Charles Acknin is Co-Founder and CEO of Skyways.  Skyways is building unmanned aircraft systems designed to revolutionize autonomous cargo transportation. Unlike many competitors still in development, Skyways’ aircraft are operational today — carrying meaningful payloads over significant distances for both military and commercial customers. Based in Austin, Skyways is now shifting toward mass production of its autonomous aircraft, building confidence through real-world cargo missions that could ultimately enable future passenger applications.

At Skyways, Charles leads the company’s strategic vision and oversees operations, product development, and growth initiatives in autonomous aviation.

Prior to Skyways, Charles co-founded and served as CEO of Elixir Labs. Before that, he was a Senior Software Engineer at Google, where he worked on the company’s search engine for nearly five years and spent a year advancing Google’s mission of universal accessibility.

Earlier in his career, Charles held engineering roles at Oracle, Cosworld-Asia in Shanghai, and Amadeus. He also participated in Google Summer of Code, contributing to the open-source version control system Subversion.

Charles holds a Master of Science in Software Engineering from Oxford Brookes University and a Master of Science in Computer Science from SUPINFO.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Charles shares how Skyways is turning autonomous cargo drones from experimental technology into dependable, scalable logistics systems.

Logan Harris is CEO, President, and Founder of Spotter Global—a company specializing in compact radar and drone detection technologies.

Spotter Global imagines, designs, manufactures, and coordinates the software development of compact surveillance radars, Remote Drone ID, NetworkedIO command and control, and its Integrated Management Center.

The company was originally founded to meet the needs of U.S. Special Forces, who required a very small, wide-area radar to protect small units conducting Village Stability Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. From that need, the first Compact Surveillance Radar—the M600—was developed to protect warfighters operating in austere environments.

In 2013, the attack on the Metcalf substation in California highlighted the need to detect threats far beyond the fence line. In response, Spotter introduced its first Compact Security Radar, the C40. Since then, the company has expanded its commercial off-the-shelf offerings to include 17 radar models covering areas from one acre to more than 380 acres, serving markets well beyond critical infrastructure—and far beyond North America.

Logan is widely recognized as the inventor of the compact surveillance radar category. With deep expertise in RF engineering and digital signal processing, he launched SpotterRF in 2009 to help prevent harm to critical infrastructure and protect warfighters.

Previously, Logan served as CTO at Wavetronix and as CTO and co-founder of ImSAR, the creator of NanoSAR. His engineering background also includes roles at IBM, TRW, Sensar Larson Davis, and Vantage.

Logan holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University. Known for his innovation and leadership, he has positioned Spotter Global as a trusted radar provider across government and commercial sectors.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Logan talks about the growing reality of drone threats, how Spotter Global is using advanced detection and Remote ID technology to protect critical infrastructure and large public events, and what the future of airspace security looks like as agencies, regulations, and technologies continue to evolve.

Dr. Jamey Jacob is Executive Director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education and the Williams Chair in Energy Technology at Oklahoma State University. Under his leadership, OSU launched the Counter-UAS Center of Excellence, now the nation’s central hub for coordinated research, development, testing and evaluation of counter-drone systems. Working closely with the Joint Force CUAS University at Fort Sill, the center assesses vendor technologies, establishes performance standards and accelerates next-generation defenses—all while addressing the growing national shortage of highly trained engineers in this mission-critical domain. With unique testing environments and deep alignment with military needs, OSU plays a pivotal role in strengthening national security and maintaining U.S. leadership in UAS innovation.

Beyond directing the Center, Dr. Jacob is a Regents Professor of Aerospace Engineering and a nationally recognized leader in emerging aerospace systems, securing nearly $50 million in research funding from federal agencies and industry partners. He has testified before Congress on the critical need for sustained investment in drone research and advanced air mobility, and he leads major initiatives including the EDA-funded LaunchPad and UAS Flight Corridor, NASA’s WINDMAP weather program, OSU’s work within the Tulsa Hub for Ethical and Trustworthy Autonomy, and the NIST initiative developing certification standards for next-generation aircraft. A native Oklahoman, he holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma and UC Berkeley, and is an FAA Part 107 pilot with roughly 500 flight hours.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Dr. Jacob talks about OSU’s efforts to advance the nation’s counter-UAS capabilities; what Ukraine’s drone innovations reveal about the future of warfare, and how OSU’s research in atmospheric science, public safety, and wildlife applications is shaping the next generation of drone operations.

