Edgar Munoz
CEO of Aeronyde Corporation
Hi, our readers! Today, we have a great mind warming the seat for our exclusive UAV Interview Series.
He is a young entrepreneur who leads by example and is an inspiration for people looking to start a commercial drone business.
Allow us to introduce you Edgar Munoz, CEO of Aeronyde Corporation. Edgar gracefully accepted our request to be part of this interview series amid his busy schedule.
His Aeronyde business is an aerial informatics solutions provider primarily focused on drone-based machine learning analysis tech and data acquisition.
In this interview, we discuss in-depth with Edgar about Aeronyde’s backstory and drone technology in general.
He will be sharing his experience and the challenges he faced both in the workplace and the drone industry.
Without any more spoiler, let us dive deep into this interview post and find out what he has to say!
Welcome Edgar, Tell us a little about yourself. How did you first get interested in drones?
I got interested in drones at a very young age. At 19 years old, I was working as a marketing specialist that was tasked with making a video that required aerial shots.
I did my research on different ways of acquiring aerial photography and discovered the drone industry for the first time.
After my research, I went to an associate’s house to show him my results and wanted to convince him to buy a drone when suddenly, while I was in the visitor’s parking lot, I saw my first drone in the air. This guy was flying it around in the parking lot.
I went up to him and introduced myself. That man is now my current business partner, Alexander Bilous, co-founder and CTO of Aeronyde, who at the time was an MBA student at UCF making money assembling and reselling drones that he bought from overseas manufacturers.
I was so fascinated by the tech that I ended up working at his startup for about a year before starting Aeronyde.
What inspired you to start the Aeronyde Corporation, initially?
While working at the first drone startup, I was having professional issues with one of the founders and decided to leave. I thought long and hard for a couple of months or so before leaving and eventually concluded that I wanted to continue working in the drone industry or work with drone technology.
So, for a week after I left, I started thinking of ways of how I can use the technology with the skills that I had to make a successful drone-focused company.
I spiraled on and on until finally, I received a call from Alex saying that he did not want to work with his partner any longer and wanted to start a company with me and one of his friends, Danny who is also now a co-founder of Aeronyde. Of course, I said yes, and the rest is history.
What drone services do you offer? What types of people/industries are you serving?
We are a UAS Managed Service Provider that offers Aerial Security and Inspection to the energy and utilities, transportation, educational, and agricultural markets.
Tell us about some of the drones/products you design and manufacture. What is your biggest seller?
Our product is a subscription service of high-quality, actionable data that we deliver to entities that are responsible for securing and monitoring a vast area of critical assets.
Our biggest seller is scalability. With our SkyPod UAV nesting system, we can quickly deploy multiple drones remotely anywhere anytime.
You are a FAA-approved LAANC service provider. What exactly is LAANC?
LAANC is the Low Altitude Authorization & Notification Capability, a partnership between FAA and Industry. It directly supports UAS integration into the national airspace.
LAANC provides:
- Drone pilots with entry to controlled airspace below or at 400 feet
- Air Traffic Pros with visibility into when and where drones are flying
What does your current drone kit look like? Have you ever crashed one?
All the drones we use in our system are tested through a rigorous certification process that we use to ensure they meet safety operational standards for safe commercial flights.
During testing each platform, of course, we have had some vehicles crash; however, it has always been in a controlled environment, and we have learned a lot from each accident.
What are some of the innovative ways you have noticed drones getting used?
With drone technology, the sky is no limit. There are thousands upon thousands of drone use cases that I have encountered that are truly pushing innovation forward in our industry.
Everything from delivery of blood to remote villages in Africa, monitoring wildlife safely, drone shows for the Olympics, and the super bowl to even space applications.
I believe with the right team in place, this technology can impact every single industry.
Where do you think commercial drone industry is heading?
The future of the commercial drone industry will require on-demand availability virtually anywhere. Whether it’s on-demand delivery or on-demand inspections, governments, private companies, and even the public will look to the solution that is available at any time.
What do you think about the current state of drone law?
I believe the regulations overall are progressing forward in the right direction.
At the end of the day, regulators are concerned most about safety. With knowing that, we industry professionals must do our best to provide data and resources to these regulatory bodies, so they can make informed decisions that won’t hinder industry growth, but ensure safe operations and integration with manned aviation.
What do you think the biggest misconceptions are of drones?
Many people perceive drones either as a toy that can be used to spy on them or as a weaponized military product. Drones, in reality, have been used in large industrial settings and have proven to be a cost-effective method to increase productivity and safety.
They entertain hobbyists, protect our troops and national interest, preserve the planet, and, most importantly, save lives.
I have had the opportunity to test state-of-the-art large UAV platforms around the world, where I have participated in trial runs in Utah, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.
However, the most memorable drone event I have participated in is when we demonstrated our drone technology for the first time to our current investors. That day changed my life forever.
When you are not on behind the drones, where would we find you?
When not working, I am usually either on the beach relaxing, hanging out with my girlfriend, family, and friends, or on an adventure. I love skydiving, hiking, and anything that gives me that adrenaline rush!
What advice would you give to others who want to get started flying drones?
Take your time to learn the technology, watch YouTube tutorials, understand the laws, and once you have that knowledge, go out to a safe location and not be afraid to fly and crash.
It’s good to know your limits and your drone’s limits. If you do crash, that’s okay, because after each crash you learn what went wrong and you can improve your knowledge and skills from there.
What advances in drone technology are you excited about?
Quite honestly, all advancements forward with technology excites me. However, machine learning, autonomous flight, real-time airspace deconfliction, and data analytics are some of the most exciting areas of advancements.
I did enjoy your interview. I thought the questions were relevant and helpful for readers who are interested in drones or interested in learning more about technology.
It’s been my pleasure and honor to be a part of this UAV Interview Series. Thank you a lot for reaching out to me.
Check out Aeronyde on the web
- Website: https://aeronyde.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aeronydecorp
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aeronyde-corp.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aeronyde/