Professional drone
Commercial drone—also called a professional drone—is any drone that is used for work.
This means that commercial drones include both those professional grade drones that are made for specific types of jobs, like Flyability’s Elios 2 made for flying in confined spaces, and drones that are made for general consumers but can also be used in professional settings, like DJI’s Mavic Air 2 (Flyability).
There are four main physical types of professional drones: multi-rotor, fixed-wing, single-rotor helicopter, and fixed-wing hybrid VTOL. The different body styles of each type of drone contribute to the amount of weight they can carry (payload), efficiency and duration of the flight (Dronethusiast).
Commercial drone is an uncrewed vehicle that is put to use for business. That means builders who use drones to inspect construction sites are commercial drone operators. Professional photographers who fix cameras to drones to take wedding photos or images for newspapers and magazines are using drones commercially. Farmers who use drones to spray their crops are commercial drone operators. Retail stores that deliver packages with uncrewed systems are engaged in commercial drone activities (Scott Howe).
Best commercial drones & professional drones of 2022 (New Guide). Flyability, Retrieved from: https://www.flyability.com/commercial-drones#:~:text=A%20commercial%20drone%E2%80%94also%20called,that%20is%20used%20for%20work.
Kennedy Martinez. Types of Drones: Explore the Different Types of Professional Drones. Dronethusiast, Retrieved from: https://www.dronethusiast.com/types-of-drones/.
Howe Scott. What is a “Commercial” Drone?. (2023). Commercial UAV News, Retrieved from: https://www.commercialuavnews.com/regulations/what-is-a-commercial-drone.