In 2015, I founded AerialAge, Inc. as an Aviation industry start-up whose mission is to act as a catalyst for advancing capabilities in robotic flight Safety, Endurance, Mission Planning, Traffic Management (NASA/UTM) and Urban Air Mobility as the the global need to deploy Unmanned Aerial Systems increases. For me, working with drones is the culmination of:

· a preexisting affinity for flight, including enjoyment of flying my personal UAV(s)
· training & experience in electronics & electro-optical missile guidance systems (Marine Corps)
· training & experience in Logistics & Delivery as a supervisor and package delivery driver (UPS)
· training & experience in Information Technology systems
· experience developing a commercial wireless digital photos system
· training & experience in computer security and Identity and Access Management systems
· a strong belief in the global need to support 1st Responder, Precision Agriculture, Humanitarian and Sustainability missions

From Mar-Jun 2016 I assisted Skyward.io as a beta tester for their "Drone Operations Management for the Enterprise" system. Their acquisition by Verizon was later announced on 2/16/17 [https://skyward.io]

Recent focus at AerialAge has been on obtaining requisite FAA licensing and operational permitting from the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation Aviation Dept. as its highest priorities. I earned my Part 107 "Remote Pilot - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems"(sUAS), and am currently studying for the written Knowledge Exam as the 1st step in earning my Private Pilot certificate. I have built flight simulator(s) in my home office in order to practice flight maneuvers and maintain proficiency for both UAV and manned aircraft in my spare time, and during inclement weather. For a full operator bio, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymontoya