Alright, first off, I’d like to apologize for largely being missing-in-action on this blog. I started it with the best intentions to post weekly and, well, we all know how that tends to go at times — especially in this industry. Thank you for understanding my shortcomings and if you don’t and find yourself disappointed with me…eat my shorts.
In all seriousness, 2023 ended on a lot of high notes, but all of those high notes kept me incredibly busy, thus reducing my bandwidth for some of the things I had been working to build-up. Unfortunately when I had to prioritize my time I was forced to choose between my work as a consultant to a handful of drone organizations (paid), my own drone-based multimedia company (paid), The Drone Geek social platforms (mostly paid), and the blog (not paid, womp-womp).
Now that I am back to a “clean slate” with the year 2024, I have reprioritized my work so I can make more time to blog — which is something I have loved doing since I started in 2012 with my little pet project “The Sports Corner” (RIP).
What better way to kick-off the 2024 blogging-streak than with a look ahead at what you and I can look forward to doing together this year! Let’s take a look at what we have coming down the pipeline so far in 2024:
- Revival of the LTD Podcast (Spotify | YouTube)
- Mini 4 Pro Reviews and Vlogs
- Giveaway: Freewell Mega Limited Edition 16 Pack Filters for Mini 4 Pro
- BETAFPV Pavo Pico Reviews
- HoverAIR X1 Follow-Up
- DJI Leak/Speculation Videos
- Increased Video Collaboration
- Drones Under $300 Content
- Revival of “Let’s Learn” Series (Monthly)
- AUVSI 2024 Vlog from San Diego, California
- New Series: A Pilot’s Perspective
- Increased Drone-Adjacent Content and Reviews
- Freewell Mega Limited Edition 16 Pack Filters for Mini 4 Pro
- Hoodman USA Landing Pad
- Hoodman USA Hood for iPad
- FPV Batteries (Various)
- Commercial UAV Expo 2024 Vlog from Las Vegas, Nevada
While the list may seem short at first, remember that we’re only 17 days into the year and we already have THIS much planned. A few of the items on the list above are self-explanatory, but there are just a handful I would like to elaborate upon more for you to set your expectations appropriately:
Increased Video Collaboration
The year 2023 saw a tremendous uptick in collaboration with other creators and drone enthusiasts. Between interactions with folks at tradeshows, meeting up after messaging on social media, or just randomly meeting while “out in the wild,” I met a bunch of cool people last year and plan on continuing to foster those connections by combining efforts with them on YouTube as well as my other social media channels…and here too, of course *wink*.
How these collaborations look is to-be-determined, but I have ideas being fleshed-out with some of these folks already and can promise you it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Drones Under $300 Content
The title speaks for itself, but before you go accusing me of back-pedaling on my “I won’t recommend garbage technology to my viewers” stance, allow me to explain. There has been an overwhelming call on me to review technology that is more easily-accessible from a financial standpoint to what I will call the “casual interest audience.” These folks are best-described as somebody with a fleeting and limited interest in flying a drone up to somebody who is interested in drones and wants to learn to fly, but does not want to pay out the nose for a DJI or Autel drone.
So, in order to accommodate the wishes of those people wanting a look at less-expensive platforms, I am going to give you the best of both worlds. I will begin featuring more drones that fall into this category, but I will not endorse it unless it performs to my particular standards (which are steep and heavily-influenced by my experiences with DJI and Autel drones).
Not to mention…I have had like 15 different manufacturers reach out to me with drones in this category asking me to review the technology…I cannot turn-down the opportunity to create content. Not just for the views and analytics, but for practice and refining my review process for the “bigger fish” in the industry that may or may not end up giving me the time of day.
Revival of the “Let’s Learn” Series (Monthly)
Ah, yes, one of my red-headed step-children: Let’s Learn. This was a series that was conceptualized and brought to life at the same time as “Let’s Talk Drones,” but for obvious reasons it never quite caught on with you as a whole. I believe that was mostly my fault as I did not effectively program SEO for the videos and was extremely inconsistent with what and when I published episodes.
Moving forward, I will be publishing one episode of “Let’s Learn” per month with the intention of sharing experience, knowledge, and wisdom I have gained with you. It will include topics as simple as tips for color-grading in Premier Pro to full-length tutorials on how to run your drone business and everything in-between.
Oh, also, while “Let’s Talk Drones” has the superhero-comic-book-style branding, “Let’s Learn” will feature Dragon Ball Z-style branding. You might not care, but I do.
New Series: A Pilot’s Perspective
Perhaps one of my most exciting endeavors this year will be the implementation of a new series that I am calling “A Pilot’s Perspective.” This series will be focused around vlogs that show you a-day-in-the-life of a drone pilot on the job.
Essentially, what this means is that I will be bringing you with me (virtually of course) on various drone projects and related work to show you what goes into being a commercial drone pilot. My hope is to not only bring you closer to who I am and what I am all about when it comes to being a drone pilot, but also to potentially give you ideas for how you can improve your skills as a drone pilot, grow a business from flying drones, and establish efficient and professional workflows that will not only have new clients clamoring to work with you, but also help you retain those clients.
Increased Drone-Adjacent Content and Reviews
Finally, I’m planning on introducing more drone-adjacent content and reviews to the channel. Look, I’m a drone guy. I love ’em. I eat, sleep, and breathe drones (the doctor says I’m fine). At the end of the day though, there is so much more beyond the drone industry that plays a direct role in its success and is important for drone enthusiasts to know about! Not to mention it expands my potential audience which also makes greater my revenue opportunities and thus providing me more capital to do cool drone sh*t with and for you.
That said, expect to see more content and reviews revolving around technology that is adjacent to drones including, but not limited to:
- Action Cameras
- Camera Gimbals
- Medium Format Cameras
- Microphones
- LiDar Systems
- Thermal Cameras
- Batteries
- Backpacks/Cases
- Hoods and Landing Pads
- Anti-Collision Lighting
- and more…
I’m extremely excited for the new energy that has been breathed into me to start the year. Typically I’m not a “resolution guy,” and I believe time is a societal construct that makes it easier for us to document human history…and to give us something to focus on when it comes to using our time here on this beautiful green and blue sphere wisely. However, this year is a bit different. I’m ready to take the next step and I want you to come along for the ride.
Do you follow me on Instagram and Facebook? Are you subscribed on YouTube? If not, go do that now for plenty of content made by and about drones for drone pilots like yourself. While you are at it, consider leaving me a tip if you like what you read and see. I appreciate anything you may have to spare and for the support that comes from just liking and sharing my posts.
