At Aerial Works we often receive Requests for Quotations (RFQ) from prospective clients for a drone security implementation. In this document I am going to cover the components of a drone security program and how the costing models work, and which components of a drone security program should carry the most weight.

In many cases the RFQ covers the following:

  1. Pilots
  2. Hours & shifts
  3. Type of drone
  4. Vehicle
  5. Insurance
  6. Price

Let’s take a deep dive into each of these components of a drone security program to see which is more important and how each component affects the price quoted.

Pilots

It is my contention that this is the most important metric of all. Well trained and well remunerated pilots stay on the job for a long time. Properly trained pilots with the necessary ratings will get to know the client site intimately and can add significant value to a security operation. We therefor pay special attention to train our pilots to operate Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and at night. Collision avoidance sensors don’t work at night, and it is therefore pilot training that creates a safe operating environment.

A new pilot having completed their Remote Pilot Competency might be able to fly certain basic manoeuvres but is unlikely to succeed at night, flying a drone many kilometres from the take-off point. The aim of our training is to create competent and confident pilots. We therefore spend additional time to train newly qualified pilots and there is an obvious additional cost to this.

Pro tip: Pilot salary is likely a good indication of the quality of training received. Ask the operator how much they pay their pilots.

Pilot turnover is very disruptive in providing uninterrupted service and be a reliable partner to the ground security forces. New pilots must get to know the area of operation and how interaction with ground forces are implemented. This takes time and one should avoid pilot turnover. So how do we do this?

  • Pay good salaries.
  • Provide quality accommodation.
  • Provide food with good nutrition.
  • Pay for travel and incidental expenses.
  • Allocate enough off time and insist on taking leave.
  • Provide emergency medical insurance.
  • Provide quality clothing for those cold nights.
  • Provide security for the pilots at their base of operations.

To achieve the above you must make sure you have enough pilots to cover for leave and sickness. Working at night is tough and not very social. Looking after you pilot’s physical environment leads to better mental health and culminates in a stable workforce.

Pro tip: Does the operator have enough pilots to cover for leave and sickness? If not, the result will be overworked pilots, leading to resignations and a drone security program full of disruptions.

There is a cost to having more pilots than is necessary for immediate operations. Crew salaries is the biggest driver of any drone security program.

Hours and shifts

Drone pilots cannot be compared to ground-based security personnel. It is not possible for a drone pilot to stare at a remote controller screen for twelve hours a night and be effective. A maximum shift time of eight hours is manageable and if more time per night is required one should shorten the consecutive days of work. Working more than eight hours per night will increase the number of pilots required and result in a higher cost per shift. Working more than eight hours per night is also one of the leading causes of pilot turnover.

Pro tip: Do not specify more than eight hours per night in your RFQ.

Type of drone

For drone security you would generally only consider multirotor or fixed wing options. The type of drone used is driven by the area to be monitored. As a rule of thumb any area that can fit into a 5km radius circle can be covered with a multirotor. Larger areas, or longer flights for pipelines or corridors, might be more suited to fixed wing drones. Typically, a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) fixed wing aircraft is desirable due to its ability to forego a runway.

The mathematics of the 5km radius is important in understanding the maximum radius for a multirotor drone. For most of today’s multirotor drones the maximum time in air is around 30 minutes, and even less if you want to land with a safety margin of 20% battery remaining. Assuming you are flying at a surveillance speed of 30km/h it takes you 6 minutes in a straight line to get to 5km, another 6 minutes to get back, leaving you with 18 minutes to pursue a target. Most surveillance flights in a multirotor are not in a straight line and in windy conditions the operating area might shrink as a result. Radio line-of-site will also become a factor at ranges of more than 5km in most instances.

Pro tip: More than 5km radius for a multirotor is not practical.

The choice of a fixed wing VTOL is driven by your payload weight and time-in-air requirements. The training requirements for fixed wing drones are more stringent than for multirotor drones, adding to the already higher cost of the VTOL.

Pro tip: To save money, only use fixed wing drones where the operational requirements necessitate its use.  

Interestingly, the cost of the drone is not the largest cost driver of the drone program. The number of hours flow by a typical drone surveillance program means that you must replace all the batteries every six months. It is this cost that in the long run is much higher than the cost of the drone itself.

Pro tip: Does the operator have spare drones in case one of the drones breaks down?

Vehicle

Many RFQ’s request some sort of pickup truck for the drone pilots to travel with and operate from. Many times, this decision is driven by the environment on site and the safety requirements of the client. The fact is that the drone pilots operate from within this vehicle to protect themselves from the environment. A pickup truck might not be the best solution and at Aerial Works we prefer custom built command vehicles for operations. It makes the pilot’s lives easier and adds to pilot retention.

Insurance

It is not possible to get 3rd party liability insurance if you are not a registered operator with the Civilian Aviation Authority. Insurance is however very important for operator and client alike. The peace of mind flowing from properly insured drones makes for another marker of professionalism.

Pro tip: Always ask for proof of insurance when considering a drone security program.

Price

Given the above factors, pricing must be done carefully to deliver a professional drone security program. My observation is that in many cases the price war between operators is a race to the bottom. If your only metric for evaluating a drone security program is price, you will soon find yourself at the receiving end of bad service.

A much better metric will be a combination of the above components to evaluate prospective drone security providers. Also keep in mind that compliance is a constant expense for operators and must be budgeted for in the costing model.

Pro tip: Don’t leave the RFQ specifications to your procurement department. Get involved and be specific.

Finally, we can arrive at a sensible costing model that includes:

Drones, Vehicles, Pilot training, Petrol, Maintenance, Management, Crew salaries, Crew travel, Ops resources, Battery replacement, Medical, Uniforms, Accommodation, Food, Safety kits, Insurance, and a Profit for the operator.

Conclusion

At Aerial Works, we pride ourselves on being a people-focused business. Our staff is our number one priority, and the results are clear to see at any of the sites we work at. We have built our reputation on quality, our management is hands on, and we have a happy workforce with low pilot turnover.

So now you know why price alone is a terrible metric for evaluating drone security.