Dronedesk case study
FPV Pilot

JS Aerial is using Dronedesk to save time and improve safety

James Singleton was using First Person View (FPV) drones to create incredible cinematic footage for his customers. But on top of filming the locations and editing all the footage, he had to spend a lot of time planning and managing his drone operations.

James needed to spend less time on admin and more time flying. Which is why he uses Dronedesk.

What is JSAerial?

Founded in 2020, JSAerial provides a variety of drone services, specialising in dynamic First Person View (FPV) cinematography.

James' creative background, having worked as a music producer and a professional photographer, has helped him create footage that has attracted customers like Prime Video, Nissan, Sky and Formula-E.

But James' interest in drones only began when his wife bought him a toy drone in 2016.

An interest in aviation combined with the unique visual perspective offered by a drone meant James was hooked. Within weeks, he had a DJI Phantom 3, flying it as a hobbyist for four years.

Then the pandemic struck and James decided the time was right to make the jump and become a professional drone pilot. His creative skills, combined with a conscious decision to specialise in FPV, helped him to quickly stand out from his peers.

But, in one sense, James was just like every other drone pilot: he was finding it tedious and time-consuming to plan his flights.

Until he discovered Dronedesk.

Saving time with Dronedesk

While studying for his A2 Certificate of Competency, James' course provider had given him templates for planning his flights. But it was far from straightforward.

James knew he couldn't keep spending an hour to plan each flight. That there had to be another way. And when James saw another pilot using Dronedesk in their planning process, he knew he'd found the answer.

Dronedesk exists precisely because our founder, Dorian, went through a similar experience to James: Dorian had battled with the paperwork of planning drone flights and thought, 'There has to be a better way.'

But there wasn't. So Dorian built it.

The result was Dronedesk, which is designed to make drone operations quicker, easier, and safer. That includes flight planning, including predefined risk assessments, weather data, airspace restrictions and more. It's all automatically pulled together when you enter the job details, saving you from having to scrape together all the information you need before you can fly.

Dronedesk also makes it easy to manage your pilot data (such as flight hours, certifications, and licenses), your fleet (from drones to batteries), and your client data (including quotes and invoices).

This doesn't just mean Dronedesk can act as a one-stop shop for drone operators. It also means that operators can rest easy knowing they can demonstrate their compliance in a few simple clicks.

Dronedesk for FPV pilots

As an FPV specialist, James conducts plenty of jobs indoors, meaning his flights aren't regulated by the CAA. That means that James could technically avoid flight planning altogether.

Of course, the CAA isn't James' only concern. Keeping customers and the public safe is vital to earning (and keeping) trust, as well as ensuring everyone is protected. And James is keen to make sure every one of his flights is as compliant as possible. So he continues to plan his indoor flights in Dronedesk.

Naturally, an indoor flight can present different challenges than an outdoors one. But most of the safety mitigation steps are the same. A battery fire still needs a safe way to contain it. Controlling the public is still a vital pre-flight concern. And where an indoor flight might need an adjustment to the flight planning, Dronedesk makes it easy to make the tweaks James needs.

Of course, customers want to make sure everyone is safe and that every effort is being made to avoid accidents. Where that extra reassurance is needed, James turns to Dronedesk again. One click can create a branded pack of flight information, including details of James' licences and insurance to put the customer's mind at ease.

And what if Dronedesk can't do something James wants? He contacts us. Because finding a good platform that supports your business is one thing. But it's not much use without good customer service. Which is why our founder, Dorian, does his best to be available to Dronedesk users and to listen to them at every opportunity.

Supporting JS Aerial's future growth

As drone enthusiasts ourselves, we love seeing the incredible footage James creates for his clients. And it's so rewarding to support him as he grows his business, with plans to work on an even bigger scale and even bring on a team. And with tools for managing pilots, Dronedesk will make it that much easier to scale his business.

If you're ready to save time managing your drone operations, improve safety, and grow your business, Dronedesk is ready to help. Start your free trial of Dronedesk today