Real estate drone pilots: does this shoot actually pay you? Free, no signup.
Defaults are common-market starting points, not advice. Set your own numbers.
Admin covers LAANC authorization, client comms, file delivery. Most pilots forget to count it.
Batteries die, props break, drones get replaced. A per-shoot fund keeps you honest.
Pick the shoot preset: Stills only, Stills and video, or Full package. Each fills the quote and the time fields, and every field stays editable as a starting point. In your time card enter flying minutes on site, editing hours, drive round-trip minutes, and airspace and admin minutes: LAANC authorization, client comms, and file delivery, the part most pilots forget to count. In job costs enter drive miles at cost per mile ($0.70 default), monthly insurance divided by shoots per month for the per-job share ($60 across 12 default), and a gear replacement fund per shoot for batteries, props, and the next drone. Toggle controlled airspace or night ops when it applies: it adds 30 admin minutes and a $25 risk fund. Set your bar: the minimum dollars per hour you will work for ($75 default). The results card shows the line-item breakdown, effective dollars per hour across all real hours, shoot profit, and a verdict of LOSING MONEY, UNDERPRICED, TIGHT, or WORTH FLYING, with the exact dollar quote needed to hit your rate on the misses.
Example only, not typical pricing. Load the Stills and video preset: $350 quote, 45 flying minutes, 2 editing hours, 40 drive minutes, 20 admin minutes. Costs are 30 miles at $0.70 ($21), insurance $60 over 12 shoots ($5), and a $25 gear fund: $51 total. Real hours are 45 plus 40 plus 20 minutes (1.75 hours) plus 2 editing hours: 3.75 hours. Profit is $350 minus $51, or $299, so the effective rate is $299 over 3.75 hours, or $79.73 per hour: WORTH FLYING against a $75 bar. Now flip on controlled airspace: 30 more admin minutes and a $25 risk fund. Hours rise to 4.25, costs to $76, profit to $274, and the effective rate drops to $64.47 per hour: TIGHT, with the verdict saying you need $395 to hit your rate. Same shoot, different airspace.
**Why split admin minutes from editing?**
Because LAANC authorization, client emails, and file delivery are real work that most pilots never price. Admin is fixed per shoot while editing scales with the package, so the tool keeps them separate.
**What is the gear replacement fund?**
A per-shoot set-aside for batteries, props, and the eventual replacement drone. A flat dollar amount per shoot keeps the costs honest instead of pretending gear lasts forever.
**What triggers the LOSING MONEY verdict?**
Profit below zero: the quote does not cover hard costs like travel, insurance share, and the gear fund, before your time is even counted. The verdict tells you to raise the price or cut the drive.
**How does the controlled airspace toggle change the math?**
It adds 30 admin minutes to the hour count and $25 to costs, which drops the effective rate and can flip a WORTH FLYING shoot to TIGHT. The verdict recalculates the exact quote needed to hit your rate.
**Are the preset prices market rates?**
No. They are editable starting points, and the footer says prices vary by market. Set the quote and costs from your own jobs before quoting real clients.