What does it take to be a professional drone pilot?

Rather than dexterity or flying skills, what you really need to be a professional civilian drone pilot may simply be patience. 

Australian startup Ninox, which began trials in 2015, is one of a number of local companies that has a business plan relying on the services of professional drone pilots. Ninox, in particular, plans to hire out its unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to assist with invasive pest detection and agricultural mapping, among other tasks. 

But first, they need people to fly their machines. Colin Smith, a former army major in the Australian Defence Force, is the company's newest chief UAS controller. The professional drone pilot shared some of the ins and outs of operating a UAS with Mashable Australia.  Read more...