Cost of starting a commercial drone service in Singapore (updated June 2022)

Heres an update on the various fees required before commercial drone services can be provided in Singapore.

Category	Type	SGD	Type
Drone	Registration	25	One-time
	Tracker	265	One-time
	Tracker subscription	200	Per annum
Organisation	Operator Permit	700	One-time
	Addition of new drone type to OP	500	One-time
	OP renewal	300	Per annum
Personnel	UA Pilot License Theory	250	One-time
	UA Pilot Practical Assessment	300-400	One-time
	UA Pilot Registration	500	One-time
Activity	Activity Permit	120	Per location
	Repeat Activity Permit	45	Per location

Tracker and its associated subscription is a new item imposed on drone operators from June 2022.

Lloyd’s Register and Avetics Global conducted an internal inspection of an LNG Moss tank using an unmanned aerial vehicle

LR and Avetics Global Pte Ltd have successfully conducted a close-up survey of an LNG Moss tank using Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) by means of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) also known as a ‘drone’. This milestone in use of RIT will pave the way for a safer, more efficient and low-cost method of surveying LNG Moss tanks.

By use of the camera mounted on the Avetics drone, the Avetics drone operators and LR class surveyors visually inspected the weld seams of the Moss tank for signs of cracks and structural deformation in just a few hours. This solution offers potential cost savings of up to 90% when compared to the traditional method of erecting scaffolding. Avetics were able to produce inspection images the same day, a process that would usually take weeks if scaffolding were used.

“We are delighted to have worked with Lloyd’s Register to conduct an LNG Moss tank survey using an unmanned aerial vehicle. We worked with LR to conduct prior trials which enhanced our drone techniques for use in an LNG Moss tank environment. In the trials, we found that a typical drone encountered signal interference in the Moss tank, so we had to engineer a tether solution to solve this; ‘said Zhang Weiliang, CEO and Founder at Avetics Global Pte Ltd. “Our next step is to use artificial intelligence to automatically detect defects or areas of interest for the surveyor in real- time, so we can further increase efficiency; ‘ he added.

Kim Fei Liew, LR’s Ship Inspection and Assessment Services Manager, commented: ” When used in appropriate scenarios, Remote Inspection Techniques hold great value for LR and our clients and offer a time-efficient solution. The risk of surveyors, ship representatives/ superintendents and shipyard personnel working at height remains a concern. Conducting a survey using an unmanned aerial vehicle eliminates this risk. Prior to the inspection, Avetics conducted successful tests with TOV SOD on known weld seam defects and captured footage of these defects in an enclosed space to simulate the conditions of an LNG Moss tank.”

LR’s Global Head of Survey and Inspection, Richard Beckett added: ” This is a significant milestone in advancing the use of RIT in the undertaking of our surveys; an important next step, in which we are engaged, is to develop the capability to undertake NOE and thickness measurements using an RIT. This will complement the use of a RIT to conduct a close-up survey and further reduce the need to work at height.

Cost and regulations of commercial drone services in Singapore

We received many enquiries asking about the cost, process, and permits to provide commercial drone services in Singapore. Here is a summary of the licenses and permits required before you can start providing commercial drone service in Singapore. Before we begin, we need to define commercial drone services.

Any services that are not classified as a hobby/education/research is considered commercial. Even if you are providing a drone service to your own company, without any money changing hands, that is considered commercial. 

To do commercial drone services, regardless of the weight of your UA, the location and height which you fly your UA, you will need:

1. UA Pilot License

2. Operator Permit

3. Class 1 Activity Permit

---

UA Registration

Any unmanned aircraft (UA) with a total weight of above 250 grams must be registered before it can be operated in Singapore.

• Pay $15 for the registration label here

• Stick the label on your UA and register online via the UA portal (ESOMS)

Please visit CAAS website for detailed information:

---

1) UA Pilot Licence (UAPL) 

The person operating the drone will need a valid UAPL. Training cost aside, UAPL has the following costs:

• Theory Test registration: $125

• AFE Assessment fee: $200 - $400

• License registration: $500

We are a CAAS-Approved Unmanned Aircraft Training and Assessment Organisation(s) (UATO)

We provide drone license training conducted by our trainers with more than 5 years of experience providing professional drone services.

