Jay Forbes
Senior Drone Pilot & Technician | Autonomous & FPV UAS Operations | Safety Driven
- Role
- Sr Technician, Flight Operations & Pilot at Shield AI
- Location
- San Diego, CA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Jay Forbes
Based in San Diego, I am a Part 107 certified UAS pilot and DJI Certified Technician with a Computer Science degree from Montana State University. My background spans both the technical and operational sides of UAS — I maintain, repair, and optimize the systems I fly.My mission experience is broad: utility infrastructure inspections, luxury real estate and interior cinematography, action sports and live event coverage, construction documentation, law enforcement training, and advanced autonomous operations including experimental sensor testing and GNSS-denied environments. I\'ve operated fixed wing, multirotor, FPV, and custom platforms across DJI, Alta X, Sony Airpeak, and various enterprise systems.I bring a rare combination of pilot proficiency, technical depth, and mission versatility. I’m always open to connecting with organizations pushing the boundaries of aerial technology.
Experience
Sr Technician, Flight Operations & Pilot
Jan 2026 — Present · San Diego, US
I execute and support advanced UAS flight operations for autonomous systems, with a strong emphasis on flight safety, aircraft readiness, and regulatory compliance. My responsibilities include mission planning, risk mitigation, pre-flight inspections, aircraft configuration, flight execution, and post-flight analysis across fixed wing, manual, and autonomous flight profiles.I operate and configure aircraft using QGroundControl and ArduPilot, supporting mission setup, parameter tuning, autonomous behaviors, and system validation. I conduct experimental sensor testing in operationally challenging environments including GNSS-denied conditions, and support customer demonstrations that showcase autonomous system capabilities to external stakeholders.I perform hands-on aircraft troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair, ensuring platforms are safe, reliable, and mission-ready. My role bridges flight operations and engineering by providing real-world operational feedback that directly informs autonomy development, safety improvements, and overall system robustness.
Education
Montana State University-Bozeman
Bachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science
2016 — 2022
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