Expert Q&A: Unpacking Drone Innovation — From Infrastructure Inspection to Advanced Air Mobility

Expert Q&A: Unpacking Drone Innovation — From Infrastructure Inspection to Advanced Air Mobility

Source: Aircraft Value Intelligence (AVN) — Global Aviation Report

The following is an edited transcript of a video interview between John Persinos and James McDanolds. John's questions appear in bold.

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James McDanolds is the Director of the Unmanned Vehicle Technology program at Sonoran Desert Institute, where he oversees education and workforce development in this rapidly evolving field. Below are the highlights of the conversation.

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Which UAS Market Segments Offer the Most Sustainable Returns?

Investors are pouring capital into autonomous aviation, advanced air mobility (AAM), and AI-powered flight systems — yet many business models remain unproven. In your view, which UAS market segments are most likely to generate sustainable returns over the next few years?

I would focus on the applications that are already relatively mature — the ones people have long recognised as enduring, mission-critical needs. In those sectors, drones have become indispensable tools, particularly for critical infrastructure inspection.

That includes oil and gas pipelines, power transmission lines, substations, roads, and bridges. In these industries, drones not only improve safety but also deliver critical information quickly. If a company cannot rapidly assess asset condition or identify maintenance needs, the cost is enormous — especially in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Somewhere in the middle is drone delivery. This application has existed for roughly a decade, and it is only now gaining real momentum as the technology matures and viable use cases become clearer.

People tend to imagine urban last-mile delivery, but rural applications may be even more compelling. Consider a scenario where a blizzard cuts off roads for hours or even days — do you let urgently needed medication go undelivered, or do you fly it in by drone? Real-world needs like these are driving actual adoption.

As for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), it remains in its early stages. Companies like Joby Aviation are making remarkable strides, and the technical achievements after years of R&D are genuinely impressive — but for now, AAM is still an early-stage, niche market.

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Where Is AI Genuinely Improving Safety and Efficiency?

AI is increasingly embedded in mission planning, sense-and-avoid systems, predictive maintenance, and autonomous decision-making. Where do you see AI delivering real safety and operational gains — and where should human judgment remain in the loop?

The key, in my view, is phased AI integration. We are still in the early stages of AI deployment, and that is especially true in aviation.

People sometimes forget that commercial aviation has relied on automation — through autopilot systems — for decades. But autopilot does not handle every phase of flight. It handles the phases that have been thoroughly tested and proven reliable across tens or hundreds of thousands of flight hours.

We should apply the same philosophy to AI in UAS. This is aviation — even without a pilot on board, operators are responsible for protecting people and property on the ground. That means risk is always present, and human oversight remains essential.

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How Should Training Programs Address the Industry Talent Shortage?

The industry frequently cites a shortage of qualified drone professionals. Based on your experience building training programs, which skills are hardest for employers to find — and how should educational institutions adapt their curricula?

People entering this industry generally fall into two groups: those entering the workforce for the first time with drones as their primary career, and experienced professionals in other fields who are integrating drones into their existing roles. Both groups would benefit from better training.

A common misconception is that obtaining a Part 107 certificate is sufficient to land a job. It is an important baseline — but only a starting point. Part 107 does not require a practical flight skills examination, and employers know that.

They ask: "Can you demonstrate real flight proficiency? How would you handle this situation? Can you operate safely in real-world conditions?"

In many industries, however, flying a drone is only part of the job. The real value lies in collecting data and translating information into actionable business decisions.

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Convergence or Coexistence? Manned and Unmanned Aviation

Both commercial and military aviation are accelerating investment in autonomous systems. How do you see the relationship between traditional manned aircraft and unmanned platforms evolving?

In the near term — once Part 108 is fully implemented and drone fleets begin sharing an increasingly congested airspace with conventional aircraft — clear separation management between manned and unmanned operations will still be necessary.

Over time, however, the two will become increasingly difficult to separate entirely. Integration is inevitable.

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The Breakthrough Most Worth Watching Over the Next Five to Ten Years

From an investor's perspective, which technological breakthrough or regulatory milestone will most dramatically reshape the economics of commercial UAS?

From an investor's standpoint, I would closely watch the companies already operating under BVLOS waiver authority — particularly those conducting multi-aircraft simultaneous operations or running missions across multiple sites within the United States.

These organisations already have the full infrastructure in place, because they are building toward Part 108 right now. The FAA is also drawing on their operational data to help shape the Part 108 rulemaking.

Part 108 will be a pivotal unlock for large-scale commercial revenue. Today, you may need one operator per aircraft. In the future, a single operator could supervise multiple aircraft simultaneously.

Companies that have successfully operated under waiver systems stand to enjoy a significant first-mover advantage once Part 108 takes effect — ready to scale rapidly while many competitors are still catching up.

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John Persinos is Editor-in-Chief of Aircraft Value Intelligence.

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