YDQA: Ep 138- "What Does It Take to Build and Manage a National Drone Program?”

From Your Drone Questions. Answered. by Drone Launch Academy

April 9, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 138

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of building and managing a national drone program with insights from guest Seth Gulich.

What does it really take to scale a drone program across an entire country—and what lessons come from doing it the hard way? In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered , we sit down with Seth Gulich to break down his experience managing a national drone program at a major geospatial firm. From hiring and training pilots to navigating real-world challenges in the field, Seth shares what actually matters when building a successful drone operation. If you're looking to turn your interest in drones into a career—especially in mapping, surveying, or geospatial work—this conversation is packed with real insights you won’t hear in beginner guides. We cover: How to get started in the geospatial drone industry (even without experience) What companies actually look for when hiring drone pilots The biggest mistakes pilots make—and how to avoid them Lessons learned from managing 20+ pilots and complex projects nationwide Why drones are just one piece of a much bigger workflow How AI and platforms like Mach9 are changing the future of drone data Whether you're a beginner or already flying commercially, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in the…

People in this episode

Guest: Seth Gulich

Topics covered

drone program management
geospatial industry
pilot training
drone operations
AI in drones
career in drones

Keywords

drone program
geospatial work
pilot hiring
drone industry
AI
Mach9
mapping
surveying

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Drone Launch Academy, Mach9

Places: geospatial firm, nationwide, Wilkes-Barre, United States