Your Drone Questions. Answered.

What does it really take to scale a drone program across an entire country—and what lessons come from doing it the hard way?
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered, we sit down with Seth Gulich to break down his experience managing a national drone program at a major geospatial firm. From hiring and training pilots to navigating real-world challenges in the field, Seth shares what actually matters when building a successful drone operation.
If you're looking to turn your interest in drones into a career—especially in mapping, surveying, or geospatial work—this conversation is packed with real insights you won’t hear in beginner guides.
We cover:
 How to get started in the geospatial drone industry (even without experience) 
 What companies actually look for when hiring drone pilots 
 The biggest mistakes pilots make—and how to avoid them 
 Lessons learned from managing 20+ pilots and complex projects nationwide 
 Why drones are just one piece of a much bigger workflow 
 How AI and platforms like Mach9 are changing the future of drone data 
Whether you're a beginner or already flying commercially, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in the drone industry today.
🔗 Connect with Seth on LinkedIn or learn more about Mach9
[email protected]

mach9.io

https://wilkesbarre.psu.edu/academics/surveying

Drone delivery has been talked about for years—but where does the industry actually stand today?
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered, host Chris Breedlove sits down with aviation Paul Rossi of 910 Drones to break down the real story behind drone delivery in the United States—how it started, what slowed it down, and why things are finally starting to move forward.
In this episode we discuss:
• How Paul Rossi got involved in the drone delivery space
 • The early days of drone delivery under Part 107 waivers
 • Why COVID changed the conversation around last-mile logistics
 • What UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) really means for drone operations
• The role of network-based Remote ID and LTE connectivity
• Why Mode C veil airspace matters for drone delivery expansion
• How drone traffic could eventually operate like cars on the road
• Where the industry may go next as regulations continue to evolve
Whether you're a drone pilot, aviation enthusiast, or just curious about the future of delivery, this episode offers a fascinating look at how drones are being integrated into real-world logistics.
Connect with Paul Rossi:
LinkedIn: Paul Rossi
Company: 910 Drones
[email protected]
https://www.910drones.com/
https://www.flytrex.com/
https://www.causeyaviationunmanned.com/
https://www.commercialuavnews.com/a-closer-look-at-the-dallas-fort-worth-utm-key-site

What does early 2026 mean for the American drone industry?
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered, we sit down with WISPR Systems to talk about their journey from a Mississippi startup to a nationally recognized U.S. drone manufacturer — and how recent regulatory changes are impacting the entire UAS landscape.
John McArthur shares how WISPR Systems evolved from building drones for professors at Mississippi State University to becoming a major player in the surveying and mapping space. You’ll hear how the company made a strategic decision to “plant their flag” in one vertical, master complex technologies like RTK, PPK, LiDAR, and photogrammetry, and build partnerships with key industry leaders.
We also break down:
The December 2025 Federal Highway and FCC announcements
What NDAA compliance actually means (and why it’s often misunderstood)
The difference between American-made, NDAA compliant, Green List, and Blue List drones
How supply chain realities — especially batteries and payload components — are shaping U.S. manufacturing
What this all means for contractors, DOT projects, and commercial operators
Whether waivers may provide clarity for allied-country payloads like Sony cameras
If you’ve been confused about compliance language, worried about what you can legally fly, or wondering how U.S. drone manufacturing is evolving under new federal priorities — this conversation brings clarity.
You’ll also learn about WISPR Ranger Pro and the SkyScout series — including how they positioned their platform as a compact, open-payload alternative for professional surveying and mapping teams transitioning from DJI ecosystems.
For more information or to connect with the WISPR team, visit:
 👉 https://wisprsystems.com/
https://wisprsystems.com/wispru/
Want your drone question answered in a future episode?
 Submit it here: https://ydqa.io

Are UAS test ranges and FAA test sites the same thing… or totally different?
In this episode of Your Drone Questions Answered, we sit down with Jesse Steele, Range Manager at the Pendleton UAS Range, to break down the real difference between FAA-designated UAS test sites and the ranges that operate under them. 
You’ll learn:
The difference between a UAS test site and a test range
How COAs (Certificates of Authorization) are created and managed
Why Pendleton offers 14,000 square miles of test airspace
What makes this location ideal for advanced testing
The types of companies and platforms testing there (from commercial to defense)
Whether the public can visit or even fly at a range like this
From EVTOL projects like Airbus’ Vahana to large-scale testing operations and cross-country drone flights, the Pendleton range has hosted 175+ unique companies and more than 67,000 test flights.
If you’ve ever wondered how high-level UAS testing actually works in the United States—and who makes it possible—this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look.
To learn more about the range or schedule a tour, visit pendletonuasrange.com

Have a drone question you’d like answered on a future episode? Visit ydqa.io and submit it.
#Drones #UAS #DroneTesting #Aviation #FAA #DroneIndustry #UAV #EVTOL #CommercialDrones #DroneTechnology

Surveying fundamentals can quietly make or break a drone mapping project—and grid vs. ground coordinates are one of those topics that trip people up more often than they expect.
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered the conversation zooms in on the essentials every drone pilot working with mapping, surveying, or lidar data needs to understand.
The discussion is joined by Mark White from Duncan-Parnell, a licensed land surveyor with decades of experience in geospatial training and support. Together, they break down what grid and ground coordinates actually mean, why GPS measurements don’t live on the same “surface” we work on in the real world, and how scale factors quietly affect distances, areas, and deliverables.
You’ll hear clear explanations of state plane systems, ellipsoids, and why mapping on a flat grid is convenient—but not always representative of true ground distances. The episode also tackles site calibration (sometimes called localization), how it works behind the scenes, and why it’s often the key to making drone data line up correctly with survey control.
Useful links:
-TBC Power Hour Defining and Working with Grid and Ground Coordinates (16:09 mark is where the graphic referenced in the podcast is discussed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3SzLtNWa7E 
-GNSS Site Calibrations in Trimble Access – Everything You Need to Know | Survey Matters (first 2.5 minutes in particular): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5fwa2tGgVA

https://www.youtube.com/@duncanparnellgeospatial
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhkUv995xbiWXc9Vz2oGD7jdBD2O1wunK
https://www.duncan-parnell.com/