At 26, Muhumuza earns a living from  flying drones

With drones becoming just another necessary device for use especially for capturing moments at social functions and shooting movies, Anthony Muhumuza realized this was an opportunity for him to earn a living by pulling off epic shots.

The 26-year-old proprietor of Tonny Drone Shots boasts of being a content creator who films documentaries, music videos, commercial adverts, weddings and give aways as a drone pilot.

Muhumuza says he just fell in love with drones. Later he did an online course in flying drones and programming and this was his gateway into the business.

“I started flying drones as a passion but I didn’t know it could turn into my career business,” Muhumuza, a born of Kakoba in Mbarara in Western Uganda says.

He says in 2018 using his savings of shs4 million, he bought his first pilot drone as his love for unmanned aerial vehicles continued to grow.

“The shs4 million was my savings that I had got while working as an attendant in an internet café,” he says.

Muhumuza says he gets his clients online, from event organisers and through referrals from clients and friends.

 “I do a lot of research on what is trending and the new techniques of flying drones and the best shots and videos,” he says.

The research done from navigating the internet has ensured he gains more knowledgeabout documentary production, short and full length feature film making as well as commercials which come in handy in his day to day work of flying drones.

Challenges

Just like any kind of work, Muhumuza’s is not without challenges.

“Importing a  drone into the country requires that  you must have been cleared by authorities yet most spare parts for these UAVs can only be got abroad in case of any damage ,” the 26 year old says.

The situation in the country is such a complicated issue that one has to get animport licence and an application to the Office of the Chief of Defence Forces, the Special Forces Command and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who will then determine whether the drone will not pose a threat to national security.

One then has to apply formally for a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Muhumuza says this is a very long process for drone pilots seeking clearance to fly drones as well as importing them.

He says in some places, one is not allowed to fly drones and disregarding this can lead to imprisonment and confiscation of gadgets.

Flying over restricted airspace in particular is an offence which can lead to confiscating the drone or imprisonment or both.

He says one is advised to avoid flying a drone within 8km from the airport or listed no-fly zones.

“Nevertheless, I am very proud of my job as a drone pilot. I have managed to get connections from outside the country including people in Dubai, Mombasa and now will be heading to London because of flying drones. This job has got me many friends as well as hobnobbing with celebrities and people of all walks of life,”Muhumuza says.

He has a piece of advice for his fellow youth.

“A dream does not become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work,” he advises.