Greg DePrez, Senior UAS Instructor

Greg DePrez is the course manager and senior instructor for the AU Academy courses.  He is a former Navy carrier pilot and flight instructor, and holds a commercial pilot rating.  Since 2015, he has provided operational and marketing support to UAS services companies. 

Greg created the AU Academy courses and keeps them current with regard to FAA regulations and practices. He has taught the FAA Part 107 drone exam preparation and flight introduction courses for over two and a half years and has helped dozens of drone rookies proudly earn their FAA Remote Pilot Certificates.  

"My favorite moment of the class: when our graduates walk out of the FAA test center holding a Part 107 test certificate that says: "PASS!"

Thom Trunnell, UAS Instructor

Thom Trunnell is a member of the Boulder Emergency Squad.
He manages air assets, including drones for the Boulder Sheriff’s Department. 

Thom is an instructor at BES for Part 107 training. He also provides advanced training for UVA pilots and sensor operators. This equips them for missions including Search and Rescue, fire spotting, tracking, and crime scene investigation.

He is experienced in Search and Rescue, Night Flight training and the use of Infrared and other High Def sensors for SAR and Wildland Firefighting.