Soar’s Local Props — Jason McIsaac rises from hardship to new heights with drone biz The EDC Zone
Soar is a global platform whose growing popularity is owed to its contributors. We love to meet up with Soar drone operators on our travels and hear their stories about monetizing their drone images. Not earning money from your drone yet? Read how below!
We recently sat down for an interview with UAV pilot Jason McIsaac of Elevated Drone Control Zone, who told us all about starting his own drone business with his boys and growing his commercial exposure. Read on to hear his heartfelt story about how he got into the drone-biz and learn all about his high-tech gear:
Tell us about yourself. Who are you, what do you do?
I’m 43 years old, a widower with three children, I was a full-time carer for my late wife. I started my own Drone/UAV business last year and have been very busy getting it up and running more in 2019.
We’re very sorry to hear about your wife. It’s certainly inspiring to hear your story on rising above and going all-in on a new chapter in life. Tell us about your first drone flight, and what made you want to go further into building a new career?
In 2016 Lisa was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and in April 2017 she was then diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer and Metatastic Brain Tumour. I stopped working and Lisa told me to find a job that I would love and see as a full-time career. With her advice, I decided to buy a cheap drone from a major Australian electronics retailer and found it hard to fly so then upgraded to the Mavic Pro and I was hooked the first time I flew it. I loved that I could fly it and that I might be able to make money from it. On the request of my wife I started to search for a Drone Training company and got my RePL, Remote Pilot’s License, from Global Drone Solutions. I liked the fact I would be working outside and the weather had to be good. The prospect of wearing high-vis and steel-cap boots was appealing.
Tell us a bit about your company and what services you provide? How many people are working for you?
I founded Elevated Drone Control Zone in 2018 and I operate as the main UAV pilot with either one of my two boys assisting me with missions as ground crew. They both love to get involved whenever they’re not busy with school and have a very keen interest in drones/remote piloting. I have also started undertaking more work with Chris Thurloe from Bumble Bee Drones down in Mandurah, Western Australia.
Tell us a bit about the drones you’re using, their best features and how they’re suited to the work that you do.
The M210 is a beast of a UAV, it allows me to have two mounted cameras in the front. My current camera setup is the Zenmuse X5S and Zenmuse Z30. This setup enables me to have a 20.8MP camera and 4K video via the X5S, while the Z30 has 30x Optical at 1080p video. I get the best of both worlds, my second UAV is the DJI Inspire 2 (I2). This UAV is used for Media related missions since I need a full field of view which the M210 doesn’t have due to the landing struts being attached to the undercarriage. The I2 has a speed of around 92km so is great for action shots, follow-throughs, or flyovers. While the M210 is not as fast, it can still hit 84km, the M210 is designed not for speed but for precision images and slower speeds. The M210 is extremely stable in the air and the solid frame gives it better wind tolerance.
How has your drone equipment allowed you to do your job?
The decision to add another drone to my fleet was a no brainer. I needed to have a UAV that would cater for a wider range of missions. Formerly I was only thinking of Realestate jobs with my Mavic Pro which precluded my doing any Construction, Progression Inspections and the like. My wife’s thinking was ‘go large or go home’, so I invested a DJI Matrice 210 (M210).
Are there any disadvantages you’ve found in the equipment you use?
The M210 is limited to a certain field of view due to the landing struts blocking the camera’s lateral view. However, this isn’t a major issue for most of the Industrial or Commercial applications. For the Inspire 2 it has a couple of issues, one is the landing you have to be more careful when landing as wind gusts can tip it over and then you have the possibility of damaging the UAV. The other issue is that the I2 looks more bird-like with the rotor arms going upwards like a Y shape, which has seen a few I2’s being attacked by Wedge Tail eagles up north in the Kimberley area of Western Australia. Lastly, DJI does take time to find a way to fix some software issues or there are some hardware bugs that come about and seem to need a simple fix but take a long time to get done.
How do you think a platform like Soar can help your industry and aid you in your work?
I think Soar creating opportunities for Certified Drone pilots to sell images is great, especially marketed to the general public or business who require good images that drone pilots take, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. As long as it is within the CASA regulations and that all safety measures are taken. Plus businesses like Soar will show great images that can be obtained by drones. The public can see that they are essential technology that can increase productivity and scope for agriculture, construction, and surveying. Just look at the drone coverage of Amazon fires for a recent and very important example for raising public awareness. I believe that Soar can be a great help in hosting this information and act as a repository to disseminate this to the public.
Do you have any other advice for drone operators looking to expand and invest in more advanced equipment for commercial work?
I would say take your time, look for a drone that can meet most or half of your needs now, I only have the UAV’s I have due to my wife cashing in her life insurance. Most people will say get the work first before getting the drone/UAV. Whereas I wanted the drone to practice with before getting the job, so by the time I had the job I was very familiar with the drone and its capabilities. Plus being able to wow a client when they see I have the M210 is a big plus, they know I mean business and will get the data they need.
Is there any other gear that would help you do your job better?
The Matrice 210 is a serious piece of kit and would serve in any mission, I have just been trialing AVCRM RPA Manager online system and found it is very robust as it allows me to add Inventory, Pilots, Create Jobs — JSA, Locations, NOTAMS, and much more. I’ve also been looking at thermal and the DJI Zenmuse XT2, however, it is a very expensive camera, as the DJI Mavic Dual Enterprise also has thermal and still camera, it can meet what I need for now.
What do you love most about drones and what role do you see drones playing in the future?
I love that I can get to see some amazing places, be in control and capture the data the client wants. It’s great that I don’t work in wet or foggy days and that I must have clear sight and good weather to fly. I can see drones becoming the norm and will soon be used to save lives, capture historical moments and to help save the environment.
Thanks for the interview Jason and best of luck with EDCZ. We really do love hearing about how people are using Soar’s satellite and drone imagery to conduct amazing projects and promote their work! If you have a cool story you want to be shared, you’re always welcome to reach out to hello@soar.earth for a feature on our blog.
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