What can we learn from independent drone operators?
Chris Anderson, also known as The Drone Trainer, is a drone operator, podcaster and educator. As a drone industry expert who has been flying for 6 years, Chris has a proven wealth of knowledge in deployment, strategy, and drone flight training. He has worked with over 7000 students from around the world, providing instruction in everything from initial drone flight training, to real estate, mapping, modelling, public safety, inspections, construction and more. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Chris talks about how started and grew his drone business, how he became The Drone Trainer and he offers insights into the UAV industry from the perspective of the independent drone operator.
What goes into creating a successful first-responder drone training program?
Joey Edwards is Vice-President of Operations for Argus Rising. Argus Rising provides First Responder Drone training, designed to equip public safety departments with the flight skills and knowledge needed to use drones in law enforcement and rescue operations. There are a lot of company’s providing drone training today, and I wanted to find out how do providers create training programs in such competitive market. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Joey talks about Argus Rising, its first responder training and what goes into creating a successful drone training course.
Ever wonder how drones are used to save people from drowning?
Samuel Proffitt is a paramedic,firefighter and lifeguard for the Town of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Sam has been in public safety since 2000, working for multiple agencies in North Carolina and Virgina. He received his Masters of Studies In Homeland Security from the Pennsylvania State University, Hershey School of Medicine, where he conducted extensive research in emerging technology in public safety and homeland security. He also obtained his MBA from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Sam talks about how drones are used in water rescue situations, their best use and limitations and what organizations should consider when using drones in such situations.
Are you interested in learning about 3D mapping and other photogrammetry skills?
Christopher Cressy is the Regional Managing Director and Chelsea Cox is Marketing Manager both at Pix4D. Pix4D is the leader in photogrammetry and drone mapping software for professionals. Its software is widely used in the drone industry for a variety of applications. Earlier this year, the 8-year old company announced its first conference specifically for Pix4D users, to held in Denver on October 3-4. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Chris and Chelsea talk about Pix4D, the user conference and why we should consider attending this event.
Is there a way to safely and legally take control of a rogue drone?
Sotirios Kaminis is the CEO and founder of Drone Defense Systems, a start up company that provides integrated drone detection and mitigation solutions to a variety of customers. Under a newly inked licensing agreement, the company received exclusive rights to commercialize an innovative counter drone technology developed at Embry-Riddle University. The technology, developed by Embry-Riddle faculty member Dr. Houbing Song, suggests a safe, affordable way to neutralize rogue drones – without having to shoot them down or force them to crash-land – even in civilian settings such as large outdoor entertainment arenas and airports. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Sotirios talks about Drone Defense Systems, the “Drone Jacking” technology developed by Dr. Houbing Song and how this technology could make the skies a whole lot safer.
Ever wonder how all of these drones are going to be maintained?
Andy Osantowske is Director of Operations for Robotic Skies, the only global network of certified UAS maintenance centers. Robotic Skies offers comprehensive turnkey field service programs designed to keep UAS flying safely, efficiently and affordably around the world. Founded in 2014, the company has more than 170 certified centers in more than 40 countries, providing maintenance, repair, operations and support services for commercial UAS. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Andy talks about company’s UAS maintenance and repair service and how it can help operators save time, money and maintain mission readiness.
Want to fly a drone in an exotic world location?
Tal Fromchenko is Co-founder and CEO of FlyThere, a new start up that lets people remotely fly drones all around the world from their own laptops. It’s an immersive way to experience the world without actually traveling. Tal has several years in the software industry and with tech start ups. FlyThere is his most recent venture and offers exciting opportunities for people wanting to travel and fly drones. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Tal talks about the origins of the company, how users can easily and safely pilot a drone in far away lands and how real time remote flying could change the we travel.
What is the key component of an reliable UTM system?
Avner Turniansky is Vice President of Strategy at Vorpal, an Israeli manufacturer of signal analysis products and solutions for drone detection, geolocation, tracking and mitigation. Before joining Vorpal, Avner has, for the last 15 years, carried our various senior management roles with several start up companies. He is a signal intelligence specialist, having served a lengthy career with Israel’s prestigious Unit 8200 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Avner gives us some insights into Vorpal’s signal technology and how it can detect, track and monitor drone activity with a high degree of precision.
