Team Leaders

Mr. Morris brings more than 28 years of aviation business, UAS company startup and corporate management experience to DroneAviate. Barry has more than 5,200 hours of fixed wing aircraft flight time including over 2,200 hours of manned flight instruction given in 34 years of accident/incident free flight operations. With experience in over 35 different models of aircraft, he is a current FAA certified flight instructor in both single and multi-engine aircraft. In addition, he is a FAA FAASTeam Safety Representative, Advanced Ground Instructor, Remote Pilot and recipient of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Flight Instructor Excellence award for 3 consecutive years. As a chief flight instructor, he has worked closely with the FAA in developing training curriculum for FAR Part 141 flight schools in addition to operating his own manned flight academy. He is absolutely passionate about the future of aviation and believes in providing the highest level of training to all DroneAviate students.

Mr. Granados has been an instructor in the Uncrewed Aerial Systems field for over 6 years and has been involved in the UAS field for over 10 years. He is a retiree from the law enforcement field after 25 years of service. It was during this time where he learned and gained his experience and knowledge in the area of mapping and the capturing of detailed photographs for the preservation of scenes. Bill brought these gained skills, along with his knowledge of thermal imaging and lidar, over to the world of UAS’s where he has been involved in various projects. Some of these projects involve collaborating with environmental organizations, state, and national parks for the preservation of artifacts and vegetation. With over 1500 flights resulting in 500 plus hours of flight time, Bill has also consulted, and created operational and training procedures for third party companies involved in the electrical inspection arena.

Mr. Ziolkowski is a past graduate of the DroneAviate based training program in 2016 and currently has accumulated over 2,000 hours of remote pilot flight time. After completing training, Brian moved into motor sports videography and photography using drones of various sizes, eventually transitioning to structural and nuclear power plant inspections for PG&E, SDG&E and SoCal Edison. He is an expert pilot with an extensive background of enterprise level, remote field UAS operations all over the country including with MissionGo working with the MG Velos 100 flying human organs for transplant.

Mr. Mathieson holds a Masters Degree in Education and comes to DroneAviate with over 27 years of teaching experience at the junior high and high school level. Gary is also a graduate of El Camino Junior College Fire Academy and has an Associate Degree in Air Field Management from the Community College of the Air Force. He has served 20 years in the USAF Reserves as a qualified Load Master on both the C-141 Star Lifter and C-17 Globe Master. He has close to 2000 hours of flying time with multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan and flew humanitarian missions to Thailand and Haiti after the devastating earthquakes. He spent a 3 year period with 4th Combat Camera and was trained as a Combat Photographer. He is currently a volunteer with the Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) Squadron 150 where he holds the rank of Captain and servers as an aerial photographer on search and rescue missions.

Mr. Whitemore has been an avid remote pilot, cinematographer and “tech” expert for many years. Matt is a 35 year veteran in teaching and coaching, graduating with Honors from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature. He went on to earn a California teaching credential along with a vocational education credential and holds a master’s degree in Educational Technology. Matt brings a wealth of experience as a first-responder, having spent 20 years as an ocean lifeguard for the city of Huntington Beach, CA where he was a member of two international lifeguard exchanges and was one of the first American citizens to earn the Australian Bronze Lifesaving certification. Currently Matt spends much of his time flying drones in the wildlands of the southwest, where he has experienced a wide variety of flying conditions that serve him well when advising aspiring remote pilots.

Mr. Swartzendruber brings more than 17 years and over 2500 hours of RC fixed wing and multi-rotor experience to DroneAviate. Nick holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing & Entrepreneurship and operates “Drone Cowboys” based in Northern CA that specializes in aerial cinematography and film making in the Western U.S.. He co-produced the highly successful “Art of Real Estate Cinematography” series and has extensive experience in business management, electronic and mechanical aircraft setups, flight training and programming. His close ties to UAS sensor and aircraft platform manufacturers has developed business relationships as a test pilot assisting in research and development of associated mechanical and electronic systems.

Mr. Alejandro possesses over 28 years of teaching experience and carries a FLIR Level 1 sUAS certification in Thermography. Alvin is an expert in UAS remote sensors with experience in 3D modeling, Orthomosaics, thermal imaging and has been involved in numerous volunteer based search and recovery missions. Alvin served in the Air Force, received the Desert Shield/Storm Service Recognition Award, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/Pre-Med. He is also a certified motorcycle instructor for the past 30 years and is OSHA 30 Certified.

Mr. Cruz serves as faculty and former Department Chair (23 years) for Park Management, Regenerative Agriculture, Geospatial and Unmanned Aircraft Technology. Chris has taught at West Valley College in California for the last 26 years. Before that, he worked full-time for the National Park Service for 18 years and another 10 years seasonally as a Resource Protection Ranger, working in 12 national park units. Some of the positions Chris has held in the NPS, include SAR-EMS Officer for Yosemite NP, Law Enforcement Specialist and Operations Supervisor- Haleakala NP, Law Enforcement Specialist, Lake Roosevelt NRA, Backcountry Ranger Grand Canyon NP, Backcountry Ranger/Patrol- Lassen Volcanic NP, Patrol Ranger, Grand Tetons and Big Bend NP. Chris holds a BA in Spanish Culture and Civilization from Indiana University and an MA in Environmental Studies from Prescott College, Az. Chris was a CO-PI on a National Science Foundation Project called iGETT Remote Sensing Education. He currently serves as a senior team member of the team for the National Geotech Center with a focus on UAS Technology and maintains a GISP Certification. Chris has been teaching UAS Technology since 2015 and loves to hike and explore our public lands and share those experiences with family, friends and students.

Mr. Hill is the owner of AntiGravity Aerial Production’s which specializes in aerial cinematography, filmmaking, promotional highlight videos, and photography. Corey has built an all-encompassing platform that highlights aspects of a property for commercial use and marketing promotions and is an expert in the use of the Adobe Premiere Pro video creation platform. Corey’s video production projects include special events, real estate, agriculture, construction, insurance, solar panel companies, storage facilities, and much more. His advanced understanding of photogrammetry, video production, artistic talents, and passion for training others provide the highest level of instruction and learning for DroneAviate students.