Michael Spooner

Experience

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  Pima County

  Apr 2012 - Oct 2012

  Lifeguard
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  US Army

  Jan 2013 - Mar 2019

  Aircraft Commander (Pilot in Command): -Responsible for all aspects of flight to maintain safety of flight, mission accomplishment, and positive control of the MQ-1B Warrior Alpha. -Commanded aircraft during 650 combat flight hours with zero accidents. -Commanded the Warrior Alpha during nearly 200 sorties, provided armed over watch of Train Advise and Assist Command (TAAC) -N and (TAAC)- E, provided vital intelligence to multiple parties.Mission Coordinator: -Coordinated the operations of multiple MQ-1s during combat operations. -Communicated with multiple high level customers via telephone, mIRC chat, email and radio communications. -Managed personnel, maintenance and aircraft flight time in order to provide the best product to the customer. -Ensured compliance with all FAA, army, and theater specific publications. -Maintained direct communications with aircrews advising of dynamic retasking. -Coordinated with theater level commanders in order to properly align aircraft use with the needs of ground force commanders.-Communicated with Intelligence Analysts in order to provide proper target identification and to comply with the DIDEA process. Show less

  • UAS Operations Supervisor / Pilot In Command and Sensor Operator

    Apr 2017 - Mar 2019

  • UAS Student MQ-1C

    Jul 2016 - Mar 2017

  • UAS Pilot in Command and Sensor Operator / Unit Trainer MQ-1B - JTF ODIN

    May 2014 - Jun 2016

  • UAS Student MQ-1B

    Jan 2013 - Apr 2014
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  ACADEMI (A Constellis Company)

  Feb 2019 - Jul 2020

  UAS Flight Operations Manager

  Managed operations, maintenance and logistic tasks for OCONUS UAS site consisting of 12 personnel, 5 UAVs and 5 Unmanned Aircraft Systems, providing critical ISR support to customer.

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  AeroVironment

  Jul 2020 - Sept 2021

  Evaluator Operator, UAS Test Pilot

  Managed the daily activities, performance, training, and effectiveness of 3 Lead and 18 UAS Instructors in the delivery of UAS operations, maintenance, and safety training. Oversaw operations process, scheduling, process changes, and logistics while monitoring all daily activities.

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  DroneSeed

  Sept 2021 - Apr 2022

  Project Manager, Aerial Services

  Operations and flight-testing subject matter expert. Remote Pilot in Command qualified on multiple Heavy Lift UAS and a variety of platforms. Assistant regulatory affairs officer facilitating state, FAA and international complex regulatory waivers, exemptions, and compliance. Instrumental in the execution of flight test plans and progress towards the rapid integration of Swarm Heavy Lift UAS. Represented the company during international regulatory compliance demonstrations as well as foreign and domestic sales demonstrations. Spearheaded major regulatory compliance initiatives fostering an environment of safety. Developed and integrated a new operations process, reducing costs of goods sold by 300%, creating opportunities for increased business activities. Show less

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  Spright

  Apr 2022 - Dec 2023

  Program and Field Operations Manager

  Program Manager in a dynamic UAS startup, established and optimized operational processes and procedural frameworks. Coordinated with aircraft OEMs and effectively managed the daily activities of up to 10 UAS pilots simultaneously. Seamlessly liaised with internal, external, and regulatory stakeholders across local, state, and federal agencies to ensure compliant customer operations while consistently delivering high-quality results.

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  Acuren

  Jan 2024 - now

  Regional Drone Operations Manager