Skyline Aerial Imaging

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Skyline Aerial Imaging is a drone aerial services business in Texas. We fly licensed drones to photograph and film homes and construction sites, inspect roofs and solar panels and map and measure land and buildings for contractors, real estate agents, insurance adjusters and property owners. The customer gets clear photos, video or a report within a day or two, without a ladder, a lift or a helicopter.

Why this fits. A drone can look at a roof in minutes without anyone climbing on it, show a buyer a whole property from above and give a contractor a measured map of a job site. Many small businesses want this but do not own a drone or a pilot's certificate. A reliable local pilot who delivers on time, follows the rules and explains the results in plain words earns repeat work from agents, builders and adjusters.

Here is what our numbers show. In Year 1 we plan about 200 real estate and construction photo and video packages, 180 roof, solar and property inspections and 10 mapping, survey and thermal projects, which is about eight jobs a week. That brings in sales of $147,400, growing to $504,793 by Year 5 as we add pilots and commercial accounts. We expect a profit of about $13,200 in Year 1 because we start small with the owner flying, then a profit of about $45,000 in Year 2, $76,300 in Year 3 and $97,300 by Year 5. Businesses often pay about 37 days after the job, so the plan also holds cash for unpaid invoices.

We need $78,000 in total. Of that, $52,700 is startup costs (professional camera drones, a thermal inspection drone, an editing computer, mapping software, the pilot exam and registration, insurance, branding and a website), and the rest is cash to cover the first months. I am putting in $48,000 of my own savings and asking for a $30,000 equipment loan.

I am Jordan Whitaker, the owner and remote pilot in command, with six years of photography and survey assistant work, including three years flying drones for a surveying firm. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Skyline Aerial Imaging is a small, independently owned drone aerial services business in Texas, planned as a limited liability company (LLC). We serve real estate agents, builders, roofers, solar installers, insurance adjusters and property owners in our metro area and the counties around it.

Our mission. To give people a clear, safe and accurate view from above, and to do it with respect for the law and for the people on the ground.

What we believe. Safety and privacy come first. Every pilot holds the federal remote pilot certificate, every aircraft is registered and every flight follows the current rules for airspace, altitude and people on the ground. We do not fly over people, near airports without authorization or over private property without permission. We tell customers plainly what a drone can and cannot show.

What we offer:
- Real estate and construction photo and video. Listing photos, video tours and progress photos for job sites.
- Roof, solar and property inspections. Photos of roofs, solar arrays, chimneys and exterior walls without anyone on the roof.
- Mapping, survey and thermal projects. Overhead maps, volume measurements and thermal images for builders, farms and facilities.
- Clear delivery. Edited photos, video and a short written summary, delivered online within one to two days.

Who we serve. Real estate agents, home builders, roofers, solar companies, insurance adjusters, property managers and small businesses.

What we do not do. We do not fly without the required certificate, registration and permissions, spy on people or private property, give an engineering or legal opinion or promise what an insurance company will decide.

How we are run. I am the owner and remote pilot in command and I fly and edit. A second pilot and video editor joins in Year 2, a sales and scheduling coordinator in Year 3 and more pilots in Years 4 and 5. An accountant keeps the books and an aviation attorney reviews our contracts.

Where things stand today. We have quotes for the drones and software, a draft service agreement reviewed by an attorney, a demo reel of sample flights and early interest from three real estate agents, a roofing company and a builder. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Many people need to see something from above and do not have a good way to do it. A roofer or adjuster who climbs a steep roof takes a risk and time. A real estate agent selling a home with a large lot has trouble showing the whole property. A builder needs regular photos and measurements of a growing site, and a helicopter or plane is too expensive.

Some businesses have tried hobby drone pilots who do not have the federal certificate or insurance, which is a risk for the customer. Others find companies that charge a lot for a short flight or take weeks to deliver.

For a new drone business, the hard parts are the cost of equipment, passing the FAA exam, learning the airspace rules, building a portfolio, buying insurance and finding customers who will pay a fair price. The rules for drones also change, so a pilot must keep learning.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Drone services are a real and growing business, and the rules, tools and prices are changing. We do not know how fast customers will adopt them in our area, so our plan starts small and keeps cash for the early months. We will use current local numbers on real estate, construction and roofing in our final plan and will not overstate them.

Products & Services

Skyline Aerial Imaging will give customers fast, accurate and safe aerial photos, inspections and maps.

