Lyft Aerial From left: Chris Bonnet, Joshua Barnett and Kevin Whatley snap a selfie using a drone.[/caption]

What started as a way to help differentiate himself as a real estate agent in 2013 quickly launched into a full-time business for Chris Bonnet, a partner in Lyft Aerial.

“I heard about the drones, and I decided to purchase [a drone] to help me market this 5-acre property,” he said. “One thing led to another, and instead of getting 99 “Nos” in real estate for every one “Yes,” other real estate agents started calling me.”

When the requests became too much for Bonnet to handle on his own he asked two of his childhood friends—Kevin Whatley and Joshua Barnett—to join the business.

“The first year was a learning experience, and now ... we have our foot on the pedal,” Bonnet said.

Together the three friends, who grew up in Granger and now operate their business out of Bonnet’s home in Georgetown, helped Lyft Aerial take off, and the trio has been producing videos and photography ever since.

“We specialize in doing low-altitude drone footage,” Barnett said, adding that the company’s main line of work is producing marketing videos.

The company’s primary clients are in the real estate industry; however, when the phone rings with a job request, Bonnet said he never knows who is going to be on the other end.
“Our clients really surprise us a lot of times when they call us and tell us what they want to use the drones for,” Bonnet said. “A lot of times clients and companies call us and tell us, ‘We want to incorporate drones into what we are doing so we can have a better product on our end.’ The drones are able to help them do that.”

The trio has worked in locations throughout Texas with clients in the construction industry as well as working in industrial inspections, archaeological and environmental research, loss prevention, security and events.

“Just when we think we know all the possibilities we can do with this [company], [the clients] give us something new,” Whatley said.

In June, Lyft Aerial received a Section 333 Exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration, which allows unmanned aircraft to perform commercial operations.

Barnett said he believes there should be more regulations for commercial drone businesses to help make sure drone operators are competent fliers.

“We think that once everything is regulated … only legitimate people will be able to [get into the industry],” Barnett said. “I think that’s what we need. … I think the Section 333 Exemption has been a tremendously successful way of weeding out these people who aren’t very serious about it.”

Barnett said along with his business partners, he is excited to see what the future of their business and the industry will be.

“We’re having a lot of fun. … I don’t know where all of this is going to take us, but I definitely foresee some interesting adventures on the horizon for us,” he said. “I think it will be a unique experience trying to educate [people].”