Mr. Steele's advice for FPV pilots who want to go pro | FULL INTERVIEW

[@Krunked]

mr steele is the person that got me into quads. i followed his alien and apex builds all the way through. i would love to meet steele some day and thank him for putting out the content he did/does that motivated me to become so knowledgeable and now engrained in the quad community.

[@SmudgeFPV]

Yap true and krunked is the reason for me to using ultra 🔥

[@dronereviewman9580]

same here.....only I lost everything and gave up on fpv acro everything...been 2 years think I'm ready to start again,

[@dronereviewman9580]

@@SmudgeFPV ultra??

[@DoctorrMetal]

@@dronereviewman9580 Kiss Ultra

[@SmudgeFPV]

@@dronereviewman9580 ultra man

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Thanks to Steele for sitting down with me for this interview! The edited-down version of this interview is at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3qZpKitiKabbZY

[@Cyenergy3]

He's a legend in our hobby no doubt , very talented and knowledgeable pilot ! He was so hit and miss in my hometown Vegas , never really met him while he was out on secret missions 🤣

[@LakayFPV]

Thanks man! Appreciate this video.

[@Caysonator007]

You two have been my biggest inspiration in the drone community. Without y’all I wouldn’t have known where to even begin on my drone journey, and I would have continued to be too scared to commit to getting into the hobby. I’m truly thankful for both of you, and glad that y’all have had so much success.

[@bstrempel]

Really well executed interview.

[@calisti9308]

Thank god. This guy is SO verbose…

[@vallidrec]

Thanks, Mr. Steele and Uncle Bardwell for helping me continue to love this hobby!

[@jayqfpv6835]

Best interview of a professional fpv pilot ever. Steele is just nailing it with his statements. Great content JB

[@MactacFPV]

This is probably my most favorite interview I've watched in a really long time. Thanks Steele, and thanks Joshua for asking awesome questions and clarifying, but also staying out of the way when needed.

[@AIRWOLF]

Well done you guys. Steel you have given great advice to those who are just getting involved. I usually don't comment on stuff too often. As a "professional" drone operator since 2014, Steel pretty much hit the nail on the head. It looks all glamorous and fun (which it can be) but it's very high stress, and most times when drone is up, you get a few tries to get a shot and thats it. If I also may chime and use the space to give a bit of information to help break in the industry to those who want to fly FPV. Is to NOT only fly FPV. I fly FPV for a bunch Srixon golf commercials and films. Now, I'm NO WHERE NEAR the skill set that Steel is or any pro FPV pilot for that matter. For film/tv you don't need to know how to bounce off walls and do tricks. You have to have an understanding of film composition and how to make things look cinematic. But FPV wasn't what I had started with. I've been flying Inspire's, Phantoms, M600, Mavics, and ALTA's for nearly decade. You can be a pro pilot and fly other platforms. Diversity will gain you much more traction. FPV is a very specific look when it comes to film/tv, which means the job market is even smaller. But! If you're able to fly other platforms such as an Inspire, you'll work A LOT more. And it'll position you in a spot where you can offer FPV "your other skill set". Steel, Bardwell thanks for always bringing the goods. Much Appreciated. -Wolfgang Chief sUAS Pilot/Founder www.airwolfdrones.com

[@stevefpv]

Well said , as someone who quit and spent everything to get into this like everything and now 2 months or 4 idk im just now getting how I can use my AVATA and my dji fpvs different then my 5in or 4in and my mini3pro makes it all complete for noW, my cinewhoops I have qavpros 2.3 and 3 and I'm jusg loving learning and not goimg anywhere I

[@SpicyFPV]

I think a lot of people just struggle with the concept of "worth." How to determine what your worth is, how to improve it, and how to broadcast/advertise it. A vast majority of people overestimate their own self-worth with regards to this hobby, I am sure myself included. So coming to terms with exactly what you bring to the table, whether its enough or if you need to take a structured approach to improve it, and then understanding how to apply it for jobs. I think one of my favorite bits of this interview was his comments around "You are flying the camera, not the drone." Its what I have typically mentioned to people trying to make money in this hobby, is that my personal opinion is you really need to have the eye/desire for photography/videography first. The drone is just a tool to get the camera where you need it.

