Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Hill.
Michael, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I can trace my entrepreneurial spirit back to a shoeshine stand on the Southside of Chicago when I was a teenager, but that sense of risk and reward has helped me navigate my professional career ever since. After my time at Microsoft, I left the Tech world, to invest in something I really enjoyed.
Unmanned Aviation, or “Drones.” My love for drones may have begun as a hobby, but it led me to build Cumulus Technologies, a company that is on the cutting edge of the unmanned aviation industry. We are leading the way by helping clients integrate unmanned aviation programs for everyone from school districts to Fortune 50 companies and many organizations in between.
I am passionate about this topic for many reasons. When my interest was just a hobby, my time spent flying was just for enjoyment. However, recreational drone pilots cannot fly their drones for profit in any way. As I made the transition to a professional drone pilot, I acquired all the certifications and licenses necessary to fly in a compliant manner. Regulations are changing constantly. My work as Legislative Chairman for the North Central Texas Council of Governments and a committee member of the Texas TDEM UAS Task Force in engaging politicians, government officials, large businesses and educational institutions in developing their Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) policies and procedures as well as help change regulations in Texas.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to success has been long and winding. Anyone can learn to fly a drone, but without the dedication to be your best and practicing every day, it is simply like having a driver’s license and no driver training. For me, having never flown a drone, I had to learn to fly, study and pass the FAA Remote Pilots Exam to achieve my FAA Part 107 License. As An FAA Part 107 UAS Pilot accumulating over 1900+ hours of flight time, 2200+ incident-free missions flown as Pilot-in-Command, I earned certifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA 30) and has achieved the highest level of UAS safety certifications, Pro Level III, from the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI).
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cumulus Technologies – what should we know?
Our team at Cumulus Technologies includes unmanned aviation professionals, experts who understand not only the technology but also its application within specific industries and the different challenges each operating environment presents. My flying experience includes using drone technology for aerial mapping, telecom inspections, wind turbine inspections, oil & gas inspections, critical infrastructure inspections, television work, as well as partnering with law enforcement for search and recovery missions.
As the drone industry grows, we see a shortage of trained pilots and engineers, “To combat that, we’ve helped develop a safety training curriculum for workforce development within several organizations, and school districts around the country are using this curriculum to prepare students for this career path. We’ve partnered with schools to help build their unmanned aviation programs. Students can spend their junior and senior years focusing on a specialty in unmanned aviation and aeronautics.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Professionally, I feel there are several patience, perseverance, networking and a strong support group.
On a personal side, forgiveness, I learned this from my dad “Nick”. His nonjudgmental views always have been my internal strength and motivation in my life successes.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cumulustechnologiesinc.com
- Phone: 469-803-5643
- Email: info@cumulustechnologiesinc.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/cumulustechnologiesinc
- Facebook: facebook.com/CumulusTechnologies
- Twitter: twitter.com/CumulusImaging
- Yelp: about.me/Michael-Hill
- Other: linkedin.com/in/michaeljameshill/
Image Credit:
All Images except the Fox4 DFW interview screenshot were taken by Michael Hill
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