UAV Coach

What UAV Coach does

UAV Coach, legally Makalu Ventures, LLC, is a Nashville-based (fully remote) drone training and education company founded in 2014 by Alan Perlman after he crashed his first drone in downtown Manhattan. The company builds and delivers drone pilot certification and skills training through its own e-learning platform (hosted on Teachable), with a flagship FAA Part 107 test prep course (Drone Pilot Ground School), supplementary online courses in flight skills, photo/video, mapping, and drone business, plus a turnkey Drone Academy curriculum for high schools, colleges, and CTE programs. The technology stack centers on a video-based LMS with progress tracking, teacher/student portals, and 400+ practice exam questions, augmented by a partnership with the Zephyr drone flight simulator used by NASA and 25+ state DOTs.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time online course sales ($99–$299), per-session in-person flight training ($295), annual school licensing ($1,500–$3,000), and bundles (Pilot Pro Bundle $499), with a free TRUST certification course (FAA-approved since 2021) acting as a top-of-funnel lead generator that has driven 200,000+ recreational pilots to the platform. Go-to-market is product-led and direct-to-consumer, with a content engine (100,000+ email subscribers, 75,000+ YouTube subscribers, 350,000+ monthly page views, drone laws database) feeding SEO and a nationwide network of 30 independent contractor instructors handling in-person delivery. Customer mix spans individual pilots, educational institutions (East Orange School District, Cambridge HS, Collegiate Charter Academy, etc.), enterprise accounts (NASA, NYPD, NBC Universal, Country Financial, Nationwide, University of Florida), and first responders.

UAV Coach operates as a family-run, bootstrapped business (no disclosed institutional funding) with a lean core team of 6 full-time employees supplemented by 37 contractors. Its cumulative claimed reach exceeds 400,000 pilots trained, with 99%+ first-attempt pass rates cited on Part 107 and over 7,000 five-star reviews supporting brand authority in the sUAS training category.

Name

UAV Coach

Legal name

Makalu Ventures, LLC

Website

https://uavcoach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UAV Coach is a Nashville-based, bootstrapped drone education company offering online and in-person FAA Part 107 certification, flight skills, mapping, and drone business courses to individual pilots, schools, enterprises, and first responders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Pilot Training and Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Flight Training (611512)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs (EDAMADAJ)

Keywords

• Drone training
• FAA Part 107 prep
• Online pilot courses
• UAS certification
• Drone education

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Online Course Sales: Individual online courses sold directly to consumers with one-time purchase pricing. Courses range from $99 to $299 for standalone courses, with bundle discounts available. Revenue is recognized at point of sale with immediate access to course content.
2. In-Person Training: Hands-on flight training classes conducted nationwide with local instructors. Priced at $295 per session for basic flight training. Revenue shared with independent contractor instructors.
3. Educational Institution Licensing: Annual licensing of curriculum to high schools, colleges, and CTE programs. Schools pay per-student or flat-rate annual fees ($1,500-$3,000) for access to teacher and student portals.
4. Affiliate Revenue: Participant in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning advertising fees by linking to amazon.com products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UAV Coach sells FAA Part 107 test preparation and supplemental drone skill courses (flight, photo/video, mapping, business) as online video courses delivered through a Teachable-powered LMS, paired with nationwide in-person hands-on flight training classes. It also licenses a turnkey Drone Academy curriculum to high schools, colleges, and CTE programs, and serves enterprise and government drone training customers (NASA, NBC Universal, NYPD, Nationwide, Country Financial).

Product overview

UAV Coach is a drone training and certification platform offering both online courses and in-person training for drone pilots. The core product is Drone Pilot Ground School (an FAA Part 107 test prep course), supplemented by skill-focused courses (Flight Skills, Photo & Video, Mapping, Business Blueprint) and free drone-specific courses for DJI drones (Mini 4 Pro, Mini 5 Pro, Air 3S, Mavic 3E, Mavic 4 Pro, Matrice 4T). The platform offers multiple bundle options (Pilot Pro Bundle, Business Starter Bundle, Skill Builder Bundle, All-Access Training Bundle) that combine courses for discounted pricing. For institutions, UAV Coach operates Drone Academy, a turnkey CTE/STEM curriculum for high schools, colleges, and CTE programs aligned with educational standards. In-person training options include Flight Skills classes, Photo & Video classes, Mapping workshops, and Custom Team training offered nationwide via a network of 30+ instructors. The platform also provides free resources including drone laws by location, a drone companies directory, industry news, and drone education grant information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drone Pilot Ground School Online FAA Part 107 test preparation course covering FAA regulations, airspace, weather, and flight operations across 80+ lessons and 400+ practice questions; prepares students for the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Test required to earn a Remote Pilot Certificate for commercial drone operations.
• Flight Skills Course Self-paced online drone flight fundamentals course with 16 engaging video lectures covering pre-flight checklists, safety, and key piloting takeaways for new and improving drone operators.
• Photo & Video Course Online aerial photography and videography training covering camera settings (ISO, shutter speed, aperture), composition, and pro editing workflows in Lightroom and Premiere Pro, targeted at drone pilots seeking professional imaging skills.
• Drone Business Blueprint Online business course with 14 modules covering drone business setup to marketing strategies, taught by industry veteran Eno Umoh, with 30 downloadable resources and AI productivity tools for commercial drone entrepreneurs.
• Drone Mapping Essentials Online drone mapping course with 100+ instructional videos covering end-to-end mapping workflows, plus monthly live instruction with instructor Dylan Gorman, targeted at pilots serving surveying, construction, and inspection industries.
• FAA Recreational Flyer Training (TRUST) Free FAA-required The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) course for recreational drone pilots, administered online by UAV Coach as an FAA-approved test administrator.
• In-Person Flight Skills Class Hands-on one-on-one drone flight training delivered in-person at outdoor locations nationwide with local instructors, covering safe takeoffs, smooth maneuvers, and Intelligent Flight Modes using the student's drone or a company-provided drone; priced at $295 per session for 45–60 minutes of flying time.
• In-Person Photo & Video Flight Training In-person aerial photography and videography training covering composition, camera angles, cinematic motion, and DJI Fly app usage, offered nationwide in the same instructor network as the Flight Skills Class with 400+ five-star reviews.
• Virtual Drone Mapping Workshop One-day interactive workshop teaching the full drone mapping workflow — flight planning, data capture, and processing — in a small-group setting led by an industry expert; includes free access to the Drone Mapping Essentials online course; priced at $799.
• Custom Team Training On-site, tailored drone training delivered to enterprise and group customers' employees at their location, customized to the operational needs of the organization.
• UAV Coach Drone Academy Turnkey CTE/STEM drone curriculum for high schools, colleges, and CTE programs delivering 30+ hours of structured content across 80+ video and text lessons with progress tracking, separate teacher/student portals, exam readiness reporting, and optional Zephyr flight simulator integration; aligned with Common Career Technical Core and Next Generation Science Standards; sold as annual site licenses at $1,500 (up to 20 students) or $3,000 (up to 50 students).

Quantifiable outcome

• 99%+ first-attempt pass rate on FAA Part 107 exam
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The Drone Girl: Drone-focused content and education brand covering industry news, gear guides, and beginner training. Overlaps with UAV Coach's content/news arm and entry-level pilot training.

Direct peers

• Pilot Institute: Online aviation and drone training school offering Part 107 prep alongside broader pilot training. Competes in the same online certification prep category as Drone Pilot Ground School.
• Drone Launch Academy: Online drone training platform focused on FAA Part 107 test prep and commercial drone pilot courses. Directly competes with UAV Coach's Drone Pilot Ground School on certification prep and skills training.
• Dronegenuity: Drone training and consulting company offering Part 107 prep, custom enterprise training, and onsite workshops. Competes directly with UAV Coach's enterprise and education segments.
• DARTdrones: Nationwide Part 107 prep and corporate/enterprise drone training provider with on-site workshops. Overlaps with UAV Coach's in-person training and enterprise/Custom Team Training offerings.
• Drone U: Drone-focused education platform offering Part 107 prep, flight skills, mapping, and drone business courses. Closely mirrors UAV Coach's product stack across consumer drone training.

Others

• Drone Industry Insights: Drone market intelligence and research firm producing industry reports and analysis. Adjacent to UAV Coach's industry news and educational research resources.
• DroneDeploy: Drone mapping and analytics software platform with educational resources for pilots. Adjacent to UAV Coach's Drone Mapping Essentials and mapping workshop offerings.
• Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk): Drone airspace management and UTM platform providing LAANC authorizations and fleet tools. Adjacent as an infrastructure provider that the pilots UAV Coach trains use daily.

Broad incumbents

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Major aviation university offering UAS/drone degree programs, certifications, and continuing education. Competes with UAV Coach's Drone Academy in the college and institutional segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNeLtA6QRwY6dylH4cBnmhQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/uavcoach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uav-coach
• Instagraminstagram.com/uavcoach
• Xx.com/UAVCoach

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UAV Coach