How can we manage air space security?
Robert Tabbara is President and Founder of 911 Security, a leading UAS security software company that specializes in delivering sUAV Airspace Detection Solutions for a wide array of infrastructure and assets. Their mission is to protect and secure your airspace against drones that threaten the safety, security and privacy of your facility. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Robert talks about 911 Security, it’s drone risk assessment program and offers insights into maintaining airspace security for UAS.
Who are the DroneResponders and why should we have an interest?
Charles Werner is Director of the DroneResponders, a non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate preparedness, response and resilience using unmanned aircraft systems operated by public safety organizations around the world. Charles Werner is the retired Charlottesville Virginia fire chief, a 44 year veteran of public safety and a FAA certified Part 107 remote pilot. He organized and is the Chair of the National Council on Public Safety UAS. He also serves on several local, state and national committees and has authored more than 120 published articles on public safety. In 2018, he was selected as Homeland Security Person of the Year by Homeland Security Today Magazine for his work on public safety UAS. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Charles talks benefit of creating a grass roots UAS ecosystem to facilitate learning, knowledge transfer and best practices on the use of UAS in public safety.
What can we learn from efforts to promote UAS Economic Development in Virginia?
Tracy Tynan is Director of the Virginia Unmanned Systems Center. Housed at the Center of Innovative Technology, the Virginia Unmanned Systems Center at CIT serves as a unified voice and central source for information and assistance related to the unmanned systems landscape in Virginia. Tracy has more than 15 years of economic and community development and is responsible for instilling an entrepreneurial culture regarding unmanned systems across the Commonwealth. In this role, her main focus is to increase collaboration and communication among the various entities engaged with unmanned systems with the goal of growing unmanned systems economic activity and benefit in Virginia. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Tracy talks about the Virginia Unmanned Systems Center and efforts to promote UAS economic development. Joining Tracy is Marco Rubin, Senior Investor Director at the Center for Innovative Technology.
Can indoor drones provide a high return of investment?
Patrick Thevoz is Co-founder and CEO of Flyability, the leading professional indoor drone company aiming to increase efficiency and reduce risks for humans in industrial inspections. Under his tenure, Flyability grew from 2 to over 60 employees and has over 300 customers. Before founding Flyability, Patrick worked as a strategy consultant in the life sciences industries. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Patrick talks about Flyability’s indoor industrial inspection drones, what makes them unique compared to outdoor drones and the return on investment that can be realized.
What are Washington insiders saying about drones?
For that question, we turn to Shawn Bullard, president of the Duetto Group, a Capitol Hill based government relations firm. Shawn has long career in federal policy. Prior to leading Duetto Group, Shawn served as vice president of government relations for one of the oldest PR firms in the nation, and as a senior congressional staff member to a long-serving member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Transportation Committee's Merchant Marine and Coast Guard subcommittee. Throughout his professional career he has had the pleasure to collaborate with some of the most recognizable brands in the world. He has served on multiple boards, including the Royal Aeronautical Society, the National Press Club and the Schar School of Policy and Government.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Shawn talks about federal UAS policy issues, Air Mobility, the 2019 Drone Focus Conference and he shares with us a new podcast on federal UAV policy that all of us will find value.
What's the next level up for Drones in Stem Education?
For that question, we turn to Michelle Dunphy and Kimberly Gudinas from Fitzgerald Elementary School in Prince William County, Virginia. Kimberly Gudinas is principal at Fitzgerald Elementary and Michelle Dunphy is the school’s Instructional Technology Coach. Earlier this year, the school launched a STEM program that featured drones. What makes program interesting is that the drones are used to help students learn and master computer coding skills. It’s another step in the school’s strategy to prepare students for a future where programming language is seen as an essential skill. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Michelle and Kim talk about STEM education at Fitzgerald Elementary and how drones are used to teach students computer coding.
How is the Counter UAS market growing?
For that question, we turn to Michael Blades, Research Director for Frost & Sullivan’s Aerospace, Defense, and Security business unit. Frost & Sullivan is a business consulting firm involved in market research and analysis, growth strategy consulting and corporate training across multiple industries. Michael has been with Frost & Sullivan for nearly 8 years as a market analyst and growth consultant and has earned a Masters Degree in Aerospace Operations as well as an MBA. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Michael talks about the growth and trends shaping the counter UAS industry today.
