Aerial Achievement Awards
Celebrating the saves, wins, and heroic feats of our customers in their every day work.
The Aerial Achievement Awards were created to show the world the incredible work achieved with Skydio drone programs, giving recognition to those who are doing big things.
Congratulations to our winners
2024 Aerial Achievement Award nominees
See how the world's most advanced aerial robotics are making a difference for some of the world's most respected companies and organizations.
Akron Police Department has shown drone program excellence by using drones in a variety of uses for patrol-led deployment as well as search and rescue. In this video we can see Akron PD using the Skydio X10 at night to help apprehend two trespassers, found at a business plagued by frequent break-ins. Despite a foot chase, the suspects were safely apprehended and charged with felonies.
American Electric Power is a leader in drone program excellence. With the nation's largest electricity transmission system at nearly 39,000 miles, AEP has a ton of ground to cover. The team at AEP has replaced traditional methods of inspection with drones, and now are moving into remotely operating drones and docked drones. This gives technicians the ability to inspect assets from their office, and respond immediately to system failures. They are reducing outages for their customers, reducing operational costs and providing staff with safer working conditions.
This nomination is for Anderson Police Department’s heroic rescue of an elderly hiker experiencing a heart attack. During Anderson Police Department’s Skydio training at a state park, a real-life rescue ensued. A distressed woman approached officers to tell them her husband had collapsed while hiking. APD immediately deployed a drone to search for the man. With the use of the thermal sensor officers located the man and guided officers to the scene in a matter of minutes. Officers discovered the man had suffered a heart attack and medical assistance was called in. This use of a drone potentially saved this man’s life.
BNSF was one of the first adopters of Skydio’s S2 as a tool for asset inspection in 2019. That effort evolved into a full scale production of dock-based asset inventory and protection program with dozens of systems deployed across the US. The BNSF program has made substantial impacts to many UAS programs across the nation. Many team members from the original program have gone on to lead efforts at Amazon Prime Air, Virginia Tech, Aerolane and more.
As part of the USDOT Smart Program, Caltrans prototyped, tested, and successfully deployed a completely off-grid X2 Dock system at a site near the California/Mexico border. This site, to our knowledge, was the first of its kind to rely 100% on solar power, and Starlink for connectivity. This type of innovation sets the stage for off-grid applications across the state of California, allowing for semi-portable, scaled, dock based UAS operations for numerous applications — including construction, bridge inspection, environmental, geotechnical monitoring, and traffic operations missions.
Chicago Police Department scaled their drone program from 0 flights 6 months ago, to now almost daily flights and drone deployment during the Democratic National Convention. One person in particular to recognize from CPD is Marcus Buenrostro, who has led the UAS program from day 1 — organizing the onboarding, training, defining policies and implementation of drones within CPD. CPD is actively scaling their program to incorporate live streaming and plans to add 6 pilots to their team in the next few months.
Thomas Butler “TF”, UAS Manager, and Matt Rogers, Operations Leader for Dominion Energy led the rapid installation of three sites within just four weeks of delivery of drones and docks, along with the fast-tracking of essential waivers. They have plans in place to deploy 15 additional Skydio dock solutions.They’re leveraging our solutions across asset inspection, emergency response, feeder inspection, and security patrol. Their vision positions them as true innovators and leaders in the utility industry.
Flagler County Sheriff's Office drone program has grown to over 12 pilots in a matter of months, having developed a training protocol with collaboration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Daytona Beach PD. They have incorporated drones into their patrol shifts. Some of their recent successes include:
- Using thermal drone technology to locate and apprehend a suspect that fled a traffic stop
- Utilizing drones to clear vehicles, reducing risk for officers and minimizing situation escalation
- Search and rescue for missing persons
- Overwatch during high-risk incidents such as warrant services
NYPD is using drones to address the trend of teenagers subway surfing. These acts are difficult to apprehend. But with Skydio drones assisting in observing, identifying and apprehending juveniles, NYPD has seen a decrease in injuries. Since the program was launched with X10 and X2 drones, the NYPD Transit team is able to more effectively capture juvenile subway surfers. NYPD can now present crucial video evidence and for educating the community of the risks of this activity.
NYPD is using drones to address the trend of teenagers subway surfing. These acts are difficult to apprehend. But with Skydio drones assisting in observing, identifying and apprehending juveniles, NYPD has seen a decrease in injuries. Since the program was launched with X10 and X2 drones, the NYPD Transit team is able to more effectively capture juvenile subway surfers. NYPD can now present crucial video evidence and for educating the community of the risks of this activity.
Over the past year, NYPA has hosted their own annual STEM education summer camp, hosted multiple local schools as well as Boys & Girls Clubs. They are by far one of the most proactive advocates of youth drone education within enterprise companies that are utilizing drones. Peter Kalaitzidis and the team at NYPA are invested in sharing their work with the next generation and routinely make these outreaches a part of their job, not an exception.
