THE AGE Story - Drone Pilot Pete

‘More stressful than flying a 747’: A day in the life of a drone pilot

Name: Peter Jose
The profession: Drone videography
The organisation: Drone Pilot Pete
The title: Chief Drone Pilot
The pay: Varies a lot. Jobs vary in scope and complexity. Clients might pay $600 for a short shoot not requiring edits, for up to $2000 for something edited is turned into a mini film.

9am: Most people don’t realise the amount of work that goes into taking off a drone: meeting all the regulations and the cost of getting the drone in the air. It is heavily regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority – that’s a good thing for safety – and accredited, professional operators are so important.

I like to do a site check prior to filming or before an event. Every flying day is different, but mine always start with a coffee – soy latte please – then a pre-flight meeting to ensure everyone knows what’s happening during the day. I also have to complete the first stage of the regulatory paperwork – the Job Safety Analysis.

My schedule is flexible. I often drop the kids to school before I start work. We are an aviation family: My wife works fulltime as a Qantas flight attendant; my father was a Qantas pilot; and I was a captain with the Qantas Group for 25 years. I had to change careers after a neck injury made it difficult to retain my licence.

Being a drone pilot combines my love for photography and technology, and still draws on my decades in the aviation sector.

10am: Drone pilots film all sorts of things, and I’ve discovered my favourites. One is filming weddings. The couples are so happy they sometimes call me crying when they see the final product! I also make films for a luxury home builder, Latitude 37, which is great.

[Filming] moments like newlyweds at their wedding sometimes makes me more nervous than I was ever flying a multi-million-dollar airliner!

Peter Jose, drone pilot

The weather can really change my day. It’s so important for filming, particularly if you are filming construction sites. Blue skies are top of the list for clients, and luxury home builders want the wow factor!

Wind limits the use of drones so that’s important as well. Having decades of weather knowledge helps me. Being able to use the professional weather app NAIPS, which is full of pilot talk, is an advantage.

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