental period was up, joined a bunch of FB groups, learned of a few paying websites and have had 27 successful combined missions for residential & commercial with a grand total earned of $1,620 gross.

Tee Bee

Took a field trip to a remote site with a scientist friend and took the drone with me. Ended up taking over five and a half thousand pictures and mapping out around 200+ hectares.

Jake Morrill of MO 4D, LLC

Decided I needed a “side gig”. Thought I would start a little drafting company as it’s something I had strengths in. Started looking at drones to do mapping and capturing existing conditions for landscaping etc. My research started last year right about the time Part 107 came out so there was a wealth of info and excitement online. Research on drone led to purchase and passing of Part 107. For me now drafting is the less often used part of the business. It’s all about the drone.

Sinuhe Montoya of Drone Quote

Bought a quadcopter to learn how to fly and then bought a Phantom two for work while in solar sales back in 2013. Turned out i started selling more and my jobs were installing quicker and with more accuracy in estimating. The writing was on the wall.

Keino Sledge Baird of Dynamic Perspectives

107 Certified, but my drone business is in another country. Started flying back in January 2017, but first gig was for an Emergency Management Agency where we presented on search and rescue using drones and put together an aerial video for them during an island wide emergency drill that simulated a natural disaster.

Henry Becerra

First gig I got call for just video their site. I drove from Lake Elsinore CA to Yuma AZ. [They] paid me sum of money just doing aerial of property site.

Jake Niederhauser of Enjoy Photography and Enjoy Photography Facebook Page

I worked in Architecture up until this spring. Decided I was tired of sitting at a desk all day so I quit and started taking architectural pictures around my town until I had enough to put together a portfolio. Started bidding jobs and quickly found myself busy working for commercial property management companies, home builders, and realtors.

Had a couple realtors ask if I offered drone pictures, and I told them yes and quoted a price. Finally got someone to bite, borrowed my brother-in-laws phantom 4 after a 5 minute tutorial.

First time I flew it on my own was for a paying job. Ha. After that I bought a P4A and have started doing more and more drone work.

I just finished editing a video for an investment brokerage (first video clips I took with my drone). Somehow I keep convincing people to hire me for jobs I’ve never done before, and then I just figure it out as I go. I’d guess my story isn’t ‘the norm’. I’ve just happened to catch a number of lucky breaks.

Peter Cimino

I work for the Board of Real Estate in Buffalo and I wanted to know all I could about drones in Real Estate, so I became a Part 107 pilot, and teach classes and do many shoots for members. Its a great industry and I am in a unique position to help the members as well as educate them. Its been a lot of fun playing with some of the aircraft that are coming out. Here’s his study guide blog post.

Jon Cowabunga Vagle

Well for me, I just made clear videos of different locations I’ve visited, posted them on FB page and Vimeo and someone just noticed over time and wanted my footage.

Dylan Mace

I skipped the hobbyist part. It was around this time last year that I fell in love with aerial pics & videos I kept coming across on various internet platforms. Living on a budget with two kids, I couldn’t justify to my family a semi-major purchase, on something I just REALLY WANT. I became obsessed. I started studying for my 107, and passed the test back in January. Then, with the support of my wife, I “invested” a few thousand dollars toward a business. And shortly after being 107 certified, I finally flew my first drone. I still have my day job in concrete & masonry supply sales – which lead to my first paid drone job. Still only part time, I do roof & asphalt inspection, local real estate work, and whatever else finds me.

Josh Boughner of Sold By Air

My wife bought me a drone for my birthday and about a month later a family member asks…

“Josh can you do some aerial shots for this realtor I know she’ll pay you $50 a house?”. I thought..wait, fly my drone and make money? HELL YEA. So I went and did the two houses at what I now realize is a crazy cheap rate.

The next day I went into work and told my team about it, to which they replied..
“You know you just broke the law right?”…”wtf, seriously?” I asked….
I looked it up, sure enough you needed at 333 back then.
But that was also about the time they announced the part 107 test. I started studying like crazy and was one of the first in my area to have passed it. Have been running around like a madman doing aerial photography since.

Dave Zelm of Zelm Aerospace

Spent two years being a terrible security guard while researching precision ag, agronomy, and biology, and how to use drones to “fix” current farming practices. During that time I was building my network and reputation as a competent pilot, doing free photo and ag scouting jobs to build my portfolio. I’m incredibly lucky, and many dominoes are falling, almost daily it seems. Reputation and professionalism generates repeat business.

Patrick Bryant

I bought my P4 because my son, a wedding videographer, told me I could help him in his business. While learning to fly the drone and waiting for his first call, a real estate agent who happened to be the mother of one of my piano students found out I had a drone and immediately asked me to fly for some video footage of a farm she was listing. I didn’t know much of anything at that point, but I flew the mission anyway. She was stoked with the video, and if memory serves she paid me $50.

Allen Newland of A Shot Above

Started flying R/C planes in 74/75 and Heli in 90’s. Put cameras on them in 2000’s and then someone called them Drones and all of a sudden we needed a FSmAA medical, a pilot’ license and an FAA Section 333. We followed all rules/regs and got them all while making $$ and volunteering for Search n Rescue.

Now a Part 107, insurance and we are good to go.

We currently have thousands of hours flying and teaching UAS.

At The Starting Gate

And for those getting started, here’s some inspiration from others in the same boat…

Will Lane

Just finished my RePL and AROC today (Aus) so looking to make the step into Commercial work over the next couple of months. I am going to a lot of free work to start off with to build a portfolio up and see where that takes me from there.. I’ll be preparing a SOP manual, job assessment form and risk assessment form to help prepare for each job, paid or unpaid, over the coming month.

Joshua Cobb.

Started flying in March this year I bought a Typhoon H Intel real sense drone. Passed my drone 107 about a month ago. Been doing some filming for friends and family. Haven’t landed any paid jobs yet.

So what are you waiting for?

Now its your turn. Have you been using your drone as a hobby? How good are your skills? Do you have the interest, enthusiasm, and business savvy to take your drone work to the next level? Want to have it pay for itself? Is there that next better drone you’ve been salivating over that a couple good paid gigs could help you justify the purchase to yourself and others?

If that sounds like you, you need to get started. Planning and doing more practice with your drone (beyond a certain level of proficiency) will not move you closer to launching your drone business or side hustle. At a certain point you just need to dive in (assuming your day job will cover your living expenses). Use those stories here as your inspiration (and future reference).

The other thing you’ll find is there are a lot of really helpful people in the drone community who do love to help others. You’ll find them in drone Facebook groups, drone clubs and meetups, etc. So don’t be bashful.

Before you realize it you’ll be looking back wondering why you didn’t make the jump sooner.

Please share this post (on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…help out those who are just getting started to learn from your stories).

And if you are struggling with figuring out what to do next to move your business to the next level (often it isn’t just working harder or spending more money), contact me (whether it is about website advice, how to grow your sales, or just figuring out what areas of focus might have the biggest impact on your success).

Drone Insurance – What You Need To Know

What is Drone Insurance and Why is it Necessary?

What Insurance is Needed and How Do You Confirm Needed Coverage Are In Place?

For More Information Or Insurance Questions For Your Specific Situation

Reasons Why Marketers Need Project Management Tools

Should You Be A Freelancer?

How To Get Your First Paid Drone Gig [18 Brief Case Studies]

An incredible new world has opened up.

So what about the paid side?

“Tell your story…how did you move from drone hobbyist to getting your first paid gig?”

At The Starting Gate

So what are you waiting for?

Now go take on your next great adventure!

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