Born and raised in Columbia, MO, I had an affinity with airplanes and rotor-craft from a young age. I have always enjoyed the thought of flight and the freedom it represented but never had the opportunity to fly. Having known this, about 4 years ago in 2015, my wife (fiance at the time) gifted me an “introductory flight” in a single engine Cessna 150. Once we got airborne I was in love, the unbelievable perspectives and amazing views were mind boggling. I knew that my future lay in the sky, and began to research more into obtaining a pilots license. Unfortunately, at that time we were not in a financial position to pursue a private pilots license, so I again tucked my passion away and got back to my day job. After several different explorations into various lines of work and much valuable experience gained, I couldn’t seem to shake the itch of being airborne again. To remedy this, I purchased a cheap toy drone with a low quality camera and began practicing. I am proud to say today that I’ve gotten my remote pilots certification (Part 107) and am currently working toward my private pilots license! Don’t give up on what calls to you, some day you may rise to it!

-Jesse Reeves