Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast

Hosted by Alan Gabriel

Technology News

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Episodes

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The Pilots of the Caribbean podcast is a weekly show about drones and the people that use them for fun, research or business in the Caribbean. In each episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics, including: How to use drones for business, fun, and research. New business opportunities in the drone industry. Regulatory changes affecting drone pilots. Exciting ways to take your interest in drones to the next level. We'll also feature interviews with drone pilots from around the Caribbean, who will share their stories and insights on how they're using drones to make a difference, make money, or just have fun. Whether you're a drone pilot, a business owner, or just someone who's interested in learning more about drones, Pilots of the Caribbean is the perfect podcast for you. So tune in every week for your dose of drone news, interviews, and insights. Subscribe today and never miss an episode!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 25, 2026Episode 8156 min

How to Build an Enterprise Drone Program That Scales with Genevieve Dacambra

Genevieve DeCambra spent over a decade building Suncor Energy's enterprise drone program from a two-person side project into one of the largest in North America, running more than 4,000 missions a year and generating over 150 documented use cases. Now the founder of Nest Robotics and a board member of Canada's Aerial Evolution Association, she joins Alan Gabriel to break down what it actually takes to get leadership buy-in for drone technology, how a University of Toronto study traced $400,000 haul truck tires back to road conditions, and why Canada's drone industry is projected to grow from roughly $3 billion to $69 billion by 2045. Tune in to discover what enterprise drone thinking from the Alberta oil sands could mean for the Caribbean. CONNECT WITH GENEVIEVE LinkedIn: AEAC: The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

September 18, 2026Episode 8051 min

How Lucid Bots Turned Building Cleaning Into a $34M Business

Andrew Ashur never touched a robot before his junior year at Davidson College, where he watched a window-washing crew get thrown around by wind and decided there had to be a better way. Nine years, a $12 soldering iron, and $34 million in funding later, Andrew is the founder and CEO of Lucid Bots, and his team's Sherpa drone puts people on the ground instead of lifts, ladders, and scaffolding. Alan Gabriel talks with Andrew about teaching himself drone engineering from a Christmas gift book, surviving a brutal Y Combinator interview, and building a modular drone that cleans windows, paints highway overpasses, and waterproofs water towers. They also get into Lucid Bots' subscription pricing, the new PowerTether system, and what tariffs on Chinese drones mean for the industry. Tune in to hear how a self-described mega nerd built a robotics company without an engineering degree. CONNECT WITH ANDREW ASHUR LinkedIn Website: lucidbots.com Instagram The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

September 11, 2026Episode 7951 min

Building The Droning Company with Stuart Smith

Stuart Smith spent decades touring arenas as a guitarist for the band Sweet before COVID collapsed his music income and pushed him into drones. Today he runs The Droning Company, a subscription platform connecting thousands of US drone pilots with paying work, without taking a cut of their earnings. Stuart breaks down how his no-commission model works, why niche gigs like ash scattering and gender-reveal flights can pay $500 a session, and which industries are hiring drone pilots at the highest day rates. He also shares what separates pilots stuck doing roofing shoots from pilots landing oil and gas contracts. Alan and Stuart close by comparing the US market to what's unfolding across the Caribbean's tourism, agriculture, and coastal industries. Tune in to discover how a rock musician built one of the largest drone pilot networks in America. The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

September 7, 2026Episode 786 min

August 2026 Caribbean Drone News: Barbados, Antigua, Tariffs

This month's Caribbean drone news: Barbados stands up a new multi-role drone unit spanning defence, disaster response, and agriculture. Antigua and Barbuda's Cabinet weighs a national BVLOS security network amid rising gun crime. And out of Washington, a Section 232 tariff proclamation and an FCC proposal to redefine "military-grade" drones could both reshape what Caribbean operators pay for thermal, LiDAR, and heavy-lift equipment. Alan Gabriel breaks down what each story means for operators flying across the region, from training structures to supply chain timelines. Tune in to find out what's changing and what to budget for before your current fleet ages out. The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

August 20, 2026Episode 7757 min

Why Ghana is Africa's Real Drone Capital with Derrick Annan

Derrick Annan built a drone survey business in Ghana, then used one certification to expand into four more African countries. As Co-Founder and CEO of Axis Drone Surveys, Derrick grew the company from a single survey job into operations across Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Tanzania, riding on West Africa's ECOWAS framework for cross-border recognition. Alan and Derrick get into why Ghana's regulators moved fast once Zipline built the world's largest drone delivery network there, why Axis walked away from agriculture in favor of mining and energy work, and how local operators compete against foreign companies that clients assume are more reliable. Derrick also makes the case for why the Caribbean and Africa should be building this industry together. Tune in to discover what a truly connected drone industry looks like. CONNECT WITH DERRICK ANNAN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-annan-98023554/ Website: https://www.axisdronesurveys.com Drone Ignite Africa: https://www.droneigniteafrica.com The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