How it works, step by step:
1. Request and quote. The customer describes the job and location. We reply with a written quote and turnaround time.
2. Check the rules. Before every flight, we check the airspace, weather, local rules and any permissions needed and we confirm that we may fly at the site.
3. Plan the flight. We choose the right drone, camera and flight plan for the job and brief the customer on what to expect.
4. Fly. A certified pilot flies the mission, with a second person watching when needed, and follows the safety checklist.
5. Process. We review the photos, edit video, stitch maps or analyze thermal images, and prepare a short summary.
6. Deliver. The customer gets an online gallery or report within one to two days, with a plain-language note.
7. Support. We answer questions and re-fly if something was missed.
8. Keep records. We log every flight, battery and repair, which supports safety and insurance.

Why this approach is strong. Customers want the result, not the aircraft. A clear quote, safe flights and fast delivery bring repeat work.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: real estate agents, home builders, roofers, solar companies, insurance adjusters, property managers and small businesses in our metro area and the counties around it.

Our primary group is real estate agents and contractors who need photos and inspections regularly. Our secondary group is builders, farms and facilities that need maps and thermal images on a project basis. We will use the most recent local numbers on home sales, construction permits and roofing companies in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan about 200 photo and video packages, 180 inspections and 10 mapping and thermal projects in Year 1, growing to 570, 540 and 36 by Year 5. Our Year 1 prices are about $310 per package, $330 per inspection and $2,600 per project, rising about 3% a year.

Demand data. Early interest from three agents, a roofing company and a builder covers part of the first months. We do not count on any one customer. Real estate work follows the housing market, and inspection work rises after storms.

We do not take every job. We decline flights that would be unsafe or illegal, jobs that need a special waiver we do not have and projects that call for a licensed surveyor or engineer.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for customers, and what makes us different.

- Other drone pilots and aerial photographers. Some are very good. We compete on reliability, clear pricing and fast delivery.
- Large aerial survey and inspection companies. They have large teams and specialized aircraft. We offer personal service for smaller jobs.
- Hobby pilots. They are cheap but may not be certified or insured. We offer a licensed, insured pilot.
- Traditional photographers and ladders. They work for ground-level work. We offer views they cannot get.
- Satellite and aerial imagery services. They are low cost but out of date. We offer images taken on the day.

What makes us different.
- Certified pilots and insured flights.
- Clear quotes with delivery in one to two days.
- A short written summary, not just a file.
- Respect for neighbors and privacy.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger companies have more aircraft and more experience. We plan to earn work one flight at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach customers.

Real estate agents and builders. We will meet agents, brokers and builders, show our demo reel and offer a free first flight for a new listing or a job site.

Roofers, solar installers and adjusters. We will visit roofing and solar companies and insurance adjusters, explain how drone inspections save time and risk and offer a sample report.

Online. A website with a portfolio, a Google business listing, reviews and short videos on social media with the owners' permission.

Networking. We will join the local home builders association, a real estate group and the chamber of commerce and ask for referrals.

Pricing. About $310 per photo and video package, $330 per inspection and $2,600 per mapping or thermal project in Year 1, with a written quote for every job.

Operations Plan

How the business will run.

Setup (the 2 to 3 months before the first job). We will form the LLC, get an EIN and open a business bank account, pass the federal remote pilot exam, register the aircraft, buy and test the drones and software, build a portfolio of sample flights, buy aviation liability insurance and write our service agreement. We will confirm the current federal and state rules before every type of job.

Equipment. Two professional camera drones, a thermal and zoom inspection drone, an editing computer, tablets and controllers and spare batteries. We keep a maintenance and battery log.

Staffing. In Year 1: I serve as owner and remote pilot in command, and fly and edit. A pilot and video editor, paid $42,000 a year, joins in Year 2, with a second in Year 4 and a third in Year 5. A sales and scheduling coordinator, paid $34,000 a year, joins in Year 3.

Costs. Direct costs for travel, storage and software time are about $55 per package, $60 per inspection and $520 per project in Year 1. Vehicle mileage and travel are about $6,000 a year, aviation liability insurance about $6,200, software subscriptions about $7,800, marketing about $14,000 and battery and equipment repairs about $4,200.

Safety and privacy. We run a pre-flight checklist, avoid flying over people, keep flights within visual line of sight, follow airspace rules and delete footage we do not need.

Payments. Real estate customers usually pay at delivery, and businesses pay in about 37 days. Our plan holds about $14,740 in unpaid invoices at the end of Year 1.

Insurance. We carry aviation liability coverage for drone operations, general liability and coverage for the equipment.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Skyline Aerial Imaging.

Jordan Whitaker, owner and remote pilot in command. Six years in photography and survey assistant work, including three years flying drones for a surveying firm, where he planned flights, processed maps and trained a new pilot. He leads flying, sales, safety and finance. (Replace this paragraph with your own background and certificate.)

