Theme: Gratitude, compliance, and shiny new gear
Tagline: “Keep it merry, keep it legal, keep it airborne.” skycommander.ca

Hey Santa,

It’s me.
One of your very responsible drone pilots.

I know you’re busy doing rooftop approaches, chimney clearances, and upgrading the sleigh to BVLOS-ready standards, so I’ll keep this short-ish… but also I brought receipts.

Because this year, I’ve been extremely good.
Not just “I didn’t crash” good.
Like “I followed the rules even when the shot would’ve looked cooler if I didn’t” good.

So here is my official 2025 Nice List Flight Log.

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This Year I Flew Like a Professional (Not a Gremlin)

I did all the boring things that actually keep drones — and reputations — alive:

• Checked airspace first, not after.
• Ran real pre-flight checklists, not “vibes.”
• Respected people, roads, and property like a civilized adult with rotors.
• Used a Visual Observer when it made sense, because winter glare and busy scenes are sneaky. skycommander.ca+1
• Watched battery health like it was my retirement plan. skycommander.ca

I didn’t chase the shot.
I planned the shot.

Like a Flight Crew member who wants to live long enough to fly Season 6. skycommander.ca

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I Got Serious About the New BVLOS Reality

I didn’t just say “BVLOS” dramatically in a meeting.

I actually learned what it means:
not just distance, but system-level risk management. skycommander.ca

And up here in Canada, I’m tracking the path into the new Level 1 Complex world, which Sky Commander has been calling out as a big shift in the certification ladder. skycommander.ca+1

Translation for Santa:

I’m preparing now…
so I’m not surprised later.

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I Helped Protect Critical Infrastructure (Because Outages Are Naughty)

This year I aimed my flying superpowers at useful missions.

Specifically:

Powerline & corridor thinking

I practiced corridor-style planning and “pro league” discipline that matters for rural infrastructure routes — the kind of flying that fits where advanced operations are headed. skycommander.ca

Vegetation + risk awareness

I kept an eye on the kinds of conditions that lead to bad days:
encroachment, damage indicators, and early warning clues.

Not because I’m dramatic…

…but because preventing one failure is cooler than filming one failure.

And the industry trend is clear: multi-sensor approaches (visual + thermal + LiDAR) and faster insight loops are becoming the standard for serious utility inspection programs. Factor This™

So yes, Santa.

I was a grid-protecting little angel.

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I Trained Like a Reindeer (But With Checklists)

I did skill-building runs that were:

• structured
• safe
• repeatable
• not secretly illegal

Just like the drills in your Sky Commander holiday playbook:
parallel tracking, safe standoff angles, and “cool footage is never worth a safety violation.” skycommander.ca

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Okay Santa… Here’s My Wish List (The Data & Tech Edition)

Now for the part where I pretend I’m not asking for expensive things.

This year, I’m not just wishing for another drone.

I’m wishing for the systems that turn drone flights into a real business.

Because the future is:

Capture → QA → AI → Decisions → Action.

1. AI inspection & data platforms

These are the “boss-level” gifts.

Tools that help teams manage, analyze, and prioritize defects, not just store pretty photos:

• Optelos-style end-to-end utility workflows with AI models and geolocated defect management. Optelos
• Cyberhawk iHawk-style rapid upload-to-insight pipelines that push toward same-day action. Factor This™
• Scopito-type data management and inspection-to-strategy thinking that makes imagery defensible and fundable. Scopito

If Santa brings one of these to a growing drone business, it’s like upgrading from a slingshot to mission control.

2. Better mapping accuracy

• RTK/PPK capability
• tighter geo-tagging
• cleaner repeatability for change detection

Because “close enough” is cute in hobbies, and a lawsuit in infrastructure.

3. Multi-sensor upgrades

The industry keeps leaning into:

• high-res visual
• thermal
• LiDAR
• specialty detection where relevant

Because the more complete the dataset, the smarter the maintenance plan.

4. Autonomy-adjacent tools

Even if you’re not full “drone-in-a-box” yet:

• route automation
• smarter mission planning
• AI-assisted post-processing

…are already reshaping how pros scale.

5. Winter-proofing reality

I will also accept:

• extra intelligent batteries
• proper storage
• a field kit that doesn’t cry at -20°C

Because Santa knows cold weather is a performance tax.

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Final Approach

So, Santa…

I followed the rules.
I respected the airspace.
I trained my skills.
I helped protect critical infrastructure.

And I did it all with the sacred Wingman mindset.

If you need me, I’ll be in the hangar,
trying to stay on the Nice List…
and definitely not hovering over anyone’s Christmas party.

See Above. Go Beyond. Get Ahead.

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