Bill Lakeland is CEO of Spexi, the world’s largest decentralized drone imagery network. Spexi provides a scalable, sustainable, and cost-efficient alternative to traditional Earth imaging methods, with its network of drone pilots delivering detailed, near-real-time imagery to support disaster preparedness, smart city planning, AI model training, and gaming applications. The network has mapped over 3.5M acres in 200+ cities across the world. 

Bill has over 20 years of experience in geospatial imagery,  having led and exited as both a Co-Owner and Vice President of two aerial imagery firms. Before launching Spexi, he spent two decades in traditional aerial mapping, operating fixed-wing aircraft with high-resolution cameras to capture imagery for municipalities and insurers. 

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Bill talks about Spexi’s network of drone pilots and the company’s efforts to provide high-resolution imagery of urban areas. 

Geoff Hitchcock ia Chief Revenue Officer at Red Cat Holdings, and Matt Vogt ia Chief Revenue Officer at Palladyne AI.

Red Cat is a cutting-edge drone technology company delivering advanced hardware and integrated software solutions for military, government, and commercial applications. Palladyne AI develops next-generation artificial intelligence software that brings autonomy and smart collaboration to robotic platforms in defense and commercial sectors.

The two companies recently announced a significant testing milestone in their ongoing collaboration—the completion of an autonomous, cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.  The system enabled real-time, distributed detection and tracking of multiple dynamic and static ground objects—including humans and vehicles—in different regions of interest, providing a single operator with comprehensive situational awareness. The two companies previously announced a successful two-drone flight operation in January 2025, and Palladyne AI announced a single-drone testing scenario in December 2024 to autonomously identify, prioritize, and track terrestrial targets.  The results represents significant progress in enabling multi-drone interoperability and autonomous collaboration for the defense sector.

Geoff is a 22-year veteran of USAF Special Operations with deep experience in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. He’s led operations and business development at top drone companies, including AeroVironment and Vantage Robotics, and now drives Red Cat’s growth as Chief Revenue Officer.

Matt began his career as a U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier attack pilot and later served as a Special Operations Forward Air Controller. After a decade leading business development at AeroVironment, he now oversees all revenue activities at Palladyne AI, focusing on AI-driven autonomy solutions for defense and commercial use.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Matt and Geoff share how Red Cat and Palladyne AI’s partnership is unlocking true autonomous multi-drone collaboration, what this breakthrough means for modern military operations, and how they plan to scale the technology for larger swarms and real-world commercial applications.

Kaitlyn Albertoli is CEO and co-founder of Buzz Solutions. Buzz Solutions leverages AI and drone technology to revolutionize how power utilities inspect and modernize their infrastructure. The company’s innovative software platform, featuring tools like PowerAI and PowerGUARD, uses advanced data analytics and machine learning to automate visual inspections, enhancing the safety, efficiency, and resilience of the electric grid. Their mission is to empower utilities to proactively monitor and manage their systems, reducing outages, preventing wildfires, and ensuring reliable energy delivery. Committed to driving innovation, Buzz Solutions equips teams with cutting-edge solutions to analyze data, collaborate seamlessly, and export actionable inspection results—all aimed at fostering smarter, more stable infrastructure for a sustainable future.

A Stanford University graduate with a background in sustainability and finance, Kaitlyn is widely regarded as a thought leader in the energy and technology sectors. She frequently speaks at industry events and conferences on topics spanning utilities, AI, and infrastructure resilience. Before co-founding Buzz Solutions with Vik Chaudhry to safeguard the world’s energy infrastructure, Kaitlyn worked as a wealth management analyst at JP Morgan Chase. In 2021, her leadership and vision earned her a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Together, she and Vik are tackling critical challenges like grid-sparked wildfires, power outages, and storm damage with a bold, tech-driven approach."

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Kaitlyn talks about Buzz Solutions, how AI and drones are transforming traditional utility inspections and the challenges of implementing and scaling these technologies.

