Wayne Frank, owner of Professional Drone Services of Texas, at his home office Friday, Sep. 2, 2022 in Cypress, TX.Once the playthings of hobbyists, unmanned aerial vehicles — better known as drones — appear in the skies more frequently than ever, performing a range of commercial tasks, from documenting the construction of high-rise buildings to mapping large rural properties to detecting leaks in natural gas pipelines.
Wayne Franks, the founder and CEO of Professional Drone Services, launched the company 2017 with the help of his three sons, all of whom were involved in aviation or technology. Brent, the eldest, is a fixed-wing pilot and owner of East Texas Charter. Middle son Garrett, a Navy veteran with a nuclear background, helped develop the young company with logistics and technical support.
Franks admitted he first few years in business were difficult as the company tried to gain its footing. Potential clients, particularly those in the residential real estate market, still viewed drones with suspicion, because of the vehicles’ early reputation as flying peeping Toms, Franks said. Zoldi, a lawyer, Air Force veteran and founder and CEO of P3 Tech Consulting, said the oil and gas industry presents one of the biggest opportunities for growth for Texas drone companies. Aerial mapping is another as government agencies increasingly use drones to create maps and data banks for disaster planning and other applications.
With its headquarters in north Houston, Professional Drone Services employs nine drone pilots in Texas, four in Houston, three in the Austin/San Antonio area, and two in Dallas.
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