“Everyone can learn these skills, there's not a lot of competition in front of you. This is a very, very fertile ground. So if people want to get out of the military, they've been around RPAs, they've been around flying a drone in…a battalion brigade, an Air Force Squadron, whatever it happens to be, they can immediately transition….It's an extremely exciting place to be. And it's a place that you can really, really grow a career in very, very fast.”
Jeffrey McChesney, a former fighter pilot and commander who served in the Air Force, now CEO of a company using groundbreaking drone technology, wants veterans to know of the wonderful opportunities in this growing field.
In a recent interview with KP of The Morning Formation Podcast, Jeff explains how advancements in drone technology will not only bring about great changes for military operations, but it will make huge impacts in the commercial sector. Jeff shares why a career in robotics, especially working with drones, is a great career choice for those who are interested in this technology.
Jeff McChesney is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Columbia University, and Harvard University. He also graduated fighter pilot training (aka Top Gun) and then became a fighter pilot and commander of the US Air Force, where he served for 21 years. While Jeff loved his military career, he made the decision to retire due to special, family circumstances. Thankfully his transition experience was great due to extensive preparation. This gave him wonderful opportunities as he transitioned into civilian life. McChesney not only worked for great companies, but he also was a part of many start-ups. He is currently the CEO and founder of a company called Target Arm, which he started in 2017.
In the interview, Jeff explains that the main focus of his company, Target Arm, is the continual development and growth of their Tular device. The primary objective of the Tular system is universal launch and recovery of drones. The Tular system allows drones to be launched from any moving vehicle - truck, boat, plane, and soon, from spacecraft. This technology is solving numerous problems in the military and commercial sector. Because this technology is only a few years old, there are growing opportunities for careers in the robotics field. Jeff believes that military veterans would make excellent candidates for positions in this area.
“And you can take courses and start learning that as well. So you don't have to wait. People can train today, they can do it while they're in the military, they can do it at night. There's more than enough courses to handle the hardware, the software, and the actual certifications that you're going to need, if you want to come in and be a drone pilot.”
Because of their efficiency and problem-solving capabilities, Jeff believes that drones will be a part of our everyday life and that it will help us be more connected than ever. He also shares that Target Arm was successful completing the first ever transfer of a drone from one moving vehicle to another moving vehicle.
To be caught up to speed on this new and amazing technology, you definitely want to listen to the whole interview with Jeff McChesney.
Click here for the whole interview.
Blog post written by: Lina Gomez
