The Invisible Job Market for Drone Mapping

The drone mapping profession is real, growing fast, and largely invisible to anyone who hasn't already stumbled into it. Bryce breaks down why one of the fastest-growing professional sectors in the world still lacks the career infrastructure that would make it legible to the people who might thrive in it.Discussed: FAA Part 107 certification, global drone workforce growth, the commercial drone market, photography vs. mapping market share, the four entry points into drone mapping, GCPs and RTK positioning, photogrammetry software, the four layers of professional drone mapping, where Spexi app pilots fit in the skill stack, how surveying and GIS professionalize, the future of aerial data specialistsFind us online: https://thedronenetwork.transistor.fm/Hosted by Bryce Bladon: http://brycebladon.com/Edited by AJ Fillari: https://ajfillari.online/ Sponsored by Spexi.com and LayerDrone.orgLinks mentioned:PilotByte: https://www.pilotbyte.com/Dylan Gorman on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanGormanDylan Gorman on The Drone Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ6EWonh4AITimecodes:0:00 — Introduction1:10 — Welcome to The Drone Network2:00 — The numbers: 385K Part 107 pilots and a $54B market3:20 — What drone mapping actually is4:00 — Drone mapping in market share and growth5:00 — The four entry tracks into drone mapping6:40 — The legibility problem: why invisible careers stay invisible8:50 — The four layers of a professional drone mapping practice12:20 — How new professions professionalize13:30 — Outro and sourcesClick here to view the episode transcript.