---

2) Operator Permit

A company or person will need a valid operator permit. To obtain the operator permit, applicants must go to UA Portal (ESOMS) and submit the following document

1. Operator Manual

2. Risk Assessment

The costs are

• New OP registration (includes 1 drone mode): $600

• Every additional drone model: $400

• Annual renewal fee: $200

---

3) Class 1 Activity Permit

A class 1 Activity Permit (AP) is required before a commercial flight is allowed. Activity permit tells the authority the flight area, time and place of the flight. It allows various agencies to understand intended flight operations. A person can apply for a block activity permit if the flight is in the same area but expected to take place over a long period of time. 

The costs are:

• New Activity Permit: $75

• Renewal of expired Activity Permit: $25

---

DJI Drones for Facade Inspection

UAPL Courses

Imparting our leading expertise.

Ehang Air Taxi design

I was reading about Ehand latest demonstration flights in Vienna and noticed they changed the design of the air taxi.

The previous design has 4 booms with coaxial design:

Source: Ehang

The latest design Ehang 216 has 8 booms with coaxial design:

source: CNBC

It is very weird that Ehang design the air taxi such that the passenger cabin is above the propeller instead of underneath it like an helicopter. This forces passenger to walk close to the exposed propellers every time they want to get on and off the taxi. This by itself may not pose any safety concerns since the design can be such that the power to the motors will only be turned on when the passengers are in the cabin. However, psychologically it adds additional stress to passengers which seems unnecessary and hard to overcome.

In a survey conducted by Deliotte https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/future-of-mobility/psychological-barriers-to-elevated-mobility-autonomous-aerial-vehicles.html

about half of the survey respondents are unconvinced that air taxis will be safe

Perhaps consumer psychology can be taken into account when designing air taxis and perhaps it will be well worth it to trade off some flying efficiency .

Phantom 4 VS Matrice M210

Today, a guest post by our pilot You Zhi. A capable operator, he has flown missions in many challenging environments, from the forests in Sarawak, to the open South China Sea and many a petrolchemical plant.

He shares his observations of two quadcopters from the giant DJI. Both share the same propulsion configuration, yet very much different in their capabilities.

Phantom 4 vs Matrice M210

Having flown Phantom 4 for about a year, I pretty much got used to how reliable and capable it can be, it was a true workhorse - with its great camera and easy to fly flight system and un-intimidating stature.

Then we received the new M210.

Opening the M210 hard carrying case is equivalent to unboxing a rifle, it was black and sleek. It looked like a weapon.

Flight
However despite its intimidating looks, the M210 too was a joy to fly. Very stable in hover but agile when you push it hard. It was like a Phantom 4 on steroids! The P4 has a much smaller foot print thus a tendency to move around in the wind.

Payload

With M210 you have the option of bottom and top mounts for your camera, in the latter case, a must for under bridge/deck inspection work.

The P4 is limited to one fixed camera – a good one - but not as versatile as the M210 platform with its dizzying array of Zenmuse systems to mate it with.
 

Other Features
Some other features you get with M210 is its IP rating which means it has a good seal from dust and moisture.

Finally, a drone which does not give the operator a heart attack when you feel drops of rain, too many times a project has to postponed because of a slight drizzle. A waste of time and a spent opportunity cost.

With the new highly configurable cadence controller and the Crystalsky 7 inch monitor that works well under glaring sun. A well thought out product, for operations rain or (too much) shine.

Conclusion
The Phantom 4 Pro is a reliable multipurpose drone but it has its limitations. It is sort of like a Swiss army knife – you can use it for many purposes, but there are better tools for the job.

The M210 is like a well-honed sword. You can see DJI bred it for a specific purpose. To hit the commercial sector with professional requirements. Reflected in its invaluable features – it is a drone to get the job done in challenging environments.