What Drone Launch Academy does

Drone Launch Academy is an online drone education company headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, founded by David Young in 2016. The company has trained more than 40,000 drone pilots and operates a catalog of over 30 courses and 19 workshops led by named practitioner-instructors. Its flagship product is the FAA Part 107 Exam Prep Course, which the company reports carries a 99.54% first-attempt pass rate that is backed by a full refund plus a $175 retake reimbursement if a student completes 100% of the course and still fails the FAA exam. Adjacent catalog tracks include the Advanced Drone Mapping & Modeling (ADMM) professional certification, Drone Mapping and Modeling Fundamentals, Real Estate Media Pro, Aerial Video A to Z, Aerial Photo Pro, and the Drone to $1K business bootcamp.

The platform is delivered entirely through third-party infrastructure rather than proprietary technology: Teachable hosts the course catalog and processes consumer payments via Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay; Circle.so hosts the Drone Launch Connect (DLC) recurring subscription community; and Moodle Cloud and LearnWorlds serve institutional and some enterprise clients. Drone Launch Connect adds an approximately $29/month subscription layer that bundles access to about $1,300 worth of workshops, providing the company's primary recurring revenue stream. The company also maintains a free content engine consisting of industry articles, ultimate guides, a podcast, the FAA TRUST exam prep resource, and a state-by-state drone law reference, all functioning as top-of-funnel SEO acquisition.

Go-to-market operates on three motions: self-serve product-led growth for individual consumers via the Teachable storefront; a community-led funnel through DLC's free-trial-to-paid onboarding; and dedicated enterprise and K-12 pages (FAA Part 107 Bulk Order, High School Drone Curriculum) that route larger or institutional buyers to quote- and invoice-based contracts processed via HubSpot Payments, QuickBooks Payments, or ACH. Revenue is mixed across one-time course purchases (e.g., Drones 101 at $49, workshops at $49-$99), DLC subscriptions, enterprise bulk licensing, and institutional curriculum contracts. The company operates as a Florida LLC without disclosed external funding.

Name

Drone Launch Academy

Legal name

Drone Launch Academy, LLC

Website

https://dronelaunchacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone Launch Academy is an online drone education platform that delivers FAA Part 107 exam prep, mapping certification, videography, and business training to individual pilots, enterprise workforces, and K-12 schools via Teachable and Circle.so.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Drone Pilot Education and Training

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs (EDAMADAJ)

Keywords

• Drone pilot training
• FAA Part 107 prep
• Drone mapping certification
• Aerial photography courses
• Drone business bootcamp

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Online Courses (One-Time Purchase): Direct-to-consumer one-time purchases of individual courses and workshops (e.g., Drones 101 at $49, Part 107 Exam Prep, Drone to $1K). Lifetime access granted upon purchase. Individual courses carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Drone Launch Connect (DLC) Membership Subscriptions: Monthly, quarterly, or annual recurring membership ($1 first month via coupon code ONEDOLLAR, then $29/month; individual workshop access available). DLC hosts the community and grants access to 19+ workshops worth approximately $1,300. Cancel anytime; no refunds for unused billing cycles.
3. Enterprise / Bulk Orders (FAA Part 107): Enterprise clients (construction firms, government agencies, etc.) purchase bulk Part 107 exam prep seats. Terms are quote/invoice-based, governed by separate purchase terms. Payments processed via HubSpot Payments, QuickBooks Payments, or check/ACH.
4. High School / Institutional Curriculum: Drone Launch Academy provides a structured high school drone curriculum for educational institutions. Educational institution contracts are subject to separate terms and pricing included with the quote or invoice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Drone Launch Academy is an online education business that sells self-paced drone pilot certification and skill training — most prominently the FAA Part 107 Exam Prep Course alongside 30-plus adjacent courses and workshops covering mapping, videography, real estate media, agriculture, LiDAR, and drone business building. It also operates the Drone Launch Connect (DLC) subscription community and delivers bulk-seat and high-school institutional programs for enterprise and education buyers.

Product overview

Drone Launch Academy is an online drone education platform offering over 30 courses and workshops designed by industry professionals. The core product is the Part 107 Exam Prep Course for FAA Remote Pilot Certification, supplemented by exam preparation materials including flashcards, ebook, and audiobook. The platform offers two main learning tracks: Part 107 Certification (Part 107 Exam Prep with study materials) and Drone Mapping (Drone Mapping and Modeling Fundamentals for beginners plus the Advanced Drone Mapping and Modeling Certification program covering geodesy, GNSS, RTK/PPK, GCPs, construction, land survey, and 3D modeling). Additional products include Real Estate Media Pro, Aerial Video A to Z, Aerial Photo Pro, and the Drone to $1K business bootcamp. The platform serves individuals through individual course purchases, enterprise clients through bulk licensing and Moodle Cloud/LearnWorlds LMS integration, and educational institutions through dedicated K-12 curriculum. Drone Launch Connect provides a subscription-based community with workshop access, while free resources include TRUST exam preparation and state drone law guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drone Launch Connect: A membership community for drone pilots providing networking, workshops access, and ongoing learning resources for $1 for the first month, then $29/month.

