Before we accept your invitation for proposal we require that you read the following frequently asked questions. Ultimately this saves us and you time on the phone, text, email, etc. Time is one’s most valuable asset and we’re not looking to squander yours or ours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Why should I hire a consultant on UAS?
Bottom line, it’s going to save you money and time. A consultant provides you with an opportunity for an independent recommendation without a conflict of interest. The consultant also can advise you on whether UAS technology is right for your envisioned use. Our very reasonable fee buys you access to many years of knowledge and experience saving you from making our mistakes and ultimately saving money.
But why should I spend money on a consultant when I can spend that on a drone and get started?
I’ve seen the adoption of UAS technology hindered by overzealous salespersons who don’t take the time to understand the customer need or application. Often sales are followed up by poor training or support that is prohibitively costly. The end result is a customer who is not satisfied with their investment because it does not meet their objectives.
Ultimately, the drone you purchase must save you time and/or money. It’s easy enough to buy a drone online; however, have you considered the costs for training, licensing, and creating a structure for safe, legal, and effective use. Does the drone really have potential to save you time and money or is this going to be some employee hobby funded by your business?
What does a consultation cost?
Our consultation rate is $150 per hour with the typical consultation taking between 6-12 hours to complete for small business. This works out to $900 and $1800. Please reference our services page found here for more details on the scope of services offered. We are prepared to offer proposals for mid to large companies and governmental agencies (schools, universities, counties, state agencies, etc.).
Please keep in mind that every company/organization is unique and the number of employees and potential uses greatly impact the effort of our custom analysis for your situation. During our proposal process, we will have to know some basic details about your specific business, envisioned use case(s), number of employees, etc.
For example, if you are a landscaping or lawn maintenance company with 1-3 employees looking to take before and after pics of each job, it’s reasonable to expect our fee will be lower than average. If you are a 50+ employee construction operation looking to embed drone capability at multiple construction sites simultaneously for quality control, progress photos, etc. it’s reasonable to expect that our fee will be higher than the average.
Why should I pay so your company so much when “Billy” will do this for $50 (or insert some other lower cost).
This is an excellent question. We are not in existence to review the experience or proposal of others providing this type of consultation. When comparing any proposal for services, it’s important to consider the breadth and depth of knowledge one purchasing. We recognize that these are tough decisions companies and individuals make. Experience counts and quality pays.
Why should I pay so your company so much?
We recognize that many drone operations are small business and sole proprietors who may not have the budget for a consultant. Here is our free advice on the absolute minimum things you should do to minimize your risk.
- Obtain a FAA Part 107 license. Seriously, if you are operating a drone for commercial purposes or deriving income from its use you are foolish not to do this.
- Register your drone(s). This is such a small investment, I don’t know why folks are not doing this. It’s $5 per aircraft and lasts two years.
- Obtain basic insurance. There are affordable insurance options that you can even purchase for individual flights. If you’re unlucky (or careless), this could potentially protect your business or personal assets from a judgement.
But do I really need an FAA Part 107 license and to register my aircraft?
Stop while you are ahead if you are still questioning this need as a commercial drone operator. You are one mishap away from potentially devastating financial and possibly criminal repercussions.
Individuals asking this exact question are in need of professional consultation. Operation of a drone for any commercial purposes in the United States requires the proper FAA license and registration. Businesses, and individuals, take tremendous financial risk by knowingly violating the FAA rules. Some violations can be considered criminal in nature with enormous fines.
Do you give classes on passing the FAA Part 107 license?
No. Hiring me to instruct your people isn’t cost effective compared to your alternatives. As part of my consultation, I will provide a plan that includes cost effective options to obtain necessary training for your business.
Do you provide system familiarization training and/or flight training?
In our consultation, we will identify all the required training for safe, legal, and effective drone operations to include system specific training. If the drone system that is being used is one that we are familiar with, we can propose a separate package for training; however, we will recommend several training options. Although we have experience in this area, it is not the best return on your investment with us.
Alternatively, if you are proposing to purchase a system that is outside our experience and need training, we will scope itemized training requirements that you can include in your purchase agreement with the drone vendor so that you are not missing any essential elements.
Do you sell drones, software, hardware, etc?
We are not equipment or software resellers. Depending on the equipment your use case requires, we can make a recommendation. Amazon isn’t a bad place to start for “casual” applications such as photography and videography.
Can you do drone videos or pictures of my wedding, house, party, etc?
Yes we can; however, we don’t. So many options exist for getting this service at a much better cost than we can provide. We do know a few drone operators with a lot of experience that we can refer you to.
If you absolutely insist on having us provide the service, it’s something that we can arrange at our base consultation rate of $150/hour; however, there are better photographers and videographers than us who have more competitive fees.
Geospatial, Engineering, Surveying and Mapping Drone Consultation
Consultation on drone applications in the geospatial tradecraft is our specialty. If you are a business in the geospatial tradecraft that hasn’t started to integrate drones into your portfolio of services, you are behind industry and should contact us immediately. Our founder is a licensed Professional Engineer AND licensed Professional Land Surveyor in the state of Florida making us ideal to advise your firm on the practicalities of using drones for your objectives.
Data processing services and modeling
We can provide a quote for custom data processing for geospatial related data products.
Science Technology Engineering Match (STEM) Academic Events
We are big fans of STEM and support can support these events by setting up some really cool exhibits. In most cases we can do these without cost.
Academic/School Training, Summer Camps, etc.
If you are a teacher that wants to arrange an engaging presentation, demonstration, or learning event for students interested in the STEM fields, we have deeply discounted academic packages for these purposes. No kidding, contact us.
ABOUT UUS
Victor Wilhelm is the founder and owner of Unmanned Unmatched Solutions LLC. Mr. Wilhelm has a passion for science and engineering. Victor has over 20 years experience in the engineering field and is recognized as an industry leader in drone technology application in the geospatial field. He brings nearly ten years of drone experience combined with the expertise of being a licensed Professional Engineer and licensed Professional Surveyor and Mapper in Florida.