[@SkyCandyVisuals]

🗣💯

[@whereverimayroam74]

" think a lot of people just struggle with the concept of "worth." How to determine what your worth is, how to improve it, and how to broadcast/advertise it." I would add this..... A lot of people struggle with focusing on what they are (or should be) worth rather than focusing on how they add value. If you can articulate how you add value what you are worth becomes obvious. I think a lot of pilots fall into the high school trap, and by that I mean in high school you always consider yourself as the central character in a movie where you are the star and everyone else around you is just a secondary actor. Steel articulates pretty well here that on a shoot you are just a tiny part of a much bigger production. This is the whole concept of stress. When you fly on your own, you are the boss but as soon as you become a minor player in a larger production you can get lost in the mix. Your importance is diminished but the expectations put on you do not diminish at the same ratio. A lot of FPV pilots think FPV is the coolest shit ever but most everyone else on set see you as simply another tool that has a limited purpose and that's it. You are expected to deliver what may seem like a very large ask and very possibly not be given the respect or latitude you might feel is required to deliver on the expectation that has been pt on you. All of a sudden "doing the job" has NOTHING to do with flying. That is why he says you need to be able to do the flying without thinking because you are going to have to think and deal with a whole bunch of things that have nothing to do with the flying when you get on the job. You are already going to have to learn how the production world works when you first get into paid jobs. Don't make your life more difficult by getting in there only half proficient as a pilot as well, needing to learn two things at once or life will become very unenjoyable very fast.

[@stevefpv]

So I saved up and I'm teaching myself full time and flying all in its alot but that's why I want to invest my money and time now so I can be sure when I say I can do this shoot and like you said bring to the table I need to build great content first. I really do love this hobby and I hope I can even pass the 107. I watch only informative videos for the most part so I'm tryin.

[@KaiVertigoh]

This was actually super insightful advice, and Steele did such a great job of communicating his experience. I’ve only been flying for 2.5 years, but thanks to my previous background in video production I’ve been able to find progressively more work as an FPV pilot, and I’m already coming across many of the cautions he mentions. Definitely sharing this with people who approach me wondering about going pro. Thanks for the amazing interview JB.

[@yogesvaradas5480]

Great interview!... I mean actual interview: relevant questions, allowing guest to speak freely, dynamic pace and rhythm. Props to Joshua for this gem, especially useful to those of us new to the scene. It was both sobering and inspiring to hear from a real Pro in all sense of the word like Mr Steele. Cheers to both!

[@NaClSandwich]

Watching Steele dive a building from a moving car was the video that got me into FPV! thanks for sharing your journey as a professional pilot with us!

[@lougedo07]

He KNOWS how to explain things! Godd job Steele.

[@viblis6367]

Steele and Bardwell is my FPV guros definately ! Without these two I wont be geting into air ever... Thank you very much !

[@tomm4085]

Wow, the honesty from Mr Steele and just tempering expectations is so rare from internet personalities. I’d much rather this attitude than pretending he knows all the answers and that if you follow his content you’ll “easily be able to go pro.” Honesty about your chances is so much more important.

[@disblack55]

I haven't watched any FPV content in a while, but this was very, very good. Maybe it's just me, but Steele had a certain humbleness about him I felt, which I hadn't seen before. It was quite refreshing.

[@maximumdrone5334]

Am I the only one who want a Mr Steele Podcast Now? :) It was sooo interesting. I was devouring every wise words he had to say about FPV. I loved every second of it. Thanks Joshua Bardwell for sharing this!!!

[@dadpoolfpv]

Great video. You guys are so knowledgeable in the field. I appreciate the content. I 100% agree with the "becoming a job has a negative impact on the passion". Do it for the love and not for the money. The community and the people are my favorite part about the sport. Keep sending, Joshua!

[@geode8556]

Thank you Joshua! Great interview! Great info./tips! Love Mr. Steele and all he's done. WOW! Love it!

[@shayk313]

This was an awesome video! Thank you so much for putting this out there. You and Steele are the real OGs and it's really great to hear your honest opinion about this stuff. Keep up the great work and much love from Detroit!