Bill Irby is the CEO of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. AgEagle is a global technology leader specializing in enhancing situational awareness through advanced robotics solutions. The company focuses on providing autonomous drones designed to tackle mission-critical challenges with high-value solutions.

Founded in 2010, AgEagle initially pioneered professional-grade, fixed-wing drones and aerial imagery tailored to the agriculture industry. Over the years, the company has expanded its reach and is now a leading provider of full-stack drone solutions for industries including energy, construction, agriculture, and government sectors worldwide.

As CEO, Bill brings a wealth of experience to AgEagle. A United States Naval Academy graduate, Bill has more than 25 years of senior management expertise in uncrewed air and maritime systems, ISR systems, actuation hardware, and communication systems. His career includes serving as Vice President at Northrop Grumman, one of the world’s largest defense technology providers, generating $30 billion annually. He also served as President of MTI and Steel Partners Holdings.  Additionally, Bill is an active Board member of Ghost Robotics and the Chairman of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Bill discusses AgEagle’s evolution and technology, the company’s expansion into military and public safety markets and the role of AI and innovation in the Drone Industry.

Jackie Dujmovic is founder and CEO of Australian based Hover UAV.  Hover UAV is a trailblazer in the drone industry, helping clients advance their operations and navigate the complexities of drone regulations. By understanding each client's unique needs, the team creates customized procedures, documentation, and policies to ensure success in this fast-growing field.

Whether it’s a client’s first commercial flight or they’re pursuing specialized approvals for cutting-edge missions, Hover UAV offers a full suite of services. These include building organizational strategies, crafting industry-standard safety cases, and providing policy recommendations to keep clients ahead in the game.

One of their standout achievements is the development of SORA-Mate, an online risk assessment tool created with ANRA Technologies as part of the Australian Government’s Emerging Aviation Technologies Partnerships Program. SORA-Mate simplifies the process of securing BVLOS approvals, making advanced drone operations more accessible and streamlining regulatory requirements.

Jackie brings nearly a decade of experience in the UAS industry. She’s not only a commercial UAS pilot but also an accomplished Chief Remote Pilot, known for building strong communication frameworks with regulators across local, national, and international levels. Her mission? To integrate drones seamlessly into everyday life, all while maintaining a firm commitment to safety, compliance, and operational excellence.

Beyond her work at Hover UAV, Jackie serves on the boards of Safeskies Australia, the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems, and the Vertical Flight Society, further contributing to the growth and safety of the drone industry.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Jackie shares Hover UAV’s innovative approach to drone operations, key lessons learned from working with global leaders in drone technology, and her insights into the emerging trends shaping the future of the industry.

Amol Parikh is co-CEO of Doodle Labs.  Doodle Labs designs and produces industrial-grade wireless networking solutions. The company focuses on mesh networking for robotic systems, providing high throughput, long-range Mesh Rider solutions for a variety of government/defense, private wireless and other applications.  Doodle Labs has offices in the United States and Singapore, and has been named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024.

Doodle Labs is a leader in providing industrial-grade wireless networking solutions.  Their radios are widely used in military situations, because of their anti-jamming capability providing drone operators with much improved signal strength and continuity.  Doodle Labs’ breakthrough development of multi-band technology can benefit several commercial applications, as well.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Amol talks about Doodle Labs, its revolutionary mesh communication radios, and how multi-band technology can benefit military and commercial applications.

Chris Sanders is Senior Manager for Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team.  The Crisis Response Team is a national, rapid deploy, professionally trained team who solve routine and complex communication challenges in all environments. This team of multi-disciplinary provide on-demand emergency assistance to government agencies, first responders, frontline workers and communities—to help maintain mission-critical communications.

Chris is the Verizon Frontline Senior Manager for Crisis Response for Georgia and Alabama, as well as the developer and leader of the crisis response UAS team.  He draws upon his experience from ten years on active duty in the United States Army where he served as a tactical air traffic control operator and senior noncommissioned officer to provide a calm demeanor during times of crisis. His experience also includes several years of work in the UAS industry working on mapping, photogrammetry, LiDAR, and beyond visual line of sight operations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in unmanned systems and robotics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master’s degree in Geographical Information Systems and cartography from The University of Southern California.

Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Verizon Frontline have signed a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to explore new strategies to rapidly deploy uncrewed aircraft systems to collect and distribute imagery of damage resulting from severe storms such as tornadoes or hurricanes.

As part of this partnership, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team will provide the uncrewed aircraft system platform, sensor, and personnel resources needed to rapidly respond and collect aerial imagery of storm-damaged areas of interest identified by NOAA.

The goal is to enhance the ability of NOAA’s National Weather Service offices to quickly conduct post-storm damage assessments, while also providing data for research conducted by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. This data will be used to help researchers better understand tornado behavior and impacts with a goal of improving warnings. 

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Chris talks about the Verizon Frontline Crises Response Team, the partnership with NOAA and how systematic data collection can aide local communities in redeveloping after a disaster.

How close are we to seeing autonomous air taxis?

Brian Yutko is CEO of Wisk Aero, an advanced air mobility company dedicated to delivering safe, everyday flight for everyone. Wisk’s self-flying, electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi will make it possible for passengers to skip the traffic and get to their destination faster. Headquartered in the Mountain View, California, with locations around the world, Wisk is an independent company backed by The Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation. With over a decade of experience and over 1600 test flights, Wisk is shaping the future of daily commutes and urban travel, safely and sustainably. 

Prior to joining Wisk, Brian served as Vice President and Chief Engineer for Sustainability and Future Mobility at Boeing, where he led a team that leveraged company’s technical expertise in sustainability technologies as well as emerging, advanced aerial mobility applications.  He was the Chief Technologist for Boeing NeXt and sat on the Board of Directors for Wisk following its founding as a joint venture with Boeing. 

Prior to his roles at Boeing, Brian was the Senior Vice President of Programs and Vice President of Research and Technology at Aurora Flight Sciences, an industry leader in aviation autonomy and rapid prototyping. Brian was a Research Engineer in the International Center for Air Transportation at MIT after earning a Ph.D. and Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Brian talks about the progress that Wisk Aero is making to develop and deploy autonomous air taxis, including the results of a recent successful air taxi flight demonstration at the Long Beach Airport. 

Is there an easier way to scale aerial data collection?

Janne Hietala is a technology enthusiast and CEO of Finland based, Kelluu.  Kelluu designs, manufactures and operates intelligent airships for persistent aerial monitoring.  Kelluu’s fleet of  hydrogen powered vehicles, capable of staying airborne for 12-hours, is equipped with an array of spectral cameras, sensors, and scanners.  These instruments can gather real-time data on a diverse range of subjects, including terrain, vegetation, and infrastructure.

Janne's journey in entrepreneurship is noteworthy, with achievements such as bootstrapping a software company to a remarkable 15 million EUR in revenue, managing a team of 250 professionals across seven countries, and ultimately exiting the venture in 2021. His achievements were recognized in 2012 when he was honored with the prestigious Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.  Founded in 2018, under Janne’s leadership, Kelluu has swiftly established itself as a key player in the creation of digital twins, catering to various applications and industries.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Janne shares his insights on how Kelluu's innovative hydrogen-powered airships are poised to revolutionize the way we approach aerial data collection, offering scalability and efficiency across numerous sectors. 

How will crewed and uncrewed aircraft systems fly in the same airspace?

Toni Drummond is President US for Titan Aviation Global, a worldwide aviation management, jet charter and sales company.  Titan’s mission is to be the most trusted advisors for the best private travel experience, by providing a personalized, efficient, safe and convenient experience to all who fly with them.

Toni is a highly recognized private and emerging aviation specialist, with a unique background in business jet flight operations, aviation logistics & regulations as well as sales and business development. With an education in Business Management, she has held management positions within the world’s leading aviation companies until starting her first aviation consulting business in 2008.

Toni is an expert  in sustainable and emerging aviation ecosystems using eVTOL and hybrid vehicles. She spends much of her time traveling and speaking around the world about sustainable flight departments and efforts leaning into collaborative future facing air mobility. She consults on emerging aviation projects in vertical infrastructure & electric charging, EVTOL & sustainable ecosystems as well as emerging UAS technologies.

