I'm the old guy at my firm (40 years in) and management wants me to learn drone operations. Part of me thinks I should just retire and let the kids handle it. Other part doesn't want to become obsolete.
Any other experienced surveyors make this transition? How steep is the learning curve when you already understand survey principles?
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Sign inYour experience is valuable precisely because you know what can go wrong. I've seen young drone pilots deliver garbage because they don't understand survey principles. You won't make those mistakes.
Don't retire. Adapt.
Bob, I'm in the same boat. 35 years on the ground, 2 years with drones now. The fundamentals transfer - you already understand accuracy, control, and quality. The flying part is actually easy.
The software is where I struggled. But the young guys are happy to help when you bring survey knowledge they don't have.
The firm invests in training you, they're smart. Experienced surveyors who can fly are rare and valuable. The combination of field knowledge and drone capability is worth more than either alone.