[@edwardrobison3684]

Fantastic interview!!! It really gave me a lot of respect for Steele and I really appreciate his honest and authentic take on the subject. I have come into doing professional fpv work from the filmmaking side. I had been flying “regular drones” since Steele started, but In 2020 I saw the airblastr video and decided to get the toy tinyhawk fpv kit and and the liftoff simulator. I spent every day of 2020 learning to fly fpv and after I felt confident in my piloting skills I started pitching it to my existing photography and film clients. I actually even stopped posting to social media in 2021, but despite that, fpv (and mainly with a Cinelifter) now accounts for about 75% of my current professional work and I travel all over the U.S. doing it! I get more work because my clients really like and share the quality of work I do! :)

[@minkorrh]

This is essentially the same progression of building a photography business as far as doing some work for free, learning your craft, and getting your name out there. The two differences are that in regular photography (events, weddings etc.) your lighting situation is constantly changing and you need to compensate, or in FPV your FOV is constantly changing and you need to compensate. Great info Mr. S.

[@AsankaRathnayaker_asanka]

Thank you for making me inspired Mr.Steel! I started watching your videos long time ago after many years I finally able to build my first quad and im absolutely loving it ❤️

[@bentravis99]

Great interview! Thank you Mr Steele for speaking so candidly about topics that some people can get very protective about. Thank you Joshua for asking the right questions. Really enjoyable, great video.

[@Surfacetoairproductions]

big fan @MrSteeleFPV enjoy how locked in all your footage looks. always making me want to fly more

[@scottcampbell8568]

Great interview. Mr. Steele is always real and delivers the truth from his experience. While I would love to be a pro pilot, I think a better fit for me would be to go pro as a drone designer and builder. Would love to hear more about that side of the industry. And as always Mr. Bardwell, thanks for the great videos!

[@dariuszrogowski2360]

Mr.Steele, after I heard your opinion about aos frame "on the field" I changed my mind about you, now after seeing this interview say to JB thank you for bringing back your old you. Very good interview, many thanks!

[@y_i_fly5418]

Mr Steele was the very first FPV video I seen almost three years ago that got me into this hobby. It’s like what he said, sometimes it takes years to get involved with the film industry and some pilot’s it only takes a few short months to start in. It’s really about opportunity and being at the right place at the right time.

[@AerialWaviator]

Some very insightful advice that apples beyond quads and FPV. Thanks for Mr. Steel and JB for collaborating and making this video. Great questions and excellent dialog.

[@everytomday]

Such great insight!! I realized getting into FPV most people are hobbyist, but I hope to get paid for my flying. Steele's info was priceless. Thanks Josh.

[@BigWarningSign]

This guy is the reason that I got into fpv, I just got my tinywhoop the other week, and I'm loving it

[@alancline7138]

Super great interview! As a drone pilot with some experience, I can relate to many aspects of this interview. Great advice. Interesting and inspirational as I start my journey into FPV!

[@Line-of-sight-cinema]

Both of you are my hero's! I most def learned Sumthing today!

[@setterfpv]

Thanks for another great interview. These are amazing and so helpful. I hope you're having an amazing day!

[@EarthWalkerOne]

I new to flying fpv, but have work in production as a camera op/focus puller. The number one thing to learn is how to communicate your abilities, requirements and expectations. Making few mistakes is important, but even more so is ability to recover from mistakes(don't snowball), and always own them. Never make production wait on you, be ready. You need to be able to get those one-off shots under pressure, but many people find the high pressure easier than the 'simple' shots. Film school teaches you how to not get fired on your first day on set. 90% of being a pro is professionalism, staying out of the way, and being a cool person to spend 15-18hrs/day with for days/weeks/months on end. Seriously, being a good hang is the deciding factor for getting rehired. Most jobs don't require the best in the world... Almost anyone can be technically skilled enough for 95% of all shots. Unless you're the first person to offer a skillset, there's no quick way into the top 5%, no matter how skilled you are. Go out, network and let your work speak for you.

[@whitmeade4834]

I'm sure I'm with a lot of people who got into drones and specifically FPV because of Mr. Steele's videos. It's because of the help from Bardwell that kept me in it after my first hurdles. This is awesome!!

[@andrewut7ya511]

Yup im with you, i saw the godmode video then learned how to build from bardwell.