Global Aerial Management Group, which is Drummond’s first women owned emerging technologies company, was the winner of the 2021 Women and Drones Team Innovation award. She was also named as one of the Top 100 Women to Watch in aviation & aerospace in 2021 & 2022. Toni is a member of the National Business Aviation Association’s Emerging Tech Committee and Co-Chair of National Air Transport Association’s Advanced Air Mobility Committee.

As efforts continue to integrate uncrewed aircraft into the national air space, there are questions as to whether uncrewed systems should be integrated with crewed systems in the same airspace.  Currently there exists a gap between crewed and uncrewed aviation. That gap has cultivated a sense of mistrust across technologies and industries, but it’s one that extends to the general public as well. 

This year’s Commercial UAV Expo will dedicate a full day to this gap through the UAV Expo’s Advance Airspace Summit.  This Commercial UAV Expo Summit will discuss where the industry is today, how the technology will evolve over the next decade to bridge this gap, what regulatory changes will likely be necessary, and what challenges the industry will face related to passenger expectations and public acceptance. Toni Drummond will be one of the moderators for the UAV Expo Advance Airspace Summit.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Toni talks about Titan Aviation Global and advance airflight, the challenges and opportunities for integrating crewed and uncrewed systems into the same airspace and how Commercial UAV Expo Advance Airspace Summit will help elevate the discussion among industry professionals.

 Are Hydrogen Drones Ready To Take Center Stage?

Ben Levenson is Co-founder and CEO of HevenDrones, a manufacturer of heavy-lift actionable drones capable of solving a range of commercial, infrastructural, humanitarian and military challenges.  From autonomous last-mile delivery to defense missions, emergency response, and infrastructure repair the company’s fully-customizable drone solutions deliver cutting-edge performance, patented stability and superior lifting capability. Powered by an expert team with military, engineering, and scientific backgrounds, the company enjoys a strategic partnership with Plug Power and is a partner and supplier of the Israel Ministry of Defense.

In February, HevenDrones launched its first hydrogen-powered drone for commercial use, the H2D55. With 5-times greater energy efficiency than traditional lithium battery-powered drones, the H2D55 is capable of flying for 100 minutes with a payload capacity of 7 kilograms.

The launch of HevenDrones’ hydrogen product line addresses the challenge of flight endurance and payload capacity associated with lithium battery-powered drones as well as the long term environmental impact linked to lithium mining. Without the need to frequently replace batteries, hydrogen fuel cells will also lower long term ownership costs for organizations implementing drone technology at scale.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Ben talks about HevenDrones, the company’s innovative hydrogen drones and the promise and future hydrogen propulsion systems.

How does one go about building an integrated drone logistics company?

Eric Peck is Co-founder and CEO of Swoop Aero.  Swoop Aero is an Australian drone-powered logistics com pany founded in 2017 to transform how the world moves, by making access to the skies seamless.  Their mission is to provide the world’s leading technology platform for sustainable and scalable drone logistics.  The company has extensive experience in this area.  It has spearheaded disaster relief and medical supply delivery worldwide, delivering over one million items in over 18,000 flights so far, working with companies including UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, UPS and more.   Swoop Aero’s platform is built for logistics at scale and integrates all modes of transport. It is the safe and responsive FAA Certification-ready solution that enables two-way deliveries across multiple destinations, organizations, and providers, using their industry-leading BVLOS expertise.

At Swoop Aero, Eric leads the overall business strategy and the relationships with the company’s global partners. A former Air Force Pilot, Eric led missions in the Middle East as a qualified C130J Hercules Captain. After almost a decade as a pilot, Eric completed an MBA and joined Deloitte to help leading organizations solve their most complex problems.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Eric talks about Swoop Aero’s drone powered logistics platform and how the company has become the world leader in drone delivery.

What are AgEagle’s plans to serve the Drone Industry?

Brandon Torres Declet is CEO of AgEagle, a leading provider of full-stack drone solutions for customers worldwide in the energy, construction, agriculture, and government verticals.   The company designs and delivers best-in-class drones, sensors, and software that solve significant problems.  Prior to being named Chief Executive Officer of AgEagle, Brandon co-founded and was CEO at Measure, an aerial intelligence company that builds software to automate drone operations workflows. In April 2021, Measure was acquired by AgEagle, and Brandon was named Chief Operating Officer of the Company and was elected to the Board of Directors.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Brandon talks about AgEagle, current customer needs and overall trends in the drone industry. 