Is there a marketplace for autonomous drone services?
Derek Waleko is CEO and co-founder of UpSonder, a drone startup that provides drone services to businesses around the country ranging from local real estate agents to major energy companies. Its vision is to be a one-stop solution for drone services—which Goldman Sachs estimates will be worth $13 billion by 2020. The company went live in March 2017 and has grown into one of the largest drone marketplaces in the country. As a forward looking company, UpSonder is preparing to integrate autonomous flight services to augment its marketplace for human piloted drones. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Derek talks about the growth of Upsonder since its launch, how the company plans to offer autonomous flight services and how we can participate in a uniqued funding opportunity to help raise capital for the release of UpSonder Marketplace 2.0.
What did we learn in 2018 about where the drone industry is headed?
For that question, we turn to Colin Snow, CEO and Founder of Skylogic Research, LLC (also known as Drone Analyst®). Skylogic Research is a research, content and advisory services firm providing research-based insights on commercial drone market segments. Its mission is to help companies make critical investment decisions with confidence. Colin is a 25 year technology industry veteran with a background in market research, enterprise software, electronics, digital imaging, and mobility. His experience includes aerial photography as well as making, programming, and piloting remote control aircraft. He holds an MBA from Florida Atlantic University, is a member of all major UAS industry groups including both AUVSI and AMA, and also holds an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certification. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Colin talks about the forces that shaped the drone industry in 2018 and what we might expect in 2019. There’s no better person from which to gain insights into the drone industry than Colin Snow.
Can the drone industry be a source of new jobs for rural America?
Today’s guest believes they can. Dr. Tulinda Larsen is Executive Director of Deseret UAS, a Utah nonprofit created to promote economic development through reserach and testing of unmanned aerial systems. Tulinda has more than 40 years experience as an aviation economist. She’s an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Embry Riddle Aernautical University. Her books, The Drone Hobbyist and a Trustworthy Drone Business are top sellers on Amazon. Tulinda is also a Part 107 Remote Pilot and a private pilot. In 2016, she turned her research from the commercial aviation industry to the developing drone industry. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Tulinda talks about efforts to bring new UAS jobs to rural Utah and discusses the opportunities and challenges of stimulating economic development through the drone industry.
What do you do when the Drone Industry gives you lemons?
If you ask today’s guests, they would say "find a way to make lemonade." Steven Flynn and his wife Susan Talbot are the owners of Sky Tango, a global drone services marketplace, providing job booking, support and aerial footage sales worldwide. Their story mirrors many entering the drone industry – a great idea, a start-up and a journey into the unknown.
With a combined 40 years experience in Film and Television production, in 2012 Susan and Steve set out to create a successful drone videography business They were one of the first commercially licensed remote aerial filming companies in Ireland. In 2015, they launched the SkyTango marketplace, and soon after, they were connected with investors and potential major partners. Things looked promising, but in early 2018, the wheels started to come off, and Susan and Steve were forced to walk away from a major deal that just a few months earlier, looked so promising.
Like many other successful entrepreneurs, Susan and Steve reevaluated their business model, applied what they had learned and launched a new service. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Susan and Steve talk about the challenges of creating their drone start-up, why they chose to walk away from a big deal and how that experience helped them redefine their company’s focus.
Do you think you can build best drone delivery system in the world?
If the answer is yes, then there are a million reasons why you want to listen to today’s guest. Anas Zeineddine is Diractor of Krypto Labs, a grass roots innovation hub with a unique ecosystem for funding ground-breaking early stage start-ups. Based in Abu Dhabi, in July 2020, Krypto Labs announced its first global challenge, the Drone X Challenge 2020, aiming to transcend beyond the limits of innovation in Drone Technologies. The challenge will reward the winner an astounding $1 Million US dollars.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Anas talks about Krypo Labs, the Drone X Challenge 2020 and shares some perspectives on the drone industry. Joining us for a portion of the interview is Dr. Mohammed Adnan, the technical product lead at Krypto Labs.
What the status of the UTM Corridor Project?
