Detect and Avoid Systems: A Critical Next Step for Achieving BVLOS Webinar & Networking

Join us as we explore the topic of detect and avoid systems for unmanned aircraft and its vital role achieving beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight in all airspace.

Tom Furey, CEO of Sagetech, will preview the current state of FAA requirements for certifying logic-based detect and avoid systems for UAS operating under Part 91 rules. Topics include a definition of airspace requirements, the  current roadmap for integrating unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System,  a preview of what a compliant, low-SWaP DAA system for drones looks like now and in the future, and finally a discussion of complementary technologies.

Jon Damush, CEO of Iris Automation, will discuss the most challenging aspect of detect and avoid for both piloted and un-piloted aircraft - detecting the perfectly legal, but non-cooperative threat.  This is a challenge that cannot be solved by any single company or technology alone, and instead is solved through the use of layers of mitigations some technical, some not - just like piloted aviation operates today.

Dawn Zoldi, CEO of P3 Tech Consulting, Law-Tech Connect™ Columnist at Inside Unmanned Systems Magazine and the Host of InterDrone's Drones at Dawn Podcast, will discuss the current state of U.S. and global regulations and policies relevant to BVLOS, the state of R&D that will inform future regulations and the critical next policy steps needed to enable BVLOS operations.

Moderator: Sharon Rossmark, Founder/CEO of Women and Drones

Jon Damush is the Chief Executive Officer for Iris Automation, Inc., a startup company focused on developing on and off-board traffic detection and collision avoidance systems.

Prior to joining Iris in October of 2020, Jon was the senior executive in charge of Boeing Next’s New Business Ventures group, with responsibilities for managing partner relationships, developing product management and marketing methodologies for future mobility, and acting as the executive liaison for Boeing and Spark Cognitiion’s joint venture, SkyGrid. Jon is also familiar with the Pacific northwest, as he was the chief growth officer for Insitu, Inc., a Boeing subsidiary whose unmanned products have more than 1.3 million operational flight hours. During his tenure at Insitu, he established the commercial business unit and oversaw the strategy and marketing functions of the company. Damush came to Insitu through Boeing’s acquisition of 2d3 Sensing, a computer vision software company where he was president and CEO.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Irvine. He is also a licensed commercial pilot and certified flight instructor. 

Dawn M.K. Zoldi (Colonel, United States Air Force Retired) is a licensed attorney, an U.S. Air Force veteran and the founder and Chief Executive Officer of P3 Tech Consulting, connecting people who have a passion for advanced tech platforms with the plans, programs, policies and information they need to succeed. Ms. Zoldi was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1992 and commissioned through direct appointment in the Air Force in July 1993. In her almost 25 years of active duty as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a military attorney, she performed a myriad of duties at various command echelons in the continental U.S. and deployed forward. Upon retirement from active duty in 2018, she spent two years with the Office of the Air Force General Counsel as the Business Matters Attorney for the U.S. Air Force Academy and an additional one on faculty as the Deputy Director of the Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development. She is an internationally recognized expert on unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility law and policy and a recipient of the Woman to Watch in UAS (Leadership) Award 2019. Her endeavors in the drone law, regulatory and policy arena include roles as a consultant for multiple aerospace companies, legal columnist for Inside Unmanned Systems and Inside GNSS magazines, guest contributor to DroneLife.com, podcaster and conference planner for InterDrone as well as strategic partnerships and leadership roles in multiple aerospace, drone education, non-profit and media-related companies organizations.

Sharon Rossmark, MBA is the founder and CEO of Women And Drones LLC, the premier global platform featuring women who are disrupting, innovating, and shaping the future of the drone industry. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, the company was listed as one of the “Top 100 Companies To Watch” in the drone industry.

Sharon is an international speaker, panelist, and moderator. She has taken the stage to share her passion for drones from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC to the World of Drones Congress in Brisbane, Australia.

The organization’s educational theme centers on “learning through the wonders of flying robots.”™ The focus is on collaborating with community and educational programs to incorporate drones into STEM programming for youth.   

She is the co-author of several books introducing young children to drones. The books are available in English and Spanish. Most of the books’ characters are girls, which is a purposeful, important part of her commitment to engaging more girls in STEM and aviation.

Ms. Rossmark also serves on the advisory boards for the Canadian Drone Institute, the CompTIA Drone Advisory Council, and the Drone Service Providers Alliance.  She is also an FAA Certified Drone Pilot.

To support the women and men who protect our freedom, she has established an endowed scholarship to support US military soldiers and veterans majoring in business at Illinois State University. 

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