Delair, a global supplier of commercial drone solutions, announced the appointment of Michael Blondeau to the position of North American sales manager. Blondeau brings 15 years of piloting, training and commercial drone operational experience, and will be a key part of the team that is rapidly growing Delair’s presence in the North American market.
Blondeau’s experience includes more than 2,000 hours as pilot-in charge (PIC) of unmanned flights; several years with the U.S. Army and military subcontractors managing aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions; as well as a more recent role supporting commercial implementations of drone technology for surveying and mapping in industries such as construction, engineering, mining and agriculture. His understanding of geospatial use models, customer workflows, and regulatory issues will be key to assisting large North American enterprises in leveraging aerial intelligence to enhance their business efficiency, a critical element in Delair’s solutions strategy.
Blondeau joins Delair from RDO Equipment Company, a pioneering and major commercial drone reseller in the U.S. market, where he served as a technical account manager, advising clients on the use and integration of GPS technology and drone technology. Among his responsibilities were developing client workflows for aerial surveying, mapping, GIS, mining, agriculture and inspection applications. Blondeau is an experienced commercial flight trainer with extensive knowledge of issues such as FAA regulations, airspace management, remote sensing, data collection and data analysis.
“As we continue to grow the North American market with our solutions-oriented approach, it’s essential that we have the type of hands-on field experience in all aspects of UAS flight operations that Michael brings to us. His knowledge and understanding of best practices for flying long-range drone missions, particularly in the dynamic and evolving U.S. market, will be an incredibly valuable asset as we help enterprises adopt the benefits of aerial-based digital asset monitoring and analysis," says Benjamin Benharrosh, Delair’s co-founder and head of North American operations.
Prior to his role at RDO, Blondeau spent several years as test and instructor pilot at Northrop Grumman as part of the company’s UAS flight operations team. There, he completed advanced flight instructor certification programs and provided engineering support for testing and integration of new equipment. Before that he worked at ISR Group as a UAS pilot, directing long-range missions to perform aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Prior to joining ISR, he served in the U.S. Army as a UAS operator and also was trained on a variety of maintenance and operational procedures.
“The opportunity to proliferate UAS solutions to commercial users is huge. I believe Delair is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity with the right technology and business model to bring high ROI value to customers. I am excited to apply my skills and experience to enterprises throughout the region and help them leverage the business benefits our offerings can deliver,” says Blondeau.
