We’re coming into the holiday season again! Time sure goes fast! For drone operators the fall and winter sales events across the net offer a wide variety of necessary tools. So it’s time to think about what new tools might benefit your drone business.
Software – Photo and Video Editing – 2D and 3D Modeling – Cloud Platforms
For many new drone operators there’s a lot of software needed to get their jobs done. Two of the main categories of software that will be useful for drone pilots have to be photo editing software and video editing software. We are operating flying cameras, right? With that in mind it’s quite possible that you may need a few applications to improve what you deliver to your customers.
In our case, we use a variety of tools. Adobe’s Lightroom & Photoshop suite. If you’re not a fan of Adobe, there are many other image editing platforms. Several years ago I picked up Affinity Photo during a holiday sales event. Over the years I’ve also purchased many additions for Final Cut Pro (the video editor we use here at AZ Drone). There are so many programs out there to help you grow your drone business, and now is a great time to get some amazing deals on the software you need.
Online Classes
For those of you just starting out with commercial drone work, there are many platforms out there that offer a wide variety of courses. If you’re looking to do commercial drone work you’ll need your Part 107 Certification. There are a wide variety of online classes to help you prepare for the test and pass it easily. And after you pass your part 107, what comes next?
AZ Drone offers a bundled class series which includes 18 courses covering a wide array of topics geared toward new commercial drone pilots. You can learn more about our classes by following this link. We’re running a Black Friday 2023 sale through December 1st for our full class bundle for 40% off it’s regular price. The coupon code for this sale is BLACKFRIDAY2023
Office Hardware
In addition to our drones, there’s a lot of hardware that could be useful for drone pilots. Now is the time of year that you can get for some amazing discounts. Here’s a short list of equipment you might need for your drone business.
- A New Computer – Drone images and files are getting larger. Processing drone models on your desktop can be very resource intensive. Software packages are getting larger too. It might be the time to upgrade your computer to do your drone work.
- External storage – Image files are getting larger. First there was HD, then 4K, and now we’re hearing things like 8K and beyond. If you’re doing video work you will find your storage eaten up quickly. Here at AZ Drone we have 4 external drives for storage and editing our drone work. We’re using SSD portable drives, and they can get a little pricey. We’ve used Samsung SSDs and Crucial SSDs as well.
- New Monitors – Editing 4K video on an older monitor? Yeah, it might be time for that new monitor.
- Mobile Tech – iPhones, iPads, Android tablets and phones…When was your last upgrade?
A New Drone
2023 has been a crazy year for new drones. The main drone vendor, DJI, has come out with a whole new series of drones over the last year. From basic drones for hobbyists to “enterprise” level drones, there’s a lot to choose from. And you won’t normally see and huge sales, but you might find a few that are discounted.
Before you buy your next drone, do your research. Make sure the drone you select is compatible with the flight applications you use today. With all of DJI’s changes regarding their SDK you need to be certain about what tools work with the drone and what tools don’t.
Black Friday Spending Spree
The items above are some of the software and hardware you want for your business. Prioritize what gear you really need, and avoid over spending on the big sales. Get what you really need first, and as you grow your drone business add gear over time. There’s no rush, so don’t break the bank.