About Us
Establishing the Standard for Skill-Certified Pilots and Drone Technology Integration
At Connecting Skies, we recognize that many drone programs encounter significant challenges before they even launch. Our priority is to develop comprehensive, safety-focused drone programs that endure, employing nationally recognized training methods such as NIST-drone test methods and our proprietary S.A.F.E. Skies Method.
Mission
To inspire communities, To Embrace Drones and New Technologies, while setting the Standard for Hands-on Training in the Commercial Drone Industry.
Vision
To Empower Communities with Knowledge, Skill, Responsible Innovation, and make Technology Accessible for a Safer, more Advanced World.
Origin Story of Connecting Skies
In 2021, while patrolling as a Campus Security Officer and Instructor, I spotted a rugged Pelican-style case beside a dumpster—typically used for protecting valuable equipment. Curiosity led me to open it, revealing a DJI Phantom 2 drone without its camera. Intrigued, I took it home, downloaded the manual, and, after charging it, realized it still worked. Nervously, I began practicing, making careful, slow movements to avoid crashing. Day by day, I gained confidence and skill with this incredible technology.
Soon after, a coworker introduced me to the FAA Part 107 certification for commercial drone pilots. With months of studying, alongside my full-time job, I finally passed the exam. This achievement opened new possibilities, and I offered my skills to our campus Marketing department, allowing them to capture aerial footage and focus on their other tasks. The campus was soon buzzing with excitement over drone technology.
Eager to make a broader impact, I reached out to a former police department colleague to learn about their drone program and began training with the police and fire departments. Later, I discovered the FAA Safety Team and became a representative after attending the first-ever public safety drone conference. My journey into community-oriented drone education had truly begun, leading me to launch my first event, aptly named Connecting Skies—a mission to inspire safe, responsible drone use for work, education, and play.
FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year 2025!
Michael Thompson
The Trainer Regulators Trust
Founder & Lead Instructor, Connecting Skies, LLC
FAA Safety Team Lead | NIST-Certified Proctor | FEMA Disaster Drone Response Trained
Michael Thompson is the expert safety teams already rely on before an incident makes the news. When the Richmond FSDO needs on-the-ground drone expertise, they don’t issue a memo. They call Michael.
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A nationally nominated FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year, Michael is trusted by regulators, plant managers, and public safety agencies across Virginia to bring order to airborne operations. His boots-on-the-ground approach has trained hundreds of remote pilots and developed internal drone programs for some of the region’s most risk-averse industries, including utilities, infrastructure, construction, and environmental services.​
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Through his company, Connecting Skies LLC, Michael helps operations teams launch drone programs that are safe, legal, and scalable without the compliance guesswork. His S.A.F.E. Skies™ Method is more than a training philosophy; it’s a full lifecycle framework designed to get drone programs airborne with SOPs, skills validation, and ongoing support built in.
Michael’s credentials speak for themselves:
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Lead FAA Safety Team Rep for the Richmond Flight Standards District Office, routinely called upon to advise, counsel drone pilots, promote drone training, events & safety.
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Certified Proctor for NIST-test method aligned skill evaluations through the Airborne Public Safety Association
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FEMA-Certified Drone Emergency Response Trained (PER-421 & PER-434)
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Former law enforcement officer, bringing tactical insight and high quality training to industrial drone ops
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Certified Instructor with DCJS, trained in high-risk response protocols
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Authorized Autel Robotics Dealer, supporting hardware selection and fleet strategy
Michael is not a theorist. He’s the one who gets called to train your staff after the FAA shows up unless you bring him in first.
OUR PROCESS
The S.A.F.E. Skiesâ„¢ Method
Our Proven Process to Stand Up FAA-Ready Drone Programs
S – Structure the Program
We create your SOPs, risk forms, documentation templates, and mission-readiness guides.
A – Authorize the Team
Your pilots get trained and certified using FAA Part 107 prep and NIST-aligned skill validation—fully insurable and defensible.
F – Fly with Support
We supervise your first missions, help secure waivers, and ensure your records are regulation-ready.
E – Evaluate and Expand
We support program expansion, recertifications, SOP upgrades, and leadership briefings as your drone needs evolve.
What Makes Us Different
Hands-On Training On Your Sites
We certify your internal pilots using your equipment, your flight zones, and your safety priorities.
Built for Compliance
Everything we deliver—from SOPs to checklists—is ready for review by your legal, safety, and insurance teams.
Executive Buy-In Built In
We support leadership briefings, risk reduction models, and ROI metrics to get top-down support.
Zero Guesswork
No YouTube tutorials. No recycled templates. Just proven frameworks and field-tested delivery.
