Meet James Fagnant

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to James Fagnant. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

James, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I believe that I have developed my resilience through life’s obstacles by continuing to push forward and complete tasks that had no option but to be accomplished, even when I didn’t want to do them. The largest part of my resilience was developed while serving in the military for 8 years. I was deployed to Iraq for 1 year, from 2003-2004. This was the height of war and I experienced many situations that developed and grew my resilience. In many of those cases, the outcome was either life or death. The resilience was built in doing tasks that had no choice but to be completed, especially in environments that were harsh and unforgiving. I knew that if I could make it through those situations, I could make it through any task if I put my faith in God and myself to push through, despite any struggles I might encounter.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am the lead pilot and CEO of a drone operations business, On The Fly Drone Ops.

On The Fly Drone Ops is a fully licensed and insured drone company that provides drone operations to a variety of industries.

Drone technology is advancing at a rapid rate and is being utilized by a vast array of industries to increase efficiency, safety, and accuracy. For example, in agriculture, drones are equipped with advanced sensors and cameras to gather data on crop health, soil conditions, and irrigation needs. This allows farmers to implement precision farming techniques that maximize yields while minimizing resource use, ultimately improving both productivity and sustainability.

In the construction industry, drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and LiDAR sensors to quickly create accurate maps and 3D models. Drones are also used to perform routine safety checks, inspecting equipment and structures without exposing workers to danger.

Drones are also being used in a creative way to capture stunning imagery from a bird’s-eye view.

On The Fly Drone Ops provides a plethora of professional drone services including aerial photography/videography, 2D and 3D mapping and surveying, thermal imaging, utility and structural inspections, agricultural health monitoring, and more. We serve industries such as construction, real estate, renewable energy, and agricultural sectors.

Our business holds a certification through the SBA (Small Business Association) as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. This is a designation earned by having a 100% service-connected disability rating through the Veteran’s Administration. With this designation, our business is eligible for a portion of Federal Government contracts, giving us a leading edge when bidding for federal contracts.

This is a designation but it does not define who I am as a person or business owner. I strive every day to not let anything prevent me from doing what I love to do, which is helping other companies flourish by providing top-tier drone services.

I take pride in safety, service and customer satisfaction with every flight mission. If I can deliver more than what a customer expects or wants, I will absolutely do so.

Drone operations excite me because I’ve seen firsthand how drones can impact and grow a business. I genuinely haven’t found an industry that couldn’t benefit from drone services and the thought of helping as many businesses as I can is the biggest reason I love what I do.

As wonderful as drone technology is, drone operations should be taken seriously and handled by a licensed professional. My Part 107 license is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. I had to take a rigorous course to learn and understand airspace definitions and requirements, airspace rules and regulations, and much more. Drones can be very dangerous and must be handled with an expert knowledge of airspace. Drones have the potential to harm people and disrupt air traffic if handled incorrectly. Recreational drone operators are not licensed, they do not have the same knowledge of airspace rules and regulations, and they are highly susceptible to fines and/or confiscation of their drones, and potentially worse. The FAA and local law enforcement are becoming increasingly serious about recreational drone usage due to the potential hazards.

For example, because I am a licensed drone pilot through the FAA, I have access to see if there are any flight restrictions in place, what airspace I’m flying in, and I even have access to obtain flight approval to fly in certain airspace.

I’m also a fully insured drone pilot which is highly important. Again, drones can potentially harm people or property. It’s crucial to have liability insurance to protect yourself and others. Most recreational drone operators don’t possess drone insurance.

Again, I prioritize safety with every flight mission.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The 3 qualities/skills that have been most impactful in my journey are:

1. Commitment to both personal and professional growth.

I’m at a point in my life where I strive each and every day to be better than I was the day before. Through the deep desire to grow and evolve personally, it led me to the point of being able to proudly say that I’m a business owner, and I want to grow and evolve in that area of my life too. I am committed to learning something every day and am committed to being the best human I can be.

2. Skill of being able to learn anything I put my mind to.

I had never flown a drone before and I definitely knew very little of airspace rules and regulations. But when I became interested in drones and learned that to operate drones commercially, a Part 107 license was required, I got nervous for a moment. But I set my mind to it, I stopped doubting myself, and committed to passing the course and obtaining the license. Then I had to learn how to actually fly the drone. So I took additional courses on that and practiced daily to become better. It showed me that if I really dig deep and put my mind to something, I can learn it.

3. Keeping a positive outlook about everything, even in the face of not-so-positive situations.

During the difficult course, passing of the FAA exam, and even learning to fly a drone for the first time, I kept a positive outlook about everything. It was difficult to fly a drone and not have the hang of it at first, I even crashed a drone and had to fix the wing. The course had difficult moments as well where I was overwhelmed with information. So things might’ve looked negative on the outside, but I kept a positive outlook the entire time and faced every challenge with a good mindset to overcome it.

My advice to anyone early in their journey is:

First, if you are doing something you don’t really resonate with, before quitting or stopping, try to find a way to make it fun and exciting. Once you have developed that kind of relationship with your task or job, it becomes less work.

Second would be to learn as much as you can about what you’re doing and master it to the best of your ability. That way you are a trusted source and authority in that particular thing. From that point, you can help others and become a resource for others to learn from.

These are ways that have helped me through my life experiences that I would like to pass on to others in hopes it helps them along their journey.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

I believe my biggest area of growth has been in my self confidence. It has taken me on a journey of diving deep into myself to figure out where my fears and weaknesses have developed from. This has given me an ability to figure out ways to overcome my internal challenges and beliefs.

Just recently I had a bit of fear going to speak with a potential new client. Before I went in I took a few deep breaths and told myself I am just going in to have a conversation with another person, another human being. I walked in with the mindset of being genuine, honest, and fair and I was able to maintain my composure and professionalism despite the initial nerves and fear of rejection.

Another tremendous help in overcoming these obstacles is having a positive support system you can lean on. For me, I have my wife, who is also my best friend, confidant, and COO (Chief Operations Officer) to talk through these things with. It really makes a huge difference.

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James, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?