Drone U began in 2013, when the drone industry was just getting started. Its founders, Paul Aitken and Rob Burdick, were already flying and learned that theory alone does not make a pilot. That belief shaped a training company built around hands-on flight experience.

Today Drone U teaches pilots through online courses, in-person boot camps and enterprise programs. Its mission is to build confident, skilled drone pilots and help them build careers and businesses. The company partners with Pix4D and has worked with organizations such as the NTSB, Netflix and American Electric Power.