U.S. Air Pressure Veteran | FAA Half 107 Pilot | Writer
The Mission Has Modified — However the Self-discipline Stays
Credit score: HiFly Aerial Drone Companies / Rahman “Ray” Richardson. Used with permission.
Throughout the nation, a quiet revolution is chickening out. Veterans — solid by construction, strain, and function — at the moment are commanding America’s airspace in a brand new means. We’ve swapped cargo planes and convoys for quadcopters and cloud processing, however the mission mindset hasn’t modified.
After 20 years within the U.S. Air Pressure — main logistics and operations throughout 5 international locations — I authored a e-book on programs considering, resilience, and redefining function. Then I launched HiFly Aerial Drone Companies in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. What started with a single DJI drone has advanced right into a full-service UAV firm delivering thermal inspections, 3D mapping, and development monitoring throughout the Intermountain West.
However this isn’t simply my story. It’s half of a bigger motion: veterans redefining the way forward for flight. We’re not simply flying drones — we’re constructing corporations, setting new requirements, and bringing battlefield precision into industrial airspace.
Why Veterans Make Distinctive Drone Operators
1. Mission Planning is in Our DNA
Veterans are skilled to suppose in layers — technique, security, execution. That mindset is tailored for FAA Half 107 compliance, airspace coordination, and threat administration.
2. Tech-Ahead and Fearless
From satellite tv for pc programs to safe comms, army professionals are not any strangers to cutting-edge tech. Adapting to UAV platforms, sensors, AI, and GIS instruments like DroneDeploy? We’re constructed for it.
3. Regulatory Fluency
Checklists. SOPs. Chain of command. Veterans step into regulated environments with confidence — and infrequently exceed what’s required, particularly in areas like BVLOS operations and infrastructure inspections.
4. Management Below Strain
Each drone flight is a mission. Veterans deliver calm beneath strain, readability in chaos, and a client-ready professionalism that builds belief and delivers outcomes.
Extra Than a Job: Drones as a Pathway to Objective
For a lot of veterans, drone entrepreneurship isn’t only a job — it’s a type of post-service reintegration. It’s tactical. It’s cell. It’s purpose-driven. And with VA packages like Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E), extra veterans are coming into this subject with entry to gear, coaching, and startup help.
At HiFly, we’re growing:
• STEM-focused drone camps
• Veteran-led UAV coaching packages
• P.H.O.E.N.I.X., a transportable consumer dashboard for high-impact knowledge supply
All constructed with the identical consideration to element we realized in uniform.
The Future Is within the Air — And Veterans Are Main It
Veteran-owned UAV corporations are pioneering the way forward for:
• Catastrophe response & search-and-rescue
• Wildfire threat mitigation & environmental mapping
• AI-powered inspections for photo voltaic, wind, and infrastructure
• 3D development progress modeling
• Drone gentle reveals & sustainable occasion tech
With the FAA evolving requirements for BVLOS, Distant ID, and UTM, there’s by no means been a greater second for veterans to carve out house within the aerial financial system.
Ultimate Method
Within the Air Pressure, we flew with function. Within the drone world, that hasn’t modified. What veterans deliver — self-discipline, situational consciousness, and operational excellence — is strictly what this business must scale safely and neatly.
To the drone business:
Rent veteran pilots. Associate with veteran-owned UAV companies. Sponsor their coaching packages. You’ll acquire way over flight time — you’ll acquire mission-ready professionals.
To my fellow veterans:
The skies are open. The instruments are accessible. The mission is yours to outline. Whether or not you’re flying for purchasers, communities, or causes — your subsequent chapter may very well be airborne.
