Drone Unit
Drone Unit
Our Drone Unit began in April 2018 and since that time, our program has experienced over 70 drone activations. What began as a small team with a handful of consumer drones has matured into a fully equipped aerial and aquatic response capability supporting search and rescue operations across the region. Today our team operates a multi-platform fleet covering air, surface water, and underwater environments, backed by FAA Part 107–certified pilots and dedicated instructors.
Drone Equipment
We've built our fleet to address the full range of SAR aerial and aquatic needs, balancing functionality, cost, and performance. Our current inventory includes:
Primary Drones
DJI Matrice 30T — Our primary mission drone. The M30T is a compact, all-weather enterprise platform with an integrated thermal (FLIR) camera, wide and zoom cameras, and a built-in laser rangefinder. Its IP55 weather rating, rapid setup time, and long flight endurance make it our go-to platform for most deployments — from daytime grid searches to night thermal operations in challenging terrain.
DJI Mavic 3T — A lightweight, highly portable thermal drone designed for rapid response. The Mavic 3T fits easily in a backpack and can be airborne in under a minute, giving ground teams immediate aerial and thermal coverage during fast-moving searches. Its small footprint makes it ideal for wilderness deployments where every ounce matters.
DJI Matrice 210 — Our heavy-lift workhorse, configured for dual-payload missions. The M210 supports thermal and zoom cameras simultaneously, giving us extended endurance and flexibility for large-area searches, mapping, and complex incident command operations where multiple sensors are needed in the air at once.
2 Chasing 1 Pro Surface Drones — A remotely operated surface platform used for water-edge searches, debris-field surveys, and shoreline reconnaissance. The Chasing 1 Pro lets us cover open water and approach shorelines where launching a manned boat isn't practical or safe, extending our search capability into environments that drones overhead can't fully address.
Deep Trekker Underwater Drone (ROV) — Our submersible asset for inland water recovery operations. Equipped with an HD camera and onboard lighting, the Deep Trekker ROV gives our Inland Water Unit eyes beneath the surface in lakes, rivers, and ponds — providing critical reconnaissance in conditions where divers would face significant risk or limited visibility.
Parts Drones
2 M200 Drones provided by Broad River Fire & Rescue
Retired Drones
1 M200 w/Crystal Sky - loaned out to public works
3 DJI Inspire1 V2's - 2 Z3's, 2 X3's, 10 Batteries
1 DJI Mavic Pro - retired, returned to owner
1 DJI Mavic Dual Enterpis w/FLIR/PA/Spotlight - loaned out to Holly Springs FD
1 DJI Phantom 3 loaded out to the Coroner's Office
1 Yuneec Typhoon 4G - loaned out to Coroners Office
Drone Pilots
Our team includes Part 107–certified pilots and dedicated instructors who train regularly across all of our aerial and aquatic platforms.
Drone Unit Leaders
Gus Ballard — Drone Unit Coordinator
Gus supports the training program with a focus on flight fundamentals, mission planning, and safe operations during real-world deployments. Gus works full time with the City of Spartanburg Police Department. Prior to that, he was a software developer and helped write Trello, an online platform used by the team for accountability and organization.
Wayne Bailey — Instructor
Wayne assists with pilot development and helps lead hands-on training sessions for both new and recurrent pilots across the team. Wayne is well known throughout the drone community, teaches Part 107 classes across the Southeast, and is the owner of Blue Ridge Mountain Drones.
Alden Wheeler — Pilot Instructor
Alden leads the UAS Drone Pilot Training Program and Certification process for the Drone Unit, mentoring new pilots as they progress from training drones to mission-ready platforms. The training curriculum he oversees includes thermography, NIST/BPERP Open Course proficiency, search and rescue operations, CalTopo, DroneSense, DroneDeploy, safety protocols, communications, AI integration with drone operations, standard operating procedures, drone equipment familiarization, Drone Unit deployment procedures, HAZMAT support, surface and underwater drone operations, mock and live searches conducted alongside K9 and ground crews, and Part 107 certification preparation.
Drone Unit Pilots
Brandon Banks — Pilot
Brandon is a full-time EMT with Spartanburg EMS. In what spare time he has, he flies drones and attends team training events.
Jennifer Chatelain — Pilot
Jennifer supports the unit’s mission operations and is qualified across the team’s primary aerial platforms.
Ken Childs — Pilot
Ken brings experience and reliability to the team, flying mission and training sorties as needed.
Logan Carr — Pilot
Logan is an active mission pilot focused on aerial search support and platform proficiency across the fleet.
Tre Cooper — Pilot
Tre rounds out the active pilot roster and deploys with the team across the full range of mission profiles.
Cole Flynn — Pilot
Cole is one of the team’s active pilots, frequently deploying for both aerial searches and training operations.
Bill Gimmell — Pilot
Bill is an active mission pilot who deploys with the team during searches and supports training events when his schedule permits.
Bruce Goldberg — Pilot
Bruce flies a range of platforms in the unit’s inventory and contributes to mission-readiness drills and after-action reviews.
Ken McCarter — Pilot
Ken is part of the unit’s deployable pilot roster and contributes to ongoing skills development within the team.
Nate McClintock — Pilot
Nate flies mission and training sorties and supports the team during both daytime and thermal night operations.
Max Moore — Pilot
Max is a member of the deployable pilot roster and is qualified on the team’s primary aerial platforms.
Marc Monaghan — Pilot
Marc deploys with the unit and supports mission operations, along with regular training participation.
Richard Strasburger — Pilot
Richard contributes to the unit’s mission-ready capability and participates in regular training events.
Drone Unit Pilots - Reserves
Paul Barriage - Reserve Pilot
Paul was the first Drone Unit Coordinator and done a great job getting the program up and going. When time permits, Paul will still fly when needed
Josh Godfrey - Reserve Pilot
Primarily leading our Ham Radio efforts at the moment, Josh will still fly when time permits. He wears numerous hats with our team and had to sacrifice drone time to work on other projects
Robbie Swofford - Reserve Pilot
The first official drone pilot in the program, Robbie will fly out of necessity but like Josh, is streched thin with numerous committments