[@rianrex]

Great advice. The reality of the TV and film industry is not always what you expect. Don't let it become a chore. Well said Steele.

[@offaxisfpv]

Thank you for posting this full interview for everyone and everything else you do.

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

3:45 Stadium Super Trucks. Mid Ohio Sports car course is the track.

[@yoericktv9610]

5 mins in, and I already love this video. Thanks Steele and thanks Josh.

[@Flyit37075]

FPV pro cine clinic, graduating vetted pilots would be a game changer for the industry. You guys are the ones who can make that happen.

[@anthonyzanze5946]

I never knew how dirty your drone gets until you really get into it! Thank god my nazgul has covers as it's the first time I've flown props out.

[@JPspinFPV]

I came into this interview with a lot of misconceptions. I think mostly from Mr. Steele's freestyle, fast and twitchy. I was wrong. Thanks for your time and insight.

[@CaptainCrowFPV]

Very cool video JB Mr Steele is OG AF 😎watching his videos and made me want to get into this "hobby" and watching JB build drones made me think I could actually do it. Now its much more than just a hobby I couldn't imagine my life without FPV 🙌big ❤

[@creationlabsinc.189]

This reminds me of my guitar/band playing days of the 80’s-90’s. Everyone wanted to be the next rock star.

[@sunsetpark_fpv]

Very nice interview JB. Great insight from Mr Steele.

[@rhadiem]

Great interview. Thanks Steele for the interesting insights. Good job asking questions JB and not getting in the way of the content, lots of people feel they need to interject. Really well done.

[@vogulz]

Very insightful, thanks so much guys. This video touches on a lot of thoughts and questions that cross my mind when considering FPV and drones as a career.

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

16:15 Absolutely, Depending on what the focus of the Shot is. Obviously if the focus is FPV freestyle tricks, then yeah, but hes talking the professional side of things where the client is wanting a specific thing they have in mind and you are trying to create it, based on whatever they can voice to you to describe what they have envisioned. At that point, that client could care less how tactical and precise you are, As long as the shot they want comes out "Perfect".

[@MDRONECURITIBA]

Congratulations Joshua and Mr. Steele's I'm from Brazil and I watch your videos daily, this video was a real lesson on how to become a good professional, one day I'll reach that level, thank you very much for the tips, good flights to you.

[@harryhalfmoon]

I AM PORTFOLIO! I NEED TEEPEE FOR MY BUNGHOLE! But seriously, great content. Watched the whole thing. Not interested in going pro, but love to hear these background / in-crowd stories.

[@cheeseheadfpv9542]

That was a lot of good information, I soaked it all in. Now to get passed 100 subscribers and make that money. Love this guy!

[@baggszilla]

Awesome! This is such valuable Information! Thanks JB and Mr. Steele!

[@iflyfpv9293]

Thanks Bardwell... Great interview and advice...

[@markblaide2165]

Been flying DJI camera drones for a few years. Got my first 'real' drone a few weeks ago. Never heard of Mr Steele before a few weeks ago but he seems like a good guy and I enjoyed the interview. Thanks Joshua!

[@aymen3962]

He's really awesomee as a person and a pilot

[@TorchFpv]

Crazy!

[@dronereviewman9580]

THIS IS WHO GOT ME INTO F.P.V. about 3 years ago. A friend at work Russ started as well. And now he makes $ flying and still works at the job I work at. But it's so cool to see him making $ doing something he enjoys! Sadly my life went downhill fast. My ex wife cheated left and got the house and everything. Now I have not seen my daughter in 11 months. But I'm working on making my life better. I won't stop trying but i would be happy just flying and posting again. This man is a Legend! But as a person he seems kinda .... I dnt know....

[@dariuszrogowski2360]

Be a father-fight, and never let someone move your daughter out of you !

[@GarrisonMagyar]

I loved this interview very good insight from mr steeve himself

[@tjburke79]

“Pro” is a widely used term in FPV 😂

[@creationlabsinc.189]

Technically anyone with a channel and has been sent any product for review without charge is “professional”. Basically out of the thousands and thousands of “pilots” .05% is making a sustainable living out of it.

[@wrstew1272]

But he has made a very comfortable living doing FPV , It’s been his job for years. Hell, his hair was black back then!

