Lukas Williams

Transport Canada certified RPAS pilot (Level 1 Complex Operations — exceeding the Advanced certificate requirement) and drone R&D engineer with extensive experience conducting professional UAV operations in demanding, remote, and safety-critical environments across northern Canada (Quebec, Yukon, Nunavut, BC, and Ontario). Currently deployed as a field drone operator on airborne geophysical survey campaigns, operating heavy-lift and fixed-wing/VTOL platforms under Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) authorizations, including BVLOS. Experienced in the capabilities now defining public-safety drone programs: live aerial video feeds for real-time situational awareness, dual-sensor EO/IR (thermal) payloads for night monitoring and search scenarios, and disciplined radio coordination with dispatch and ground teams.

Calm under pressure, highly safety-focused, and eager to bring a drone-as-first-responder mindset to the Shambhala Public Safety Team.

R&D Engineer & Field Drone Operator - Expert Geophysics Limited - Yukon, northern Quebec, Nunavut, northern Ontario & BC

(2023-01)

Advanced Development Team (RPAS Engineering) • Deployments: Yukon, northern Quebec, Nunavut, northern Ontario & BC

• Pilot-in-command for RPAS operations on remote airborne geophysical surveys, including a current MMT survey deployment in the Kluane region of the Yukon — mountainous terrain, variable weather, and long-duration field rotations.
• Led heavy-lift RPAS survey operations (DJI FlyCart 30) in the Nemaska region of northern Quebec, delivering complete survey coverage in a remote, logistically demanding environment.
• Completed high-complexity winter RPAS operations in northern Ontario — extreme cold, icing risk, and short daylight windows — delivered safely and successfully with zero incidents.
• Operate and maintain heavy-lift multirotor platforms (DJI FlyCart 30 and custom builds) plus sub-250g mapping drones and quadplane VTOL aircraft, all under strict operational and regulatory compliance.
• Integrate and test dual-sensor EO/IR (thermal) and low-light video payloads (OpenIPC-based thermal drone architecture, digital FPV video links) delivering live aerial video for day/night situational awareness.
• Provide real-time aerial data and status updates to ground crews, crew chiefs, and base operations over VHF/UHF radio — clear, disciplined comms in fast-moving field operations.
• Perform pre-flight risk assessments, site surveys, emergency procedures planning, and detailed flight logging; conduct post-flight log analysis (ArduPilot) to diagnose anomalies and improve reliability.
• Author formal engineering documentation: flight test reports, operating procedures, platform specifications, and safety cases (IEEE-format engineering reports).

Independent Drone Builder & Operator - Self-employed - Ontario

(2016-01)

FPV, long-range, and mapping platforms

• Designed, built, and flown dozens of custom multirotor aircraft (FPV freestyle, long-range, and mapping) — deep hands-on knowledge of airframes, radios, video systems, batteries, and failure modes.
• Proficient with ArduPilot and Betaflight flight stacks, mission planning software (Mission Planner, QGroundControl), and DJI enterprise ecosystems.
• Fabrication background (CNC machining, carbon fiber, 3D printing, welding) enabling on-site repairs and rapid turnaround when equipment fails in the field.

Diploma - Fish and Wildlife Technician - Fleming College (2025-05)