Piloting any aircraft takes skill, training, and dedication. AIM Robotics co-founder and CEO Russell Byun knows this well. A licensed pilot and flight instructor, Byun saw the growing demand for drone pilots as an opportunity to help enterprises adopt drone technology while ensuring compliance with government regulations.
Byun met his technical co-founder, Ben Ying, through a mutual friend. Together, they dug deep into the market to understand what potential customers and government regulators needed to ensure drone pilots were properly trained and had the correct data to use their drones effectively.
Byun’s flight plan for entrepreneurship started over a decade ago while working as a pilot. As more businesses adopted drones, a friend suggested that Byun look at whether there was a need for drone-specific pilot instruction. Like many people at the time, Byun initially thought drones were primarily used for entertainment. But he soon saw the potential for businesses to add new revenue streams.
“Drones amplified the way people run their businesses. Real estate agents, photographers, roofers—all these professionals were using drones-as-a-service, and there was a urgent need for training and certification,” Byun says.
The federal government introduced its first set of regulations for drone piloting in 2019. The regulations apply to all drone pilots operating fixed-wing and rotary-powered drones weighing between 250 g and 25 kg. Byun formed a flight school to offer Transport Canada-approved certification courses, which quickly filled up with eager drone pilots.
Byun instantly noticed a new challenge unfolding. Most professionals and businesses coming in to be certified did not have any aviation background or understanding of the planning and discipline required to pilot a drone safely.
“You need site survey documents like any other pilot. You might think it’s not a big deal if your drone fails mid-flight, but it is. You’re not the only aircraft occupying space. Some larger drones can reach an altitude of 7,000 metres, and you need to know what to do if something goes wrong.”
Byun looked to a past innovation as inspiration for RPAS WILCO. Pilots used to file flight plans on paper, and Byun said it often involved using a protractor. In 2007, ForeFlight changed how pilots plan by digitizing the entire flight planning process. Today, the app is used by thousands of commercial, recreational, and military pilots.
“It takes a few minutes to plug in information, and you have your flight plan ready. We were training police and fire departments and saw the advantage of this type of solution for drone pilots. If you need to do a search and rescue suing a drone, you still need to have all the pertinent information before flying,” Byun says.
Like any great pilot, Byun knew he needed a wingman. Thankfully, a friend introduced him to Ben Ying, an experienced technical leader who previously working in various industries.
“I earned a degree in computer science degree from the University of Waterloo and have worked in tech for what seems like forever. I’ve worked in different sectors, from security fintech and telecom. When I heard Russell’s story, I knew it was a good problem to work on,” Ying says.
Byun and Ying developed RPAS WILCO to solve a challenge faced by drone operators in every sector. Using RPAS WILCO, drone pilots can quickly generate all the information they need to safely and effectively operate their drone.
“We automated the process to gather all required information into one site survey document within in seconds. If there is an emergency, you have what airspace you are operating in, what agencies you need to contact, and all of the other documentation required to keep you compliant with Transport Canada,” Ying says.
Since launching in 2019, Byun says the startup has faced challenges but has gained traction and trust from its customers. There are approximately 150,000 licensed drone pilots in Canada, and about 15% are RPAS WILCO subscribers.
“That's a pretty significant percentage. Now what we're trying to is educate people. Not a lot of flight schools understand the regulations for drone pilots, and there are opportunities for us to help bridge the the gap between manned and unmanned aviation,” Byun says.
One advantage RPAS WILCO has in the industry is AIM Robotics’ partnership with NAV Canada. The partnership allows AIM Robotics to include NAV Canada’s aeronautical data in RPAS WILCO.
“You need to gather data and information to create a flight plan for every flight. You have a choice of doing that manually yourself and compiling all that information and paying a subscription to NAV Canada, or you can simply download RPAS WILCO and get access to all these documents free of charge as a free user to meet your regulatory side every single time you fly,” Byun says.
Ying and Byun’s combination of technical and industry expertise has gotten them far. But Ying says the co-founder also knew there were areas they needed help to take AIM Robotics to the next level.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, including the pandemic, but we’re on the right track now. But we also understand we lack of some skills in marketing, sales, and legal that the Accelerator Centre could provide through its programs and mentorship,” Ying says.
AIM Robotics continues to gain the trust of drone operators across North America. Byun says its success is based on what it delivers for its customers.
“I always tell my clients, “There’s fiction and there’s reality. Everyone's pitching you all this sci-fi stuff. Here’s what we can do for you today,” Byun says.“
Visit rpaswilco.com to learn how AIM Robotics makes drone piloting safer and more compliant across Canada.
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