Written by Stephen Ondich
Drone technology allows Ryan Malagara of Drone’s Eye View to capture Down East landscapes quickly and spectacularly. Based out of Machias, Ryan works with realtors, buyers and land owners to capture a…well, drone’s eye view of Maine terrain.Â
Additionally, YouTube provides a digital platform for Ryan’s Down East footage. I really like the idea that someone may be exposed to a small Washington County town like Whiting through one of Ryan’s YouTube videos and seek it out.
Recently, Ryan sat down with Maineterrain.com to answer a few questions about his drone business and working in Maine.
Drone’s Eye View
Location
Drone’s Eye View in Machias, Maine is 68 miles from Acadia National Park.
12 Questions for Ryan Malagara of Drone’s Eye View
How did you get started with drones? Was it a hobby that you decided to turn into a business?
A friend of mine told me about his drone and it sounded like fun to me, I mentioned it to my wife and she surprised me with a high end Phantom 3 pro for Christmas in 2015 . I was not expecting it, at all and at the time it was a hobby that soon turned into a business. A man came up to me while I was flying and asked if i could take some photos for his house that is for sale in Roque Bluffs.
Drones seem ideal to capture Maine’s rugged landscapes. Do you work with a lot of real estate agencies?
Yes I get frequent work with 2 major real estate agencies. Better Homes and Gardens out of Machias and Maine Outdoor Properties – Realty of Maine out of Bangor.
What is the most unexpected thing you’ve captured while recording from your drone?
While I was making a marketing video for a high end property in the town of Sherman, Aroostook County, all of a sudden i hear an odd sound in the distance that became louder and louder. It was an Amish horse drawn buggy. The horse didn’t seem to mind my drone at all. I have flew my drone around many horses and they don’t mind and seem to think it’s silly.
To me, the advent of drones is a game changer for marketing large tracts of raw land, especially in Maine. Not many people are in a position to do a thorough walk-through of 50 wooded acres. What kind of information can your services provide to both buyers and sellers?
A property just needs one buyer. An aerial video easily communicates to potential buyers what a property has to offer without walking it. My drone videos are a very useful tool in helping find the right buyer for a property. An aerial video adds a WOW factor and really grabs peoples attention. One property I made a video for was 6000 acres. How else can you see 6000 acres of land? Walk it? To say it saves time is an understatement!
What types of footage do you like to capture for fun when you’re flying off the clock?
I love finding remote spots that are off grid and really hard to. I drive or hike near a spot I find on Google maps and then fly to it and explore. My drone has a 4 mile reach with line of site. I love to comb through the footage and look for wildlife or new cool spots. I also like to make videos and take photos of popular places. A drone gives a different perspective. It could be a lighthouse, a harbor, beach, bridge etc…
What locations in Maine are on your bucket list to capture drone footage of?
Wherever there are moose. I have seen moose walk through my yard over the years but never got to get to drone them. Bears too! I have had seals and deer.
Also, The Bold Coast in Downeast Maine has breathtaking views. One of the realtors I work with told me she has a few lots this year directly on the bold coast. I will make sure to get lots of footage for an awesome movie.
I know you are certified by the FAA. Do you ever find yourself competing with non-certified drone pilots for work? If so how do you pitch your client?
I don’t really have any issues with competition. I feel like there is plenty of business for everyone and certain people work better with others. As for pitching clients, I just fly and post my aerial videos and photos on Facebook, Instagram, and my YouTube channel. I have established an online presence and people contact me if they want to hire me for a project. Of course, I make myself available to approach.
I am in the forest products industry. When it comes to timber value, there can be a wide value variation among “wooded” parcels. Can your drone give sharp enough pictures to differentiate timber species?
Absolutely, my camera on my Phantom 4 pro+ can shoot in 4k HD. I worked with one pro in the logging industry at a wooded lot in the cutler/trescott area. He was able to determine what trees were what, he found the drone to be a very effective tool. I can cover hundreds of acres and map it in minutes. From the footage you can also see where there may be bogs or areas that could cause a problem for timber extraction. My drone can give precise GPS coordinates, follow grid patterns, and establish way points. I can also set a mission up to provide HD mapping.
From a lay person’s perspective, starting a drone business sounds like a pretty easy start up. Buy a drone and off you go. However, I imagine it’s a lot more complicated than that. What kind of issues do you face running a drone service that may not be apparent to outsiders?
Get an awesome drone with at least 1 mile range, GPS, HD 1080P. Practice your post editing skills, if you do not post edit your photos and videos you are missing out and your footage will be sub par. Practice flying a lot. Fly smooth, no jerky camera, and don’t spin all around looking with the camera. Learn all about photography, and camera lighting etc.Â
Watch all the videos you can by others who do it right. Learn how to use filters. Learn how to market on social media. Make videos, edit photos, do it all the time. Learn how to interact professionally with clients, be polite, do what you say, walk your talk, be on time, make it easy for them. You are providing a service, make it a good experience for your client. Do all this because you love it, if you don’t it will show, if you don’t go find what you love and do that.
How often does your drone get damaged on a shoot?
Not often at all. I rarely have an issue. I have had close calls. On a very windy day i was on a job at Cathance Lake. On take off my drone flipped over on the ice. Zero damage, not sure how but i got lucky.
I sent my drone about a half mile out over a lake in Millenocket testing my drone before a wedding and getting some cinematic shots for the video. Suddenly the battery level dropped to critically low. This sent my drone into emergency auto landing. Luckily I got it back her back to me before she descended to the water. I think the battery was too cold and that caused the issue. Now I always warm up my batteries preflight on a cold day..
The time I crashed a drone was the worst one I had. I was on a boat with some friends in the Bay of Fundy, near East Quoddy Head Lighthouse on amp. I was flying my back up drone that was having some issues (Phantom 3 Standard) so I figured I would test it in an area that did not have people and property. The drone was flying great for awhile until it started to descend lower and lower until it hit the water and that is where she rests. This drones name was Randall. Here is the video of that day until the last moment. RIP Randall.Â
Do you get any bizarre requests that you have to decline?
Not yet!
If someone reading this has a project in mind, how can they reach you?
Email – ryan@droneseyeviewinc.com
Phone – 207-271-1499
Website www.droneseyeviewinc.com
Rochelle Schwartz
23 Apr 2019I heard from someone in Florida that they were hiring a drone to drop someone’s ashes. What do you about this.
Stephen
23 Apr 2019Hi Rochelle – I’m not a big fan of publicly spreading ashes. While it seems like a nice gesture for the family, if you’re not in the family you probably don’t want to be involved. Just my (Stephen’s) opinion. Would you like me to forward to Ryan? Thanks!
Thomas Dodd
23 Apr 2019How can I contact Stephen?
Stephen
23 Apr 2019Hi Thomas – This is Stephen. How can I help?
Heidi
24 Apr 2019Very cool drone footage. Does he ever make it to Milbridge?
Stephen
25 Apr 2019I will ask
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