Who We Are Technical Advisory Board

John Buell is the founder of Drone Pilot Inc., 100hr Public Safety Training and Certification program. DPI Specializes in Drone Safety and Training Certifications for the professional. John spent 26 years as Senior Police Officer with the Austin Police Department. In that time he supported Special Events, Disaster Response, Organized Crime, Search and Rescue and other operations. In 2019 John set up the APD Drone and Robotics program. He built it from the ground up including Process and Procedures and SOPs. After building out the Drone and Robotics program and team, he flew over 4000 flights to help save lives and provide situational awareness. John retired in 2022 and has been focused on building out Drone Pilot Inc. He also serves as VP of Partnerships and Strategic Development for Eve Vehicles, a provider of DFR hardward and software solutions.

Drone Pilot promotes the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems by first responders for saving lives. DPIs instructors are retired or active duty public safety professionals providing skills needed to operate and maintain these advanced systems. DPI’s leading 100 Hour Drone and Robotics program is the core training team for Back 41 in Austin, San Antonio and Houston. With a focus on promoting the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems for saving lives, John’s background ensures our program equips injured on-duty responders with the essential skills needed to continue serving their communities effectively.

Daniel seeks out problems and opportunities to be solved through the innovative application of technology in corporate aviation. Daniel enjoys being used as a resource by his customers, is a veteran of aviation, and a new sUAS operator.

Daniel’s experience in corporate aviation equips him to identify and leverage innovative technological solutions to empower injured first responders with drone technology, ensuring they can continue serving their communities. As a veteran of aviation and a new sUAS (small Unmanned Aircraft Systems) operator, Daniel brings a unique perspective that bridges traditional aviation expertise with the cutting-edge capabilities of drone technology, enhancing our ability to support injured first responders in returning to service.

Dave began his career with the Austin Police Department on October 26, 1985, after graduating from the Austin Police Academy. He spent six years on patrol in Northeast and East Austin before joining the Motorcycle Unit in 1991, where he worked for 14 years. In 1998, he earned his Basic Instructor Certification, followed by his Motorcycle Instructor Certification in 1999. Dave eventually took over as the lead instructor of the motorcycle unit in 2001. On January 17, 2006, while working a directed patrol, he was involved in a serious collision that resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Despite this setback, he returned to duty and served as the Range Master at the Training Academy until his retirement in 2015, after nearly 30 years with the Austin Police Department.

After two years of retirement, Dave joined the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office as the Training Coordinator, Instructor, and Drone Pilot. Over the past six years, he has developed the drone program, completing his FAA 107 Licensing and leading missions for various purposes, including crime scene photography and search operations. The program has been highly successful, with over 53 missions flown since June 2022. Additionally, Dave is honored to be a Director of the “Back41” project, assisting injured officers, veterans, and the disabled in returning to work. His career in law enforcement continues to be fulfilling, and he is grateful for the support from his colleagues and the opportunity to make a difference.

Art Garcia served in the United States Army from July 1979 to March 1984. During his time in the Army, he was part of a specialized unit at Ft. Lewis, Washington, teaching self-defense.. He later transferred to Germany, where he was assigned to the Aschaffenburg barracks and joined the Army boxing team. After his military service, Art pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a law enforcement officer, he attended the San Antonio College Peace Officer Course and graduated in 1985. He applied to both the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County and took a job offer from the sheriff’s office in 1990..

Throughout his career, Art served as a Narcotics officer assigned to the DEA and served the SO as a patrolman for three years. He later became a Traffic Motor Unit officer. Unfortunately, in 2017, Art was involved in a major crash. After hospital and recovery time, he continued his career and has been with the Traffic Homicide Unit for the past three years, working on crime scene reconstruction, especially hit-and-run and felony crashes involving serious injury or death.

In 2019, Art met John Buell, who introduced him to the concept of Back 41 and DPI training, which trained him to fly and run operational drone missions with Bexar Counties SO drone team. This allowed him to serve and support his community. His duties include investigating hit-and-run crashes and preparing case packets for the DA’s office. He still enjoys his passion for riding motorcycles and serves as President of the San Antonio Chapter of the Los Carnales Motorcycle Club.