Even as Women's History Month comes to a close, we're continuing to feature the women at Skydio who have taken on the Part 107 Challenge! Today we're showcasing the work of Alice Cheng, who works in supply chain planning at Skydio.
Tell us about yourself! What was your path to joining Skydio? What team do you work on?
As a kid I always loved to tinker. Taking apart toys to see how they work. Putting them back together was optional. My interest in technical gadgets has been with me since then.
When I was looking for my next career move Skydio stood out to me right away from the interesting promo videos. At first I couldn’t actually believe the drone was self flying. During my onsite I even tried to fly it into a wall to see if it was true. When the drone refused to follow my faulty commands I felt sold on the technology. Now I work in the supply chain planning team helping to plan out our material and production so we can keep shipping awesome drones.
Why did you decide to get your Part 107 license?
I had been thinking about getting my Part 107 license for a while, but there was a lot of material to cover and it didn’t seem urgent. When the Women at Skydio group put together an internal training program however it seemed like the perfect opportunity. We worked together to cover the exam material and help each other prepare for the exams. I really appreciated having this support network and would recommend we make this an annual event going forward so new Skydiennes can also get a chance to participate.
What was the process like? What tips and tricks would you share with someone just getting started?
Our internal training program was very thorough. We worked in groups to cover the content, took practice exams, and had an online training hosted by Colin, one of our solutions engineers. Working in small groups helped to both cover the material and network with other women at Skydio.
What are your favorite ways to fly? Any shots you're particularly proud of?
I really enjoy flying with a controller, it gives you more flight range. The cinematic flight skills have also gotten us some very cool shots and having the drone follow the beacon is awesome for skiing. I’m particularly proud of a long shot we took using this method to capture the winter wonderland at Brundage ski resort in McCall Idaho.
What advice would you have for women who are interested in learning to fly?
Don’t be afraid to try! Drones don’t have gender, they aren’t boys toys. We have lots of great resources and pilots with experience. Reach out to any of the folks that have been around for a while and we would be more than happy to show you the basics.
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.
