OUR MISSION
Lifelong Impact through Aviation Education
Today, the industry faces an ongoing labor crisis and shortage of pilots, mechanics, and technicians. We want to build aviation pathways into school districts that provide access to high-paying professions.
Our mission is to train aviation ready students and develop the future aerospace workforce. We engage communities and economic development funding sources to address gaps in retention of at-risk, minority, and women students entering in technical careers.
Meet Our Team
Our staff comes from professional backgrounds in education, engineering, and aviation.
Kyle Sanders
CoFounder & Chief Executive Officer
FAA Commercial Pilot
Major Kyle is a FAA Commercial Pilot and retired Air Force instructor pilot with a Bachelor's in Space Systems Engineering and a Master' degree in Education. He has served as coach of the Air Force Academy intercollegiate flying team, and the U.S. National Drone Soccer Team at the first FIDA Drone Soccer World Championship.
Lina Pineros
CoFounder & Operations
Aerospace Engineer & Navigator
Lina was the first woman from the Colombian Air Force to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and returned to Colombia to serve as a flight navigator and design engineer. She worked in civil aviation aircraft maintenance, training, and operations before completing an MBA at the UCCS.
Srdjan Kovacevic
CoFounder & Chief Technology Officer
Mechanical Engineer
Srdjan is the CEO of Orqa FPV with a background in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford. Orqa’s technology pipeline is focused on innovating and developing all parts of the small-UAS technology stack.
Lucy Howlett
Director of Education
FAA Advanced Ground Instructor
A FAA-Certified Ground Instructor with a Master's in Education, Lucy pioneered the first Drone Soccer camps in the United States as a high school educator, and also served as a NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador on SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) missions.
Laura Salber
Administration
With a background in elementary education and a degree in Business Management focused on Social Innovation, Laura has found a new passion for aviation and manages customer success and our learning management system to ensure that teachers have all the support they need.