Can small UAS businesses thrive in this changing industry?

Today’s guest has proven they can.  Matt Dunlevy is founder of SkySkopes, an unmanned aircraft systems flight operations company based in Grand Forks, North Dakota.   SkySkopes is a professional service provider with a highly qualified operations and geospatial team. They operate a wide variety of advanced sensors and aircraft for transmission and distribution line inspections, oil and gas applications, and many other innovative use cases that focus on adding value.

Matt founded SkySkopes in 2014 and secured the first FAA permission to fly UAS for business in North Dakota.  Since then, he has success sfully navigated the company’s growth through the changes and evolution of the drone industry.  A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Matt has taught numerous UAS courses at the University of North Dakota such as UAS Business, UAS Engineering, and UAS Ethics.

Matt was also one of my guests on the first year of the Drone Radio Show podcast.  At that time, the company was only about 1 year old and just starting to find its way in the energy sector.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Matt returns to talks about Sky Scopes, how the company has grown over the past 7 years and the lessons learned in creating a drone-based energy services company.

Can a drone help to speed up the flight check of landing systems at airports?

For that question, we head to Chelaybinsk, Russia to talk with Vitaly Munirov,  CEO of Cursir, a Russian based company that produces innovative drone-based solutions for flight inspection of navigation and landing systems at airports. The company uses UAVs to calibrate, check and configure navigation aids at Russian airports resulting in huge cost savings to air traffic management organizations. 

Cursir was founded in 2015 as a spin-off project of Russian landing and navigation systems manufacturer RTS Union.  Vitaly has 14 years of experience in the aviation industry.  Prior to leading Cursir, Vitaly spent several years as the chief of the research and development department.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Vitaly talks about Cursir, its innovative flight inspection system and how it will transform air management operations. 

Joining Vitaly will be Lena Nimchenko and Aleksandr Shushkov, both part of the Cursir team.

Where Can American Drone Companies Go To innovate?

Preston Huntington is the Client Relations Manager at Xelevate Solutions, the mid-atlantic regions premier UAS Center of Excellence located in Leesburg, VA. With on-location labs, and varied operational areas, Xelevate offers innovators and operators a safe location to mature unmanned products, policies, and procedures in any industry.

Prior to Xelevate, Preston served as a Program Analyst at the United States Marshal’s Procurement HQ team working side-by-side with law enforcement contractors. His career has also seen him serve in various roles in the higher education industry eventually becoming the Director of Admissions at the Texas A&M Bush School of Government & Public Service in Washington D.C.  Preston has a Masters in International Relations and a Bachelors in History from Norwich.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Preston introduces us to the Xelevate UAS Center of Excellence, and shares how the center can help strengthen American position and presence in the drone industry.

How can LIDAR provide value to organizations?

Lukas Fraser is a LiDAR Specialist at the Geospatial Group of NV5. NV5 is a provider of engineering and consulting services to public and private sector clients. With offices nationwide and abroad, NV5 helps clients plan, design, build, test, certify, and operate projects that improve the communities where we live and work.

At NV5, Lukas creates engineering-grade 3D mapping products  from LiDAR imagery.  He specializes in the collection and analysis of topographic and topo-bathymetric LiDAR data . He turns raw datasets into useful information such as AutoCAD drawings and surfaces, GIS databases, or online interactive web maps. 

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Lukas talks about the process to collect LiDAR and image data with UAVs, how that data is analyzed, and then how products are created that provide value to clients

Can Blockchain Play a Role in Securing Drone Data?

Jeff Thompson is CEO and founder of Red Cat and Henry Ines is Chief Operating Office at GoChain. 

Red Cat is the leading provider of distributed data storage, analytics and services for the growing recreational and commercial drone industry. They’ve created the industry’s first black box flight recorder that pilots, regulators, and insurance companies can rely on for secure flight data.

GoChain is a leading provider of scalable, low-cost blockchain solutions. They have partnered with some of the largest data networks in the world, including AWS, IBM and Microsoft and serve clients ranging from innovative, high impact startupst to Fortune 200 companies.

