Co-Owner & Chief Flight Instructor

18 Years of Military Service | Air Defense Artillery Officer | 10+ Years of UAS and Counter-UAS Experience

Rachel Skalisky is the Co-Owner and Chief Flight Instructor for Patriot Drone Operations, where she combines professional UAS operations, military air-defense expertise, Counter-UAS program development, and international flight experience. Her work encompasses airspace planning, risk management, pilot training, aerial photography and videography, inspection-support data collection, and organizational UAS and Counter-UAS training.

As a U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery officer with a Short Range Air Defense background, Rachel has helped establish and improve military Counter-UAS programs, training frameworks, operational procedures, and readiness exercises. Her experience includes UAS threat analysis, installation and critical-infrastructure defense, airspace deconfliction, layered defense, command-and-control integration, and detection, tracking, reporting, and response procedures. She has supported Counter-UAS operations in the homeland and abroad while training U.S. personnel, partner nations, and allied forces.

Rachel has more than a decade of experience operating unmanned aircraft in varied domestic and international environments, from complex urban settings to remote terrain. As an instructor, she translates technical and operational concepts into practical training that emphasizes disciplined flight, regulatory compliance, situational awareness, camera operations, and sound pilot-in-command decision-making. Her combined UAS and Counter-UAS experience gives students and clients a comprehensive understanding of how unmanned aircraft are operated, how they may present risk, and how organizations can prepare effectively.

Co-Owner & Director of Operations

Retired Federal Assistant Special Agent in Charge | Former Bexar County Deputy Sheriff | 25+ Years of Law-Enforcement, UAS, and Counter-UAS Experience

Shane Watts is the Co-Owner and Director of Operations for Patriot Drone Operations, where he applies more than 25 years of law-enforcement and federal investigative experience to UAS operations, Counter-UAS preparedness, organizational training, and drone-threat assessments. His expertise includes operational planning, threat recognition, incident response, evidence preservation, interagency coordination, and the lawful integration of unmanned technology into professional environments.

Shane began his law-enforcement career in 1994 as a Bexar County Deputy Sheriff before serving in senior investigative and leadership positions with Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. As a federal Assistant Special Agent in Charge, he led personnel and complex operations in environments where accountability, sound judgment, legal compliance, and accurate documentation were essential.

Through Army CID and the broader law-enforcement community, Shane gained practical UAS and Counter-UAS experience involving aerial situational awareness, operational overwatch, suspicious-drone activity, threat reporting, response coordination, incident documentation, and investigative follow-up. He helps clients understand how UAS technology, security procedures, legal authorities, trained personnel, and law-enforcement coordination must work together to produce an effective and defensible program.

Military titles and experience are provided for professional background only and do not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, or any other government agency.