[@whacken]

As is "go pro" 😁

[@NONX01]

@@wrstew1272because he flies for 10 years and it’s absolutely goated. You can monetise everything nowadays but to make a living out of a NISCHE thing ( it’s not football or video games ) you need to be in the best 0,05%, not best 1%. It’s always been like that, is like that and always will be like in every possible sport or industry.

[@Hardhatmediaa]

Fucking love this video . I’ve been flying fpv for a year now / doing music videos/ commercial work for small businesses . I love every minute of it. This video gave me a lot of information on what to expect in the future. Thank you !

[@rscalliwag07]

What I got out of this. If you have no portfolio you need to build it along with connections by pursuing work(mostly free) until someone notices your work and calls you. At that point you can charge based upon the scope of the job and how much your time is worth as an entry level professional.

[@madhatterstunts]

Never do jobs for free your undercutting people who are "pro" and driving the price down.

[@rscalliwag07]

@@madhatterstunts let me give an example to explain better. I'm a pilot who finally feels comfortable and confident enough to attempt professional fpv. Now I have zero documentation showing my skills. So to create the documentation, I approach the local real estate agent. I offer some cinematic fly through of property for free in exchange for free use of the footage. Maybe I do this with the local car lot and marina. Just 15 second promos these businesses can run on social media or post on a website, eventually these businesses (if impressed) will call you. At this point you can start charging and offering more. Or this is just my mission. I'm not underbidding anyone but myself because nobody is offering these services in my area.

[@rscalliwag07]

@@madhatterstunts you could easily come up with a price and offer a one time free offer and write it off as advertising expense

[@Tomsgate101]

Excellent interview, thank you to you both! Pro!

[@linc0lnsixecho]

In 30years Mr Steele will be the Tony Hawk of FPV.

[@charharn7011]

You had the skill and used it, good job.

[@sammarple9443]

Great interview and steel probably wouldn’t do this for no one but you. Good job bardwell vary informative and I see how hard it is to go pro it’s like 🍀 mostly and noing how to fly. I’m glad I’m a commercial crabber

[@reckonsin_fpv]

Great interview guys. A lot of insight on something a lot of FPV pilots think about 🙏🙏🙏

[@chrisneff3489]

Great interview. Super intuitive and informational and easy to understand. Props! Pun intended ;)

[@TorchFpv]

OG great guy very helpful when I first started 5 years ago!

[@FATSNAIL-FPV]

Also take note: notice how humble Steele actually still is. He's living the life, but like a regular dude.

[@marksutherlandjr.2121]

It's 2023, my kid is grown and off living life, I have some expendable income. I want to get into FPV Drone flying. Steele's the first name I've really discovered in the FPV Space.

[@k1ortia]

Really enjoyed that, very interesting and informative..thank you. 👍🏾

[@Kromatikeys]

As a brand new pilot, I'm still working on my ham radio technician license and part 107 FAA certification. I have a strong desire in turning piloting into a part time profession because my day job experiences layoffs on a regular basis. It would be nice to have something to fall back on in between jobs. Although, I can't help but feel disheartened by hearing that it is an industry that's really hard to break into. Acquiring a social media presence seems nearly impossible given the market saturation nowadays. Maybe some day...Here's to shooting for the moon!

[@rolliseventeen]

"for flying a toy?" "you fly it anyway, why does it cost...?" i heared that also when taking air pictures from new houses years ago. now i only fly technical and service stuff, filming airport belt systems when they build it up and construction sites. it is so much more relaxing doing this type of jobs and i really have my stuff done within the first 5 packs. The most fun i had was filming a mountainbiker going down a ski slope in summer. from 67 minutes of material they used only 12 seconds. i do still avoid flying for "creative" people and this is the key!

[@KlononiaFPV]

Thank you for sheering your expertise😎💪😃

[@ism6938]

Nice. You guys are always expanding my knowledge base. Thanks

[@radbotvideo]

Hey Mr Steele how does remote ID affect people like you that are doing commercial and movie drone videos?