Jeff and Henry have long history of success in their respective fields. Jeff is a serial tech entrepreneur, primarily in the telecom space, where he created and led companies from startup to successfully exits and IPOs. Henry has more than 20 years experience as a Venture Capitalist, global executive, advisor and as an entrepreneur. 

Last year, Red Cat announced a partnership GoChain to integrate its blockchain black box and distributed storage system onto the GoChain platform, which will enable Red Cat to immediately and easily deliver its technology to customers with speed and scale.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jeff and Henry talk about Red Cat and GoChain, how blockchain technology secures drone data, and how this technology could answer the critical question surrounding privacy and security of drone data.

What’s happening in the Drone Industry today?

Michael Blades is Vice President of Aerospace, Defense and Security Americas Region for Frost of Sullivan   Frost and Sullivan provides a comprehensive range of research services and state-of-the-art analytical tools to enable decision-makers to use marketing information in more innovative and meaningful ways.  Michael is an experienced military aviator with expertise in world-wide aerospace operations. He is an expert in researching and analyzing the military, civil, and commercial unmanned systems ecosystems as well as markets related to defense training and simulation programs and technologies.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Michael talks about some of the current trends in the drone industry.  This is the second of two interviews with Michael on the drone industry. Today we cover drone delivery, urban air mobility, key trends to look for and a couple of surprises in the drone industry.

How will we maintain accountability for package delivery when BVLOS operations begin?

Steven Flynn is Founder and CEO of SkyTango, a global drone services company located in Dublin, Ireland.  Steve is an Emmy Award winning Filmmaker, Director of Photography, Editor and a drone pilot since 2013.  In 2019, he led Ireland’s first BVLOS Diabetes Drone delivery of Insulin to AN island community.  He recently finished a 9-month stint at Wingcopter, working as a Senior Business Developer.  He has also led teams to achieve new milestones in the Beyond Visual Line of Sight arena.

His experience with BVLOS drone delivery led to looking at how best to manage and track packages to ensure an accurate, smooth and safe delivery to the customer.  According to Steven, improving accountability in the workflow is key to protecting and growing the commerce of the drone industry.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Steven talks about SkyTango, the drone delivery business and how maintaining accountability in the package delivery workflow is paramount to the long term profitability of  BVLOS drone delivery.

How have power companies used drones during Covid-19?

For that question, we head to Nice, France to speak with Kevin O’Donovan, founder of the boutique technology consultant company, A Bit of This & That ...  The company is focused on the intersection of technology and the Energy Industry, delivering innovative technology consultations, sales advisory, speaker & B2B Influencer services.  Being a bit of a storyteller, Kevin has been evangelizing how new technologies can transform the way we do things throughout his career. Kevin has a proven track record of 'bridging the gap' between the capabilities a new technology can bring and the practicalities of bringing that technology to market.  He has held senior leadership Technical Sales & Sales Management roles at Compaq, HP and most recently at Intel, where he was Intel’s Worldwide Sales Director for the Energy Industry. 

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Kevin talks about power companies have used drones during the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain operations and more importantly keep the lights for all of us.

How many tries does it take to bring down a rogue drone? 

Sharone Aloni is vice-president of research and development of Smart Shooter, a world-class designer, developer, and manufacturer of innovative fire control systems.  The company’s SMASH Fire Control system significantly increases the accuracy and lethality of small arms and provides end-users with a "One Shot – One Hit" capability across multiple mission areas. Thus, creating a significant advantage for the infantry soldier and ultimately revolutionizing the world of small arms and optics. 

The SMASH Fire Control System was originally designed for use against ground units, but recently, the Dutch Army tested it in a live-fire counter-drone trial.  The test took place in the Austrian High Mountains, as part of the Dutch Defense Department examination of different ways to combat small unmanned systems.  Tested at a range of up to 200 meters, in harsh weather conditions, fog, and blowing snow, the SMASH Fire Control Systems proved to be highly effective in shooting down drones. It made no difference whether the drones were stationary in the air or moving. 

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Sharone introduces us to Smart Shooter, the SMASH Fire Control System and how its become one of the easiest and most reliable counter drone solutions for the military.