Alex Suarez
FPVFC VP, Youth & Racing Advocacy
I knew aviation was my future when I saw my first Blue Angels airshow. However, before I went airborne, I began on the ground with RC cars. I eventually got into RC planes because my cousin flew them. After I received my first RC plane I attempted to fly them, but after a year and a half of trying, I learned RC planes were not my thing.
Around 2013-14, I learned about quadcopters from my local RadioShack and tried their display model. I realized I could keep it in the air without crashing and begged my parents for one. I got my first quadcopter, and little did I know, that was going to be my future. The next couple of years I flew them all over the house and in the park.
Eventually I saw people building their own camera quadcopters and summer of 2015 I looked for parts. When everything arrived around Christmas, I built it. Afterwards, I struggled setting up the CC3D, but after a couple of YouTube videos I figured it out. While watching those YouTube videos, I realized people were using the CC3D for racing quads and I knew what I was going to build next. Summer of 2016 I researched what parts I wanted to build a racing quad, purchased the parts, and built it in January of 2017. I joined my local AMA club and eventually I went to my first race and fun fly throughout the summer 2017.
In spring of 2018 I turned 16 and was eligible for the Part 107 certificate, I took the test and passed. Following this, my friend and I started our own drone business, ATMO Drones. Still going to some races, I mainly focused on my business. When 2019 came around, I got a job as a Drone Pilot Instructor at the Global Air Drone Academy (GADA). I started teaching at their summer camps as well as became a visual observer for the drone light show we put on at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. Throughout 2019 I also decided to try flying RC planes again, it was much better now that I had help from my local club. Mid December, I started a job at my local hobby shop as the RC expert. All was good until the end of 2019, tragedy struck, the Remote ID NPRM was released.
Even though I was a member of the FPVFC and had sporadically joined the meetings, I realized I needed to do more. In February I went to the DAC meeting and began networking, the next day I protested against the NPRM, and then soon after I submitted my comment on the NPRM. Late March, GADA offered me the position of Community Engagement Officer. Since GADA had moved to a virtual platform, I began teaching online classes and created content for our Virtual Drone Club. During summer I represented GADA at the 2020 FAA UAS Symposium, networking with more people and connecting with the FAA. With my new connections I joined the Recreational Subgroup in DAC Tasking Group 8 (TG8) on Safety Culture. Since TG8 closed, I have joined the team for DAC Tasking Group 9 on Low Altitude Remote ID. I spent more time racing, qualifying 225th for the MultiGP Global Championship and finishing 94th at the race.
Outside of aviation and throughout school, I have several other accomplishments. In high school, I ran Cross Country, was in the Robotics Club FRC team 5841, and was in our Navy JROTC unit for all four years. By senior year I was Co-Captain of the Cross Country Team, the Lead Designer on the Robotics Club, and the Cadet Commander of the NJROTC Unit.
While I was in NJROTC, I held positions such as the Public Affairs Assistant, Admin Officer, and Cadet Commander. I was selected as one of the few Cadets to attend Area 5 Leadership Academy. In NJROTC I was on the Orienteering team and qualified for nationals twice and won the Area 5 Championship senior year.
Currently, I am studying Electrical Engineering at York College of Pennsylvania and I am looking forward to doing whatever I can as the Youth Advocate to protect the next generation of aviators.
