Published in UP.Partners·Mar 3, 2021Partnering with SkydioOn a beautiful Spring day in 2014, my friend Tian Yu and I were returning to Los Angeles from Santa Rosa, California, where we had attended the Electric Aircraft Symposium. Tian insisted that we stop in San Francisco on the way home to meet Adam Bry, Abe Bachrach, and Matt…Skydio2 min readSkydio2 min read
Mar 5, 2019Drone Enablement Through Strategic PartnershipsAt AirMap, we believe that building the future of drones requires collaboration amongst strong partners. …Drones4 min readDrones4 min read
Nov 2, 2017Opening the skies for businessLast week, we made history with our FAA and industry partners by launching a digital airspace authorization prototype evaluation program called the Low-Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, or LAANC, at four airports. With LAANC, commercial drone pilots can get authorization to fly in U.S. controlled airspace, demonstrating that it’s possible…Drones3 min readDrones3 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Sep 19, 2017Switzerland and the Future of FlightLast week was another great week at AirMap, where our team is leading the way in opening the airspace for drones all over the world. As I flew back from Geneva to the United States last Friday, I took some time to reflect on just how far we’ve come in…Drones3 min readDrones3 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Jun 23, 2017A visit with President TrumpIt’s not everyday that startup founders receive invitations to the White House. So when my cofounder Greg McNeal and I got the call last week, it was quite an honor to accept.Drones5 min readDrones5 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Jun 13, 2017As drones go global — where does the U.S. stand?New regulations for Japan’s drone ecosystem are reported to be on the way, part of the country’s ongoing campaign to open the skies to high-scale, commercial drone operations. Japan is moving quickly to make the most of the world’s growing drone industry, expected to create more than $127B in economic…Drones3 min readDrones3 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Feb 23, 2017What AirMap’s Series B Means for the Future of DronesToday, we’re excited to announce the next step in AirMap’s growth story: our Series B funding round. The $26 million round brings an exciting group of new partners to the AirMap family: Microsoft Ventures, Airbus Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Rakuten, Sony, and Yuneec. As we celebrate this milestone and welcome our…Drones4 min readDrones4 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Jan 10, 2017How the Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team is forging a safer future for dronesWhen the Wright brothers made the first manned flight on December 17, 1903, few could have imagined that air travel would soon be a routine part of our everyday lives. …Drones3 min readDrones3 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Dec 9, 2016Why Apple’s Drone Mapping Plan is More than a MoonshotLast week, we learned that Apple plans to use drones to improve the company’s Maps offering. But can this ambitious plan really work? If you ask me: absolutely. Drones could be the perfect tool to surface data about current conditions on our roadways. They are already being used to map…Drones4 min readDrones4 min read
Published in Future of Flight·Oct 29, 2016Four things Uber gets right about the flying car — and a few other considerationsIn the automobile industry and in Silicon Valley, most companies are spending their time, resources, and attention on self-driving cars meant for terrestrial travel, rather than flying cars. …Drones6 min readDrones6 min read
