The Expertise Behind
Your Program.
Red Raven was founded to provide both the strategic guidance to build your UAS program and the field-tested training to make it successful.
OUR MISSION.
We're here to help teams launch and grow UAS programs that are safe, effective, and built to last. Whether you're flying over city streets, wildland fires, or critical infrastructure, we're committed to making sure you're trained, equipped, and ready.
Founded by a
Public Safety Veteran
Our founder, Derrick Ward, is a 35-year fire service veteran and public safety UAS pioneer. At the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)—one of the world’s largest fire departments—he helped lead the department’s UAS (drone) program as LAFD became the first major U.S. fire department to integrate drones into real-world emergency operations. Red Raven is built on those hard-earned lessons, not theory.
WHAT WE STAND FOR.
We believe drones—used with skill, judgment, and standards—save time, money, and lives. Red Raven exists to help agencies, businesses, and individual pilots harness that power responsibly through certification, training, and programs built to last.
Real-World
Training
Our instruction mirrors the pressures of real-world operations. We focus on practical, scenario-based training to build the muscle memory and sound decision-making skills that teams need to perform when it matters most.
Unbiased
Guidance
Our guidance is vendor-neutral and tailored to your goals, risk profile, and budget—whether you’re building a department program or setting up your own professional operation. We don’t sell hardware, our only objective is to help you make smart, defensible decisions.
Culture of
Safety
Safety and compliance are non-negotiable. We embed FAA standards and airtight SOPs into every program we touch, ensuring your operations are not just effective, but also defensible and audit-ready.
OUR
LEADERSHIP
Decades of frontline public safety, brand, and solution experience. This is the team that builds your program.
DERRICK
WARD
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Founder
Derrick brings 35 years of high-stakes, real-world public safety experience to Red Raven. As a pioneer of one of the nation’s largest fire department UAS programs, he has seen firsthand what it takes to succeed under pressure. As Program Director, he leads program development—building SOPs, policy, and operational standards that keep teams safe, compliant, and ready for any mission.
MICHAEL
WILSON
DIRECTOR OF BRAND
Founder
Michael brings years of high-level branding and media expertise from inside the enterprise drone industry, where he partnered with leading manufacturers to bring their technology to market. At Red Raven, he leads strategic consulting, helping build education and training programs and creating clear communications between agencies and our team to ensure long-term, scalable success.
Marc
Flamm
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
Training & Deployment
Marc brings over a decade of UAS experience supporting some of the nation’s largest public safety and enterprise drone programs through DJI, Skydio, and Enterprise UAS. At Red Raven, he leads hands-on training—translating proven workflows into practical flight skills, mission execution, and real-world decision-making. His focus is training the most effective pilots starting from day one.
Let’s Get Your Team Mission-Ready
Now that you know our story, we'd like to hear yours. Let's discuss your organization's goals and how our experience can help you succeed.