After years of businesses flying in a gray area, drones will finally get an official set of rules from the federal government Monday.
And AeroVista Innovations, a year-old startup incorporated in Highland Park, is ready to stake its claim in the nascent industry by providing a blend of aerial photography (think from-the-sky shots of outdoor concerts and expensive real estate listings), drone training and consulting services.
New Federal Aviation Administration regulations will effectively lower the barrier of entry to use a drone for business. Previously, a company needed licensed pilots and an FAA exemption to legally run a commercial drone operation.
That process took AeroVista seven months, the company said. With the rule change, those wishing to fly commercially will simply have to pass a 60-question written test and register their device before taking off. That means the skies — and the business space — will become more crowded. The classes it offers range in cost from $89 for an hour for students to $798 for emergency response courses. Aerial service jobs are usually billed on a day or half-day basis, with post-production editing and data-crunching, if necessary, factoring into the final tabs, Stewart said.
AeroVista declined to disclose revenue but said aerial media, training and consulting account for roughly equal shares of the business. The company expects training and consulting to become its main money-makers in the future, especially as more businesses enter the industry.