Let me tell you a story.
It’s got everything: ambition, airspace violations, and one extremely unfortunate bird strike.

Our hero? You guessed it. Gary.
Gary is back. And this time, he’s taking to the skies.

The Setup

Gary had just listed a new property, a gorgeous house with a sweeping backyard, sparkling pool, and the kind of curb appeal that makes people say, “Wow, I could ruin my budget for this.”

But Gary wasn’t content with ground-level photos. No sir. This time, he wanted to go full Hollywood.
“Drone shots,” he declared, “will make this listing SING!”

There was just one problem: Gary didn’t have a drone. Or a license. Or a plan.

The Solution (Sort of)

Gary’s next-door neighbor, Jeff, had a drone. And Jeff’s 15-year-old nephew, Aiden, was “like, super good at flying it.”

That was all the qualification Gary needed.

“I’ll toss Aiden a $25 gas card,” Gary said confidently, despite Aiden not owning a car, “and we’ll get those sweet aerials by lunch.”

Cue the montage:

• The drone narrowly avoiding power lines.

• Aiden manually correcting flight mid-air like he was flying the Millennium Falcon.

• Gary shouting, “GO HIGHER! BUT ALSO, LIKE, SIDEWAYS!”

• A poor squirrel fleeing for its life.

Then….crash.
Into the upstairs window of the neighbor’s house.
Not the listed house. The neighbor’s.

The drone was totaled. The window was shattered. And Gary’s ego?
Also cracked.

The Aftermath

Once the dust settled and the neighbor stopped yelling, Gary did a little research. (Something he probably should’ve done before launching a rogue flying machine into civilian airspace.)

Turns out…

If you’re flying a drone for commercial purposes—like taking photos for a real estate listing—you MUST have an FAA Part 107 license.

No exceptions. Not for “good intentions,” not for “just this one time,” and definitely not for “but my nephew is a video game god.”

The Penalties

Now here’s where it gets spicy:

• If caught flying a drone commercially without a Part 107 license, the pilot can face civil penalties of up to $1,100 per flight.

• And if you’re the one who hires an unlicensed pilot (looking at you, Gary), you can be fined up to $11,000 per flight.

Let that sink in.

All because Gary thought saving a few bucks was worth the legal gray area.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

What Gary Learned

After an “informative chat” with his broker (and a bill for the broken window), Gary learned that drone photography is no place for amateurs, or for minors with too much confidence and not enough airspace awareness.

What he needed wasn’t just drone photos.
He needed legit, FAA-compliant, professionally edited aerial photography that made listings pop, without the pop of breaking glass.

And Now… the Shameless Plug

Here it comes.
And we’re not even sorry.

At SmartShot Photo, all of our aerial photography is done by licensed FAA Part 107 drone pilots with real-world experience and professional-grade equipment. We handle everything, compliance, composition, editing, and yes, even squirrels.

So before you hand your neighbor’s kid a flying lawnmower and a $10 Starbucks card, remember:
Real estate is your business.
Photography is ours.

👉 Book your drone shoot the smart (and legal) way.

(End of shameless plug. But seriously—don’t be Gary.)