[@marcolomiller]

and whatch Bardwells videos is like an advanced fpv do it all master degree. I have being studying FPV for the last 16 months. I dont know what would be of me without this channel. thanks. Greetings from Brasil

[@cineflight1171]

Thanks a lot for this video! Amazing pilot, got me into the hobby too👍👍👍

[@STEELCITYDRONEPILOT]

I've just started to do pro fpv videos. Hope one day it can be my only job

[@33narim]

great vid. thanks for your inspiration for fpv pilots. great work. love it.😎

[@RussSweet]

Big fan of Mr Steel

[@XtianApi]

Are you not flying with a gimble so you can pitch and such without the camera doing the same?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

FPV racing/freestyle drones are not flown with a gimbal.

[@XtianApi]

@@JoshuaBardwell I'm afraid I have to disagree good sir. Yes, fpv uses the pilot as the camera operator, but there are times when limited gimbal use, can solve a specific problem. Especially if you free the gimbal with a aux switch, feeling the pitch correction only, momentarily. I can't link one here, but if you Google gimbal for fpv you'll come across gimbals with raw circuit boards in small frames with stepper motors that wire right into a flight controller. Most aren't great, but if people used them they'd get better. Gopro gimbal, etc :) thank you as always.

[@blizzardfpv9584]

Can you still film for gopro , using a dji action camera 📷 🤔

[@rossmandrone]

Awesome interview

[@LEO_FLY4JOY]

Did Mr. Steele using the Shure SM7B microphone ? The bass sound is so strong, it's overwhelming ...

[@Caysonator007]

Been flying beaters for a while. So I just bought a 6s evoque f5 with a crossfire nano rx. And a zorro radio with crossfire nano tx. Now all I need is a better goggle setup, and a go pro. WHICH GOPRO WOULD YAL RECOMMEND? I was thinking a hero 8 black, because I’m not paying $600 to $800 for an easier to break one. DO YALL THINK AN EVEN OLDER ONE THAN THE HERO 8BLACK WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION?

[@BMan_FPV]

Great insight into flying as a career…. Thanks guys!😎😎

[@maxair420]

Thanks Steele n JB 🤘🏽

[@blackbirdfpv1981]

Joshua Bardwell , pro fpv from the OG Days is a huge difference from 8years ago till now and back when I know I first started allot of people looked at it like u have sponsorships like it was a bad thing . Yet now all these pilots want have sponsorships. So it seems like allot has changed. From the very first days and u where their when we first started . It's wild now my son wants to try it and the technology is just grown so far from when we first started this it's insane

[@ErraziBProductionS]

Awesome interview!! Thanks for sharing

[@Dr.Souravagrawal]

When he said my name is Mr steele...i was like ....do you even need to introduce yourself !!

[@JonoRob]

Nice to see Mr Steele, nice guy

[@creationlabsinc.189]

You ever meet him in person you’d probably have a more accurate opinion of his personality. I have… good guy for a means of inspiration but I wouldn’t have a beer with him.

[@JonoRob]

@@creationlabsinc.189 I think I would risk a beer with him and decide :-)

[@LidFpv]

thank's for sharing this interview i love it👍🏻

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

1:00:13 Solid Advice for Anyone looking At ANY Career.

[@KalkiJimenez]

Awesome interview!

[@365_Mike]

Great interview! As a pilot how involved do you normally get in to the colour, exposure etc of the video footage?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

I got different answers for this. In some cases, the pilot is responsible only for the piloting. As in, literally, somebody else sets all the camera settings and even pushes record on the camera. In other cases, the pilot runs the camera and is responsible for delivering a final edit to the customer. It probably depends a LOT on the size of the job.

[@sefferrr]

the funny part compared to most things in this world this market is no where near saturated as most things, if anybody wanted to do things job wise with fpv they most certainly could and easy at that, maybe not some johnnyfpv or steele being as widley known but you can still go to the track get a media pass and get some videos done and get somewhere from that.

[@vividflightmedia]

Great interview! Thanks

[@jorgeromero4680]

after so many years an interview of mr steele in your channel! How did this happened?

[@Caysonator007]

Do you think you could get sued for crashing into someone’s face and hurting them, like when you sue someone’s insurance in a car crash.

[@alusivekarmafpv2977]

100 man , I agree , Well spoken

[@mystrizo]

Thank you

[@Presidentialrun2028]

Great interview, i bet the pay has gone down because the market has got to be a bit flooded.