For that question, we turn to Anthony Basile, to the Chief Operations Officer for the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc. (NUAIR), a non-profit corporation leading a coalition of New York and Massachusetts aerospace industry and academic institutions, working together to establish a site for the testing and certification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and the training of their operators.
Antony is a retired Colonel with the Airforce. A 1977 graduate of Fordham University, Anthony spent 29 years with the 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, NY, serving as its commander from 2003 until 2008. While at the 174th, he accumulated 4000 hours flying the unit’s A-10 and F-16 aircraft. Anthony has logged 67 combat sorties, including 51 during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Among his numerous military awards are the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, Meritorious Service Medal, and Air Medal with 4 devices.
From 2008 to until his retirement in 2010, Anthony was assigned as Chief of Staff of the New York Air National Guard. In this capacity, he served as the primary advisor to The Adjutant General in all matters dealing with the Air National Guard, both in supporting the global war on terrorism and providing federal and state disaster relief.
Following his retirement, Anthony took on the role as Airport Service Group Manager for C&S Engineers, in Syracuse from 2010 thru the end of 2013, overseeing the engineering planning, design, and construction of the firm’s 30 regional airport clients.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Anthony talks about the NUAIR Alliance, the FAA Test Site at Griffiss International Airfield and the efforts to create a 50-mile UTM corridor.
What do Public Safety Organizations Need To Know about Managing a Drone Program?
For that question, we turn to Charles Werner, chairman of the Council on Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The Council on Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft Systems promotes the public safety use of UAS through education, training, collaboration, best practices, FAA rule-making and general engagement. Charles has 44 years in public safety, his last ten years as fire chief of the Charlottesville, Virginia fire department. He has served on several local, state and national boards and committees. Charles recently took on the role of DroneUp’s Chief of Public Safety to ensure safe and effective Public safety UAS operations. He has received numerous awards, including 4 Virginia Governor’s Awards for Excellence, the International Fire Chiefs Presidents Award and the National Career Fire Chief of the Year.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Charles talks about the Council on Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft Systems, its mission and objectives and the best practices for integrating UAS into public safety initiatives.
If you ask today’s guest, he would surely say, “Yes it can.” Menashe Haskin is Co-Founder and CTO of EdgyBees, an augmented reality company that fuses pioneering 3D video generation, computer vision and multi-sensor data analysis to solve real-world problems.
Edgybees started as a gaming platform for drone enthusiasts, but soon found that its platform could provide value in other use cases. It is now competing with major commercial drone companies in the emergency response area.
Before founding EdgyBees, Menashe managed the Israeli development office of Amazon Prime Air. Previously, Menashe managed the development of Amazon’s FireTV platform, selling millions of units, from product conception through launch. Prior to joining Amazon, Menashe was founder and CEO of YMagic Technologies through its successful M&A, and held key positions in several Israeli hi-tech companies. He holds over 35 US patents in the fields of aerospace, video and vision processing, data processing and communication.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Menashe talks about Edgybees’ transformation from a gaming company to a leader in the disaster/emergency response field. He will be joined by Romeo Durscher, Director of Public Safety Integration at DJI, who shares his perspective on Edgybees and on using augmented realty systems in public safety response.
How far away are we from our own personal flying vehicle?
If you asked today’s guest, he would say it’s already here. John Manning is founder and Director of Development for ElectraFly, a start-up that is changing the way multirotor innovators look at energy consumption, flight times, and payload capability. The company is on a mission to revolutionize personal and cargo transportation using drones. In August, they successfully flight tested a prototype of a personal flying drone. John has a long history in aviation, having grown up with RC model planes, graduating with a degree in aviation technology from Utah State University, launching companies, and becoming an international commercial pilot.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, John talks about the ElectraFly personal flying drone, plans for cargo transportation drones and how those innovations will transform personal transportation and package and supply delivery.
In What Ways Is the Drone Industry Maturing?
For that question, we turn to Paul Ross of Kespry, where he leads marketing and is responsible for the company’s market development and demand strategy. Paul has nearly two decades of experience in growing businesses through marketing and partnerships. He has helped scale the performance of organizations big and small including Business Objects, Microsoft, Alteryx and Bugcrowd. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Paul talks about Kespry’s growth, some successful drone business models and how the industry seems to be maturing.