For Nishank Mishra, who has freelanced as a web developer since 2011, the skies were beckoning. “In a middle class family, the chance to learn something new after graduation is not available. You do your job and start earning,” he says. His father retired as assistant engineer with the Public Works Department; his mother is a homemaker and his elder brother works in bank operations. But, Mishra was stung by the aeromodelling bug. He began saving money, sparing time and buying parts. “Slowly and gradually, I built my own drone, a 1.8 kg quadcopter fitted with a GoPro camera, and took it on a test drive to shoot the lakes of Nainital,” says Mishra about last year’s experiment.
Today, the 27-year-old earns anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 for every aerial photography and cinematography assignment he takes up, using a DJI Inspire 1 Pro that costs R3.5 lakhs. Along with aerial tech company Quidich, he has shot for BBC, KTM India, Hero, Land Rover and Red Bull. As he chats about his passion, you realise that his web developing years have been long forgotten; for the last one year, Mishra has been a professional drone pilot.
Money is a fringe benefit when you are flying your eye in the sky, is Mishra’s belief. Others may feel differently, but the bottom line is this — piloting a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for us Luddites) is no longer just an expensive hobby. Right from corporate events to industrial surveys, piloting a drone has become a much sought after job, and takers are queuing up.
20/03/16 Benita Fernando/Mid Day
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Today, the 27-year-old earns anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 for every aerial photography and cinematography assignment he takes up, using a DJI Inspire 1 Pro that costs R3.5 lakhs. Along with aerial tech company Quidich, he has shot for BBC, KTM India, Hero, Land Rover and Red Bull. As he chats about his passion, you realise that his web developing years have been long forgotten; for the last one year, Mishra has been a professional drone pilot.
Money is a fringe benefit when you are flying your eye in the sky, is Mishra’s belief. Others may feel differently, but the bottom line is this — piloting a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for us Luddites) is no longer just an expensive hobby. Right from corporate events to industrial surveys, piloting a drone has become a much sought after job, and takers are queuing up.
20/03/16 Benita Fernando/Mid Day