August 15, 2026Episode 7641 min

DroneGuyTT on Building an FPV Business in Trinidad & Tobago

Levi Hinds, better known across Trinidad and Tobago as DroneGuyTT, didn't set out to become one of the the Caribbean's most recognized FPV drone pilot. He wanted to be a commercial pilot, couldn't afford it, and found FPV instead, crashing his first drone before it even cleared the yard. A decade later he's flown Shal Marshall music videos, Tobago's Hill Climb, and enough Carnival trucks to lose count. In this episode, Levi and Alan get into the real cost of building an FPV business in Trinidad: the $8,000-to-$15,000 TT buy-in, the client conversation that taught Levi to finally charge his worth, and the Carnival photo that went viral and got blamed on the wrong pilot. Tune in to discover what it takes to turn FPV from a hobby into a career, and why Levi says "try to be you" might be the best advice he can give. --- CONNECT WITH LEVI HINDS (DRONEGUYTT) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DroneGuyTT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DroneGuyTT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/droneguytt/ The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

August 6, 2026Episode 7553 min

Building the Caribbean Drone Hub with Prof. David Yawson

As Director of CERMES at UWI Cave Hill, he's spent years watching Caribbean drone policy lag behind Caribbean drone practice, and he's doing something about it. In this conversation, Alan Gabriel talks with Professor Yawson about how CERMES built one of the region's earliest drone programs around monitoring sargassum strandings, why "banned" is the wrong word for Barbados' cautious permitting process, and how the Caribbean Drone Hub just rolled out the region's first tiered drone certification. They also dig into what came out of the inaugural Caribbean Drone Symposium, from repair-center gaps to the push for certifications that travel across borders. Tune in to discover how one small university unit is trying to build the regulatory backbone the Caribbean drone industry has been missing. --- CONNECT WITH PROFESSOR DAVID YAWSON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-yawson-97aa252b/ Caribbean Drone Hub: https://www.caridronehub.org CERMES: https://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

August 1, 2026Episode 748 min

July 2026 Caribbean Drone News: Jamaica, DJI, and the FCC

Caribbean Drone News Page This month on Caribbean Drone News, Jamaica picks up hardware on two completely different fronts. Prime Minister Andrew Holness accepted the 2026 Esri President's Award for the National Drone Response that mapped Hurricane Melissa in real time, while Jamaica's Drone Soccer team came home from South Korea with a fifth place finish and a funding model worth studying. DJI also quietly flew its first cargo eVTOL near the summit of Mount Everest, hitting the highest documented altitude for a cargo drone in its class. And the FCC closed out July by expanding its covered list to foreign made robots and grid equipment, a move AUVSI welcomed with one major caveat. Alan Gabriel breaks down what each story means for operators and manufacturers watching the region. Tune in to catch up on the month in Caribbean and global drone news. The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

June 30, 2026Episode 7312 min

June 2026: Caribbean Drone News

Code: CARIBBEAN100 Discount: $100 off an Exhibit Hall Only Pass or a Full Conference Pass Direct registration link (code pre-applied): https://www.xpressreg.net/register/UAVA0926/landing.php?sc=CARIBBEAN100 Devon McKellop episode Brian Smith episodes - Episode 1 | Episode 2 Ram Fish / 19Labs episode The Caribbean drone industry had a big June. In this month's Caribbean Drone News, Alan Gabriel covers four stories from Jamaica and Guyana that are quietly reshaping what's possible for UAS operators in the region. Jamaica's national drone soccer team returned from California undefeated, defeating teams from the US, Canada, Mexico, and Kazakhstan. Jamaican competitor Omar Cockett is heading to the World Skills Competition — one of the largest vocational skills events on the planet — to compete in the unmanned aerial systems category. In Guyana, Dragonfly Drones formally launched an international joint venture with Canadian firm Automox Offshore. The Ministry of Health completed drone-supported medical deliveries to riverine communities along the Mahicony River as part of a broader logistics rollout. Tune in to get the full breakdown, the context behind each story, and why these developments matter for the wider Caribbean drone space. The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*

June 18, 2026Episode 7244 min

What the Drone Industry Is Actually Talking About in 2026 | Matt Collins

COMMERCIAL UAV EXPO 2026 — EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT Use code CARIBBEAN100 to save $100 on an Exhibit Hall Pass or Full Conference Pass. Register here (code pre-applied): https://www.xpressreg.net/register/UAVA0926/landing.php?sc=CARIBBEAN100 Matt Collins has spent the last year learning the commercial drone industry from the inside — as the man who shapes the program at Commercial UAV Expo and runs editorial at Commercial UAV News. In this episode, he gives an unfiltered read on where the industry stands in 2026. We get into the real gap between AI marketing and actual field use, why the FCC Covered List's biggest threat is the hobbyist-to-professional pipeline, what the Part 108 NPRM got wrong, and why Caribbean drone operators are still missing from global industry data — and what to do about it. Matt also walks through what's new at Commercial UAV Expo 2026 (September 1-3, Las Vegas): roundtable sessions, the Level Up Lounge, a new focus on agriculture, and a state of the industry keynote with Pilot Institute's Greg Hughes. Tune in to discover how to get the Caribbean drone community into the global conversation — straight from someone who writes and edits that conversation daily. --- CONNECT WITH MATT COLLINS LinkedIn: Search "Matt Collins Commercial UAV" on LinkedIn Website / Event: https://www.expouav.com News: https://commercialuavnews.com Contact: info@commercialuavnews.com --- The Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast recommends the Pilot Institute - Part 107 Made Easy course for anyone looking to prepare to sit the part 107 exam and become a licensed commercial drone operator. Website: https://pilotsofthecaribbeanpod.com Email: pilotsofthecaribbeanpod@gmail.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/pilotsofthecaribbeanpod * Affiliate disclaimer: some of the above links maybe affiliate links, which may generate a sales commission.*