We were lucky to catch up with J.T. Patton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, J.T. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Learning how to fly the drone is just one step in doing aerial photography and videography in the entirety of the business., Initially, I believed I could just buy a drone, learn to fly it and then take pictures and sell them to various markets that needed them. However, I was not fully thinking of all the processes and learning concepts that I would need to start this business. First, to sell photos or video’s commercially, you have to have a Unmanned Aircraft Systems license, obtained by the FAA. This process took a while to fully learn the materials enough to pass, and then get the license. Secondly, tapping into the creative side of myself which I wasn’t aware was there. I had to learn how to have the right shots to create a great looking video or the right angle for the right picture. Lastly, there is a lot to learn on the photography side with lighting, exposure, bracketing and much more.
I believe that if I would have watched other’s drone video’s and images that would help to get more into the creative side of myself. I also believe that dedicating more time and energy would have helped speed up the process.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I remember standing in my friend’s backyard, hanging out over a few beers on a hot summer day. He mentioned that he just passed the test to get a commercial drone pilot’s license to do some pictures and videos to help realtors sell properties faster and make a little extra spending cash on the side. My wife said, “you should do that as well, there are so many realtors in the area, and I think you would be good at it.” That started me down the rabbit hole of looking into the uses for drones, and I realized there are so many applications for them that it was a great avenue to pursue. I took a Part 107 class at Rowan Community College in Salisbury to help pass the same test my friend took. The details of learning all the FAA rules and regulations, the aviation maps, and weather conditions made the task daunting, but I pursued it. I passed the test and was granted my UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) license to do a side hustle like my friend. Later, a friend gifted me a very nice drone, and from then it was off to the races. I created Fly Over Drone Co. out of Concord, NC. I can travel to the greater Charlotte area and Raleigh for jobs requiring my services. I have partnered with companies and organizations to create event and business videos, subcontracting with various companies to provide real estate photos and videos, claim inspections, underwriting, construction progression, Whatever is needed from a drone with my capabilities, I am willing to give it a shot. I say all this not to boast but to give credit to all those businesses and friends that have had their hand and making Fly Over Drone Co. what it is today. With the collaboration and help provided, I can do this. I also wanted to take that same collaboration mentality into the business. I offer reasonable rates so that anyone can afford drone videos and photos, and I will do my best to partner to ensure my customers are satisfied. I want customers to look at the media, say “wow!” at the end, and be happy with the results.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
My day job of a project manager is fairly mechanical, gather requirements, setup a system, test and move to production. However, being a creative/artist is not something I would have ever called myself. Even now, it’s hard to fathom, until I go back and review my work. Sometimes I think to myself, “wow, I did a pretty good job on that” or “man, I would have done it differently if I had to do it again”. Being able to use music and images and video to create something that people enjoy is really the most rewarding part.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
I think one of the most important things about owning a business is to be genuine. Clients are people and we all have good days and bad ones. Helping the customer with a problem on marketing or getting images that they couldn’t get by themselves is really rewarding. People know when you genuinely care about them as people and them as a client and that brings loyalty. Being on time, meeting your deadlines, delivering quality and being able to admit that wasn’t your best work and work hard to make it right are more things that bring loyalty. One thing I do is to send a handwritten card after the job is done just to thank them again for their trust in Fly Over Drone Co. I believe that goes a long way.
Contact Info:
- Website: flyoverdroneco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyoverdroneco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/FlyOver-Drone-Co/100087226818129/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/john-patton-6a73b8261
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/flyoverdroneco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flyoverdroneco
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fly-over-drone-concord