Boost U.S. Drone Production Interview Inspired Flight

Inspired Flight, headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, is a leading U.S. manufacturer of industrial drones. Inspired Flight stands out for its integration of multiple payloads and sensors and its universal payload interface. Its flexible platform is used in applications such as critical infrastructure inspection, oil and gas exploration, GIS mapping, military applications, specialized delivery, firefighting, government research and more. The company is also NDAA compliant and has Blue sUAS certification, meaning it has been designated by the Defense Innovation Unit as a secure platform suitable for government use.

Founded in 2017 by Marc Stollmeyer, the company is now thriving under the experienced leadership of Marc’s father, CEO Rick Stollmeyer. DRONELIFE spoke with Stollmeyer about Inspired Flight’s commitment to U.S. drone manufacturing—and how the industry is evolving to meet changing conditions.

Why focus on drone production in the US?

From the beginning, Inspired Flight has focused on manufacturing in the U.S. As market needs evolve and lessons from the pandemic resonate, the company and Stollmeyer have increasingly focused on strengthening supply chains and a domestic drone manufacturing base.

“As someone who had no drone experience before 2018, I’m shocked by how dependent we are on Chinese manufacturing,” Stollmeyer says, holding up his iPhone. “There are very few things we use every day that don’t rely on this supply chain — and that’s just not sustainable, especially for something that could be critical to our national security.”

“I think we see ourselves in the middle of three giant crises: the climate crisis, the destruction of the middle class due to offshoring, and a 1930s-style geopolitical crisis. If we take those three crises, relearning how to make things in the United States really solves all of them,” he says. “That’s the goal of Inspired Flight.”

Challenges and opportunities in developing a new supply chain

Stollmeyer acknowledges that developing a secure supply chain is difficult, but it also presents significant opportunities for new companies. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliance and Blue sUAS certification require that the aircraft’s computing, transmission and software components not be developed in China. But it may be difficult to source all of the components outside of China and still compete on price with drones made in China.

“We’re currently able to manufacture about 70 percent of our drones outside the Chinese supply chain. Products like lithium polymer cells are hard to come by outside China, but new manufacturers are emerging that will be ready in a year or two.

Our goal is to completely disconnect from the Chinese supply chain – because there is no way to predict when that chain will be disrupted due to a cold war, a hot war or trade restrictions.”

Despite the challenges, Stollmeyer is confident about the future, saying new companies are quickly stepping in to meet supply chain needs. He points out that battery production systems are accelerating in the U.S., with manufacturers developing strong partnerships in Vietnam, Mexico and Canada. “Mexico is a North American regional powerhouse,” he says. “We can bet big on our supply chain in Mexico.

With that in mind, most of the final assembly and value-added is done in the U.S. We are ready for that.”

Building resilience in the production process

While some manufacturers have struggled to scale to meet demand, Inspired Flight is supporting its exponential growth by building resilience into its U.S. manufacturing process. Instead of relying on short-term supply, the company now strategically stockpiles parts to ensure it can scale production.

“We build resilience into our manufacturing process by quarters ahead of schedule. We saw how important that was during repeated lockdowns in China. Sometimes it could be an 18-cent component that would suddenly be delayed for 18 months. Just-in-time manufacturing has had to be turned upside down in a post-COVID world,” Stollmeyer says.

What lies ahead for the drone industry and inspiring flights?

Stollmeyer sees major changes in the drone ecosystem. “Sensor technologies are getting better, lighter and cheaper, opening up more missions for sUAS. Ground control, radio technologies for command and control, and the use of 5G and LTE networks are all improving rapidly,” he says. “Obstacle avoidance is getting better and better—and of course, computers are getting better, faster and cheaper.”

These fast-paced innovations are driving Inspired Flight’s focus on agility in development. Stollmeyer points out that the company was able to develop its latest aircraft, the IF800 Tomcat, from concept to release in a year—a timeframe unheard of in other industries.

Stollmeyer is clearly proud of the growing team and excited about new developments at Inspired Flight. The company is expanding its San Luis Obispo facility and plans to expand production to other states in the U.S. Product development is a closely guarded secret, but Stollmeyer teases future advancements: “These are flying robots. Software is key. We have some major software releases coming out,” he says.

How US Industry Can Grow

As the U.S. faces new geopolitical pressures and ongoing efforts to pass regulations against Chinese-made drones, a new U.S. drone industry is emerging. Stollmeyer says innovation and collaboration are key to making the industry successful.

“It’s time for the drone industry to really come together. There will be many winners in this space. There are too many small ideas,” he says. “Collaboration drives innovation—Microsoft was the first to develop a user interface for Apple. We will only succeed if we recognize that we need a dynamic industry of many players.”

By focusing on resilience, collaboration and innovation, Inspired Flight and other U.S. drone manufacturers are well-positioned to build a strong and safe domestic drone industry that is becoming increasingly important to users in both the commercial and government sectors.