Last year, for Women’s History Month Skydio committed to spearheading an internal Part 107 training program; providing educational resources, a flight support network and learning space for our Skydienne community to prepare for the Part 107 Pilot’s license exam. Part 107 licenses are required for commercial piloting (receiving income). While it is not required for recreational flying, this program has provided support for women at Skydio to become confident drone pilots and join the community of pilots who capture incredible content and memories on their Skydio drones. One year later, for International Women’s Day we are celebrating the women that took on the challenge and completed their part 107 training and exam. Starting today, we will be featuring one of our Skidienne pilots in blog posts and on social media for the entire month of March. Today’s featured Skydienne is Senior Product Manager, Rebecca Asdoorian.
Tell us about yourself! What was your path to joining Skydio? What team do you work on?
My background is primarily in enterprise software (including Box and Cisco) in software development, business analytics, and product management. At Skydio, I am a senior product manager responsible for our Skydio Cloud products including fleet management, media sync, streaming, and remote operations.
Why did you decide to get your Part 107 license?
I completed my Part 107 license shortly after joining Skydio. I wanted to have more flexibility in where I can fly my drone. Going through the studying process was useful for learning terminology and concepts that are relevant to our customers and their worlds.
What was the process like? What tips and tricks would you share with someone just getting started?
I watched a few instructional videos and then did a lot of practice questions. Take the time to really understand the types of airspaces and how to read sectional charts, as there are many such questions on the exam.
What are your favorite ways to fly? Any shots you're particularly proud of?
I love introducing new people to flying. I might start a friend or family member with the Skydio beacon and then transition them to the controller as their confidence increases. My best shot to date is one where the drone orbits around me while I, dressed in a Rey costume, do some action moves.
What advice would you have for women who are interested in learning to fly?
Start with a Skydio 2/2+ in an open area in class G airspace, which means it is uncontrolled by Air Traffic Control (ATC). For a first flight, I recommend starting with some basics to increase your comfort and confidence with your drone – fly forward, turn around 360 degrees, fly backward, etc. If you have questions about drones, getting your Part 107, or looking for support and community join us on LinkedIn in the Skydiennes group or join our Community Discord server to get to know, learn from, and be inspired by other Skydio pilots in the community.
Happy International Women's Day!
