12031 W Rainbow Ave, West Allis, Wisconsin

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PJ Kirkpatrick is the Executive Director of Drone U Elite. In addition to training pilots across the country with The Drone U, PJ is Co-founder Loc8, an image scanning software company, Co-founder...Read More

Group Part 107 Drone Licensing

Drone Mapping: Comprehensive Photogrammetry

Aerial Videography & Cinematography

Flight Mastery

Flight Introduction

Drone Pilot Coaching Call

Drone Business Coaching Call

PJ Kirkpatrick is the Executive Director of Drone U Elite. In addition to training pilots across the country with The Drone U, PJ is Co-founder Loc8, an image scanning software company, Co-founder and VP of Drone Operations for Terra Vigilis Security Group, a leader in drone detection and mitigation systems implementation and training. Prior to Co-Founding Terra Vigilis, PJ founded his own company, NOMAD aerial solutions, collecting outdoor and indoor aerial imagery for construction projects and consulted on microwave point to point assessments, tower audits, and disaster recovery solutions for telecommunication projects. He has 18 years of technology experience in the telecommunications industry designing, enhancing, and maintaining wireless telecommunication networks. In addition to holding positions as a Radio Frequency Engineer, Solutions Engineer, and Engineering Manager at Sprint, he was also Director of Engineering at Rizzo Consulting designing and implementing in-building projects with AT&T and Verizon. PJ is a commercial drone operator under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 107 and was the first individual in the State of Wisconsin to pass the exam. As a FAASTeam Representative, he actively promotes safety and helps educate Remote Pilots by presenting at aviation safety seminars hosted throughout Wisconsin. Read Less

Canal Winchester, Ohio

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Jason Flakes, President & CEO, is a distinguished designer and award winning architectural photographer based in Washington DC. His educational training from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and...Read More

Aerial Photography

Aerial Videography & Cinematography

Flight Mastery

Flight Introduction

Drone Pilot Coaching Call

Drone Business Coaching Call

Jason Flakes, President & CEO, is a distinguished designer and award winning architectural photographer based in Washington DC. His educational training from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University has helped him establish the prolific multi-media company, Nomoi Design, in 2008. Jason has traveled internationally in partnerships with clients like the NFL Network, International Hotel Group, Rand Construction, Target, and Hilton to photograph a wide array of hotels, buildings, restaurants, and other sites in aerial photography, time-lapse projects, virtual tours, and HDR stills. Jason established Visual14 in 2017, an exclusive collection of exceptional photoraphers that provide full photography and videography production services nationwide. Read Less

Eagle Mountain, Utah

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From a very young age, Mat was interested in “nerdy” things. He got his first camera from his grandpa when he was in elementary school. Playing Nintendo was always a pastime, and computers in the...Read More

Aerial Photography

Aerial Videography & Cinematography

Flight Mastery

Flight Introduction

Drone Pilot Coaching Call

Drone Business Coaching Call

From a very young age, Mat was interested in “nerdy” things. He got his first camera from his grandpa when he was in elementary school. Playing Nintendo was always a pastime, and computers in the home became an even bigger influence. Mat’s family was the first on the block to have a computer in the home, starting with an Apple IIe, then DOS-based PC, Windows 3.1, and on. He got his very own computer at 16, which led to building his own PCs. Computers, technology, and gadgets would continue to be passions throughout Mat’s life, and he eventually found a career in software engineering. In 2015 Mat was mesmerized when a friend posted videos soaring over the beaches of California using a Phantom 2 drone. Over the next year these videos continued to tempt him to purchase a drone for himself. He started small with a nano-quad. Then eventually received a larger, camera-equipped drone as a Christmas gift. Once he had a taste of what flying a real drone could be, he knew an upgrade had to be in his future. In the spring of 2016, he found a Phantom 3 Pro for a great price. The frustration from a two-week wait for delivery was only surpassed by the agonizing wait for the controller to charge. Once that bird was in the air, he was hooked. Shortly after, he stumbled upon the Ask Drone U podcast and realized he could do more with his passion for flight. He took and passed the Part 107 certification the first day it was available, and was the second Part 107 pilot in all of Utah county. (The first beat him by 15 minutes.) This would mark the official launch of Mat’s business, Elevation Imaging. Mat started out doing as many DroneBase jobs he could find. This helped him gain experience with refining processes to make the low-paying DroneBase jobs worthwhile. Many emails and phone calls later, Mat started to land real estate jobs. Eventually, he turned his attention towards mapping, which let Mat lean into his more technical nature. He still enjoys the occasional real estate job, allowing him a creative outlet through his love for still photography. At the first Drone U Fly-in in 2016, Mat won the “Investigative Dronin’” event and upon receiving the certificate was told he would be getting an invitation to the Drone U Elite program. This program would allow Mat to combine some of his favorite things: Training, working with and helping others, and, of course, flying drones. Since he began working with Drone U, Mat has helped many drone pilots, through one-on-one Flight Mastery trainings and in-person Mapping Boot Camps. Read Less

New York, New York

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Subject Tracking with Drones

Group Part 107 Drone Licensing

Aerial Photography

Drone Mapping: Comprehensive Photogrammetry

Aerial Videography & Cinematography

Flight Mastery

Drone Pilot Coaching Call

Drone Business Coaching Call

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12 Apache Plume Rd, Los Lunas, New Mexico

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I have been flying fixed wing RC aircraft on and off since 1984. I have been flying UAS since 2012. I am currently learning to fly 3D RC Helicopters. I have always had a camera in my hand as a...Read More

Aerial Photography

Flight Mastery

Flight Introduction

Drone Pilot Coaching Call

Drone Business Coaching Call

I have been flying fixed wing RC aircraft on and off since 1984. I have been flying UAS since 2012. I am currently learning to fly 3D RC Helicopters. I have always had a camera in my hand as a hobbyist and since 2015 as a professional. I believe classroom and hands on learning are the most accurate and accommodating ways to teach. I currently own a UAS Aerial Photography business. My current career is 20+ years at Sandia National Laboratories in the security field. Favorite part of Flying: If I were asked: What is your favorite aspect of flying?” My answer would be instructing people to fly in a safe legal manner, while having fun. I enjoy watching how students grow in confidence and skill level. It is fantastic to watch a Student’s face full of a smile, after they accomplish task and skill levels above what they felt they could perform. I look forward to meeting new people wanting to learn the ins and outs of flying UAS. Mission Statement: To be an advocate for the UAS industry by instructing with integrity and pride. Read Less