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Veterans Bring Mission Mindset to the Drone Industry

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Across the United States, veterans are taking their mission-driven skills from military service into the fast-growing drone industry. With experience in discipline, technology, and leadership under pressure, they are building businesses and advancing commercial UAV applications from inspections to emergency response. In this guest post, Rahman “Ray” Richardson shares how veterans are reshaping the skies — and why their next mission is airborne.  DRONELIFE neither accepts nor makes payment for guest posts.

From Combat Zones to Construction Sites: How Veterans Are Reshaping the Drone Industry

By Rahman “Ray” Richardson, Founder & CEO, HiFly Aerial Drone Services
U.S. Air Force Veteran | FAA Part 107 Pilot | Author

The Mission Has Changed — But the Discipline Remains

Rahman “Ray” Richardson during joint training; CH-53E Super Stallion in the background.
Credit: HiFly Aerial Drone Services / Rahman “Ray” Richardson.  Used with permission.

Across the country, a quiet revolution is taking flight. Veterans — forged by structure, pressure, and purpose — are now commanding America’s airspace in a new way. We’ve swapped cargo planes and convoys for quadcopters and cloud processing, but the mission mindset hasn’t changed.
After 20 years in the U.S. Air Force — leading logistics and operations across five countries — I authored a book on systems thinking, resilience, and redefining purpose. Then I launched HiFly Aerial Drone Services in Salt Lake City, Utah. What began with a single DJI drone has evolved into a full-service UAV company delivering thermal inspections, 3D mapping, and construction monitoring across the Intermountain West.
But this isn’t just my story. It’s part of a larger movement: veterans redefining the future of flight. We’re not just flying drones — we’re building companies, setting new standards, and bringing battlefield precision into commercial airspace.

Why Veterans Make Exceptional Drone Operators

1. Mission Planning is in Our DNA

Veterans are trained to think in layers — strategy, safety, execution. That mindset is tailor-made for FAA Part 107 compliance, airspace coordination, and risk management.

2. Tech-Forward and Fearless

From satellite systems to secure comms, military professionals are no strangers to cutting-edge tech. Adapting to UAV platforms, sensors, AI, and GIS tools like DroneDeploy? We’re built for it.

3. Regulatory Fluency

Checklists. SOPs. Chain of command. Veterans step into regulated environments with confidence — and often exceed what’s required, especially in areas like BVLOS operations and infrastructure inspections.

4. Leadership Under Pressure

Every drone flight is a mission. Veterans bring calm under pressure, clarity in chaos, and a client-ready professionalism that builds trust and delivers results.

More Than a Job: Drones as a Pathway to Purpose

For many veterans, drone entrepreneurship isn’t just a job — it’s a form of post-service reintegration. It’s tactical. It’s mobile. It’s purpose-driven. And with VA programs like Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E), more veterans are entering this field with access to gear, training, and startup support.
At HiFly, we’re developing:
      •     STEM-focused drone camps
      •     Veteran-led UAV training programs
      •     P.H.O.E.N.I.X., a portable client dashboard for high-impact data delivery
All built with the same attention to detail we learned in uniform.

The Future Is in the Air — And Veterans Are Leading It

Veteran-owned UAV companies are pioneering the future of:
      •     Disaster response & search-and-rescue
      •     Wildfire risk mitigation & environmental mapping
      •     AI-powered inspections for solar, wind, and infrastructure
      •     3D construction progress modeling
      •      Drone light shows & sustainable event tech
With the FAA evolving standards for BVLOS, Remote ID, and UTM, there’s never been a better moment for veterans to carve out space in the aerial economy.

Final Approach

In the Air Force, we flew with purpose. In the drone world, that hasn’t changed. What veterans bring — discipline, situational awareness, and operational excellence — is exactly what this industry needs to scale safely and smartly.
To the drone industry:
Hire veteran pilots. Partner with veteran-owned UAV firms. Sponsor their training programs. You’ll gain far more than flight time — you’ll gain mission-ready professionals.
To my fellow veterans:
The skies are open. The tools are accessible. The mission is yours to define. Whether you’re flying for clients, communities, or causes — your next chapter could be airborne.
 Rahman “Ray” Richardson is a U.S. Air Force veteran, FAA Part 107 drone pilot, and the founder of HiFly Aerial Drone Services — a Salt Lake City–based UAV company specializing in inspections, 3D mapping, and sustainable drone solutions. He is also a published author and educator focused on resilience, systems thinking, and veteran empowerment.

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