Flying Lion Launches 2026 DFR Remote Pilot Training Courses

POST-Certified Program Expands Regional Access for Public Safety Agencies

Flying Lion, Inc. has announced the launch of its 2026 Drone as First Responder training schedule. The company will offer two in-person sessions of its DFR Remote Pilot Tactics, Techniques and Procedures Course.

The course provides POST-certified training focused on Drone as First Responder operations. Until now, Flying Lion taught the program as a private course for a single agency with minimum attendance. The new format allows regional enrollment. Agencies may now send one student or a full team.

The first session will take place on March 16, 2026, in Brookhaven, Georgia. Brookhaven Police Department will host the class. The second session will take place on April 1, 2026, hosted by Beverly Hills Police Department.

Tuition is listed at $895 per student. Early bird pricing is available at $795 per student.

Flying Lion developed the course in 2023. According to the company, it is the first and only DFR remote pilot course dedicated specifically to tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Course Structure and Operational Focus

The program targets Remote Pilots, Teleoperators, Air Support Officers, and supervisors. Sworn DFR pilots with field experience lead the instruction.

Training focuses on practical application and operational decision-making. Instructors draw from active DFR deployments. The goal is to help agencies build strong DFR programs that meet operational and regulatory requirements.

Day One consists of in-person classroom instruction. Topics include DFR definitions and objectives, operational mindset, FAA regulatory considerations, evidence retention, and information broadcast protocols.

Instructors also review key operational scenarios, including pursuits, high-risk traffic stops, and containments. Students analyze real DFR flight operations to support best practices. The classroom session prepares pilots for high-risk, time-sensitive missions.

Day Two includes a three-hour remote flight training session. Students schedule the session based on availability. The hands-on training takes place remotely at FLI Town, Flying Lion’s DFR training center.

Participants can operate from their agency’s DFR workstation using preferred DFR software. The session includes up to 20 operational scenarios. Sworn instructors deliver the training online. The exercises reinforce tactical execution and operational proficiency.

About Flying Lion and FLI Town

Founded in 2014, Flying Lion provides drone services to law enforcement and public safety agencies. The company reports completing more than 89,000 DFR missions. Of those, more than 62,900 were conducted Beyond Visual Line of Sight.

Flying Lion offers on-demand drone air support, FAA consulting, training, staffing, dock installation and maintenance, and equipment leasing.

FLI Town supports much of the company’s advanced training. Located in the former mining town of Eagle Mountain, California, the site offers a controlled setting with minimal air and ground risk. The area once housed more than 4,000 residents during its time as a company town for the Kaiser Steel iron ore mine. Today, it serves as a private training, testing, and collaboration center for DFR operations.

Agencies interested in registration or additional details can visit Flying Lion’s training page for more information.

Read more:

• FLI Town: A Dedicated Training and Testing Hub for Drone as First Responder (DFR) Operations
• Ghost Town: How an Abandoned Mining Town Became a Cutting-Edge Drone Training Ground
• Flying Lion Achieves Milestone: Over 50,000 Drone as First Responder Flights Completed