Pilot and video editor (from Year 2). Flies jobs and edits photos and video. Another joins in Year 4 and a third in Year 5.

Sales and scheduling coordinator (from Year 3). Handles quotes, scheduling and customer follow-up.

Outside advisors. An aviation attorney, an accountant, an insurance broker, a real estate agent and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner and remote pilot $48,000, pilot and video editor $42,000 and sales and scheduling $34,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before the first job (2 to 3 months ahead): pass the federal remote pilot exam, register the aircraft, buy and test the drones, build a portfolio of sample flights, buy insurance and book at least 10 first-month jobs through agents, roofers and builders.
- Year 1: about 8 jobs a week, flown and edited by the owner; $147,400 in sales and a profit of about $13,200.
- Year 2: a second pilot and editor and about 12 jobs a week; $255,543 in sales and a profit of about $45,000.
- Year 3: a sales and scheduling coordinator and about 17 jobs a week; $353,175 in sales and a profit of about $76,300.
- Year 4: a second pilot and editor and about 20 jobs a week; $436,765 in sales and a profit of about $92,200.
- Year 5: a third pilot and about 22 jobs a week; $504,793 in sales and a profit of about $97,300.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: jobs flown, quotes sent, turnaround time, flights logged, equipment repairs, unpaid invoices and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $78,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $52,700, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $14,500 for two professional camera drones with spare batteries and cases; $13,500 for thermal and zoom inspection drone; $5,500 for editing computer, monitors and storage; $2,500 for tablets, controllers, landing pads and safety gear; $4,800 for mapping and 3D modeling software, first-year licenses; $900 for FAA Part 107 exam and training, drone registration; $2,600 for attorney: service agreement, privacy and image release forms; $4,800 for branding, demo reel and a website; $3,600 for aviation liability insurance down payment.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $0. Operating costs are covered by sales from the start, so the money we need up front is for equipment, insurance and the first months while customers learn about us.
- A cash cushion of about $23,300: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together, the cash used before break even and the cushion come to about $23,300, and the three pieces add up to about $76,050, rounded up to the nearest $500: $76,500.
We are raising $1,500 more than that, $78,000 in all, to cover a slower first season than planned and the cost of adding a second pilot in Year 2. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $44,200, at the end of Year 1.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $48,000.
- Equipment loan: $30,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. A small equipment loan from a lender that finances small business equipment, backed by my own savings and the drones and computer as collateral.

How we will pay it back. We expect a profit of about $13,200 in Year 1, a profit of about $45,000 in Year 2, a profit of about $76,300 in Year 3, a profit of about $92,200 in Year 4 and a profit of about $97,300 in Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. Our loan is the equipment loan at 10.5% over 5 years, about $645 a month. That payment is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: the equipment as collateral and my personal guarantee.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start with one professional camera drone and the inspection drone, fly the work myself and skip the mapping software for the first months, which lowers startup costs and the loan.
- Phase 2: once the schedule fills, add the mapping tools, a second pilot and the sales coordinator and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your remote pilot certificate and aircraft registrations.
- Your resume and a personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- Quotes for the drones, software and insurance.
- Your service agreement, privacy policy and safety checklist.
- A demo reel and sample reports.
- Letters of interest from agents, roofers or builders.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Real Estate and Construction Photo and Video Packages (per job): about $310 in Year 1, rising to $349; about $55 in direct costs, rising to $63.11; about 200 in Year 1, growing to 570.
- Roof, Solar and Property Inspections (per inspection): about $330 in Year 1, rising to $371; about $60 in direct costs, rising to $68.85; about 180 in Year 1, growing to 540.
- Mapping, Survey and Thermal Contracts (per project): about $2,600 in Year 1, rising to $2,926; about $520 in direct costs, rising to $597; about 10 in Year 1, growing to 36.
- About 200 photo and video packages and 180 inspections in Year 1 is roughly 8 jobs a week with mapping projects added. Prices rise about 3% a year.
- We add drones, batteries and software as the team grows ($14,000 in Year 2, $12,000 in Year 3, $10,000 in Year 4 and $14,000 in Year 5).
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner and remote pilot in command $48,000; pilot and video editor $42,000; sales and scheduling $34,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: vehicle mileage and travel $6,000, aviation liability insurance $6,200, software subscriptions (editing, mapping, flight planning) $7,800, marketing and networking $14,000, battery and equipment repairs $4,200, accounting and legal $3,600, payroll taxes $3,500. These grow between 5% and 12% a year.
- Startup equipment and later purchases ($36,000 in Year 1, then $14,000, $12,000, $10,000 and $14,000) are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books.
- Customers and payers pay about 37 days after service, so at the end of Year 1 about $14,740 is still owed to us. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs