About the Instructor - Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith is the founder and chief pilot of Steal Shot Aerials, a commercial drone cinematography company he launched in 2021 based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. He built and flew his first drone in 2012 at just 16 years old, and that early hobby grew into a full career: he holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Texas and has spent years building custom drones for racing, freestyle, film production, and defense applications — work that's led him to consult for Department of Defense contractors on both the technical and legal sides of drone operations.

As a commercial pilot, Jonathan has logged more than 10,000 flight hours both commercially and for fun, with work featured on Curiosity Network, The Aeroverse, and Discovery Channel, plus ongoing partnerships with Fortune 500 and Global 500 clients.

Jonathan is also deeply involved in the drone community. He races semi-competitively in MultiGP with the Dallas Drone Racing chapter and co-runs DFW FPV, a freestyle club with over 1,000 active members across the Metroplex, sponsored by Gemfan, T-Motor, and iFlight. He's served as a volunteer member of the FAA Safety Team since 2022, helping promote safe, legal flying through Part 107 and recreational pilot outreach. He holds his own Part 107 certification along with additional FAA and industry credentials.

Now Jonathan is bringing everything he's learned - from crashing his first build in a backyard to flying for national television - to teach the next generation of pilots how to fly safely, legally, and have fun while doing it.