Oklahoma City Police Department has achieved remarkable progress and scale with their drone program over the past few years, and recently became the first agency to successfully run a dock-based drone as a first responder program at the Oklahoma State Fair in September 2023 and again in 2024. The immense work Captain Bussert and Sgt. Dax Laporte have done to reach this stage of their drone program speaks to their passion for drone use in public safety to improve community and officer safety with the help of innovative technologies.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office helped save a man experiencing severe mental instabilities in an Orlando high-rise hotel. The individual was screaming and threatening to harm himself. He then set a fire in the hotel room. OCSO deployed an X10 to see inside the hotel room from a window, providing officers on the ground intel on the individual’s location and status. With this intel, officers were able to break into the room safely, apprehend the suspect and provide him with medical care.
This nomination is for PG&E’s work as one of the largest and most advanced drone-based equipment inspection programs in the world. They were the first utility in California to conduct fully remote drone operations for electric system inspections and continue to scale their daily operations with automated inspection missions. PG&E deserves to be recognized for how they automate data capture in the field, providing a triple advantage of increased system, operator, and community safety; reduced time and resources; and cost savings.
Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is leading the drone as a first responder space as evidenced by many life-saving moments. Among these, was a response to a suspect and a missing child. When responders arrived on scene, the suspect fled the property with the child. Based on the suspect’s history and evidence at the property, the missing child was believed to be in grave danger. An hour after drones were deployed, through thermal imagery, the suspect and child were quickly found in a wood pile in a nearby property, and the child was saved.
Sumner County Office of Emergency Management has had many life saving moments with its use of drones. One of those moments occurred when SCOEM responded to a call of a suicidal male, missing in rural Sumner County. Law enforcement and EMS had been attempting to locate the man for hours. SCOEM was called in for assistance. Once on scene, they deployed a Skydio drone and located the man in a corn field within minutes.
Gabe Graveline of the Tulsa Fire Department is a passionate advocate who constantly demonstrates the value of UAS platforms nationwide. As a full-time firefighter, Gabe trains, educates, and develops teams and individuals, continuously advancing their expertise. His instrumental role in establishing the Fire Department's Drone as First Responder (DFR) program exemplifies his leadership and vision. Gabe tirelessly works to educate the broader community on the benefits of UAS technology, frequently attending and speaking at meetings and events to foster understanding and support.
Award Winner Experience
The Aerial Achievement Awards are for those who take on the monumentous challenge of building a safer, better future with Skydio technology.
...and we applaud you.
Entry Information
01
Pick your
biggest win
02
Fill out the award
nomination form
03
Entries are
evaluated
04
Winners are selected
and recognized
Entry requirements
Eligibility
Nominations for Skydio Aerial Achievement Awards are open to any organization or person who uses a Skydio drone (any model) to improve outcomes in their field of work.
- Video footage or still imagery of the event is required for winner(s)
- Event must have occurred within the last two years
- Event must be qualified and approved for external publication and celebration
*Participants attest that they are eligible to participate based on their local jurisdiction, and as applicable, their agency requirements. Skydio is committed to following and implementing necessary measures to ensure compliance with all applicable requirements.
Questions?
FAQs
What are the Award Categories?
Examples of Skydio Award Categories may include but are not limited* to:
- Program Excellence
- Lifesaving Achievements
- Best New Program of the Year
- Innovation
- Best Use of Autonomy
- Social Impact
- From Flight to Insight
Will more than one award be given per category?
Depending on the specific award and eligible nominations, and subject to Skydio’s sole discretion, more than one award may be granted per category.
How will the final Award winners be selected?
Award nominations will be reviewed by a panel of Skydio experts and executives.
How will nominees be notified of their nominations?
Nominees will be notified via email communications from Awards@Skydio.com
How will Award winners be notified of their Award?
Award winners will be announced at Ascend 2024, during the Customer Awards Spotlight taking place on September 26, 2024 in Santa Cruz County, CA. This event will also be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.
How many times can an agency or individual be nominated?
There is no limit to the number of nominees any one agency, organization or individual can receive.
Can a nominee receive multiple awards?
Yes, there is no limit to the number of Awards an individual or Agency may receive.
Do I have to submit photos or videos with my nomination?
Photos or videos are required in order for nominees to be selected as winners. Photo or video assets should help to support the story of the nomination and can include but are not limited to, Skydio Drone footage of the incident, body cam or other peripheral video content of the nominated event, headshot or profile image of the nominated individual or other supplemental content such as news media that helps depict the story or profile of the nomination.
Does the content associated with a nomination need to be approved for external use?
Yes, all content submitted as part of the Award nomination process must be approved for external use and promotion.
Can Skydio use the content associated with a nomination even if it is not selected for an Award?
Yes, Skydio may use the content associated with a nomination even if it is not selected for an Award so as to provide the nominee with Industry recognition for their achievements.
When does the nomination period end?
The Aerial Achievement Awards is an evergreen Awards program. Nominees for the 2024 Ascend Customer Awards Spotlight will be accepted through August 30, 2024.
Nominees submitted after August 30, 2024 will be considered for recognition in the following year.
Not seeing the answers you’re looking for?
Please reach out to Awards@Skydio.com and our team will be happy to help!
Submit a Skydio Aerial Achievement Award nomination today.
Has your Skydio drone program saved lives, saved time, or helped to better serve your community? We want to hear about it.