Products and services

• Part 107 Exam Prep Course Online FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate exam preparation course covering all topics tested on the FAA exam, including practice questions, downloadable study guides, and a first-attempt pass guarantee; designed for individual aspiring commercial drone pilots and purchased in bulk by enterprise and government workforce training programs.
• Drone Mapping and Modeling Fundamentals Foundational online course on drone mapping and photogrammetry for individuals new to drone-based mapping, covering flight planning, image overlap, data processing, and basic deliverables.
• Advanced Drone Mapping & Modeling Certification Professional drone mapping certification program covering geodesy, GNSS positioning, RTK/PPK workflows, ground control points (GCPs), advanced 3D modeling, and digital-twin deliverables for construction, engineering, and land-surveying applications.
• Drones 101 Beginner drone workshop covering basic drone components, flight fundamentals, and practical flight exercises for individuals with no prior drone experience.
• Drone to $1K Eight-week online business-building bootcamp that teaches drone pilots how to acquire clients, build outreach systems, and generate their first $1,000 in drone service revenue, including pre-designed ad campaigns and proven outreach scripts.
• Real Estate Media Pro Online course for real estate agents and drone service providers covering drone-based real estate photography, videography, and marketing deliverables for property listings.
• Aerial Video A to Z Comprehensive online course on professional drone videography covering camera settings, cinematic movements, editing workflows, and the business aspects of offering drone video services.
• Aerial Photo Pro Online course on professional aerial photography techniques, composition, and post-processing for drone pilots selling photographic deliverables.
• Drone Launch Connect (DLC) Membership Subscription membership community (monthly, quarterly, or annual) that bundles access to 19+ drone workshops and industry networking channels for individual drone pilots, hosted on Circle.so and priced at $1 for the first month then $29/month.
• FAA Part 107 Bulk Order (Enterprise) Enterprise offering of bulk Part 107 Exam Prep Course seat licenses for construction firms, government agencies, utilities, and other organizations training certified drone pilots, with quote/invoice-based pricing and separate enterprise purchase terms.
• High School Drone Curriculum Structured drone curriculum designed for high schools and K-12 educational institutions that want to deliver a career-focused drone education program to students, with separate institutional purchase terms included with the quote or invoice.
• Drone Launch Connect Workshop Library Collection of 19+ standalone workshop courses (30 to 120 minutes each, priced individually at $49, $79, or $99 depending on length, and bundled within the Drone Launch Connect membership) covering FAA airspace authorization, DJI drone operations, agricultural drone applications, drone business foundations, niche client acquisition (real estate, construction, thermal inspections), pricing, marketing, AI in drone businesses, search and rescue, and other specialized topics for individual drone pilots.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.54% first-time Part 107 exam pass rate, backed by a full refund plus $175 toward retake fees if a student fails after completing 100% of the course and scoring 80%+ on the practice exam.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TeachablecoreTechnology or IntegrationTeachable is the primary course hosting and student account management platform for Drone Launch Academy's online courses. It also handles payment processing through Teachable Payments, integrating Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Users agree to Teachable's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy when accessing courses.
• Circle.socoreTechnology or IntegrationCircle.so hosts the Drone Launch Connect (DLC) membership community platform and manages member accounts. Circle.so uses Stripe for payment processing on DLC membership billing. Members are subject to Circle.so's Terms of Use.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Embry-Riddle is a major aviation-focused university that offers UAS-specific degree programs, Part 107 prep, and drone operator training. While serving a broader aviation curriculum, its UAS offerings compete for the same career-track drone pilot students Drone Launch Academy serves.
• FlightSafety International: FlightSafety International is a broad incumbent in aviation training with extensive crew training programs. While primarily focused on manned aviation, it represents the broader aviation training category and competes for the same enterprise workforce training budgets.
• Udemy: Udemy is a broad online learning marketplace that hosts numerous Part 107 prep and drone training courses, often at lower price points ($20-$100). It represents a competitive alternative for budget-conscious students seeking drone certification content.

Direct peers

• UAV Coach: UAV Coach is a direct competitor in the drone training space offering Part 107 prep courses, drone mapping training, and free educational content. Both target aspiring drone pilots and offer similar catalog structures spanning certification, mapping, and business building.
• Pilot Institute: Pilot Institute is a direct competitor offering FAA Part 107 exam prep courses, drone training, and aviation-related certifications. Both companies target aspiring commercial drone pilots with online self-paced courses and compete for the same keyword and audience segments in drone pilot education.
• DARTdrones: DARTdrones offers in-person and online Part 107 prep and drone training programs with enterprise workforce training as a key vertical. Both companies target enterprise bulk licensing and individual pilots, though DARTdrones historically emphasized live in-person training alongside online.
• Drone U: Drone U is a direct competitor offering drone training, mapping courses, business coaching, and a community membership similar to Drone Launch Connect. Both companies focus on helping pilots monetize drone skills through specialized training programs and peer community.

Emerging players

• Altitude University: Altitude University (formerly UAV Academy) is an emerging drone training provider focused on Part 107 prep and commercial drone applications. It represents a comparable but smaller-scale competitor with overlapping course content in commercial drone certification.
• Fly8MA Aviation Training: Fly8MA offers Part 107 prep courses and drone pilot training with a focus on practical flight training. It competes in the same Part 107 prep category as Drone Launch Academy but at a smaller scale and with more emphasis on in-person training components.

Others

• DJI (Enterprise Training): DJI is the dominant drone hardware manufacturer and offers training resources, including the DJI FlightHub and enterprise drone training programs. As the hardware ecosystem leader, DJI has potential to enter drone pilot training more aggressively, representing an adjacent player with ecosystem advantages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/DroneLaunchAcademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/dronelaunchacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/dronelaunch
• Xx.com/dronelaunch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Drone Launch Academy